Technical Panda Cross firewall and duck-bill questions

[Dieselfan]

Hello Fiat Panda friends,

I have a question about some cover in the engine bay of my Cross, please see the photos. It seems to have come unstuck, revealing a hole behind it. Where is this hole leading to? Is it just a structural design or does it lead to another dimension or perhaps a different universe? Can I just go ahead and super-glue it back?

I also wish to ask about the two rubber "duckbills" in the tray below the windscreen. I have removed mine temporarily to remove the gunk and leaves. I have been driving without them for some time now as I am rather against a water-dam forming there. This whole design set-up seems so bad. May I ask that the reason for their existence is merely to keep fumes out of the car?

Thank you!

 

[Dieselfan]

Ok - it seems my question has stumped the forum.

Maybe if someone could help me with this bit: I would like to now replace those two duck-bills in the tray underneath the windscreen. How on earth do I get them back? Squeezing them in from the outside (from the bottom?). I used a bread-knife and part of a fishing rod (!) to get them out (from the top).
Related: how does one remove the entire air-filter box on a 1.3 MJ? Does it just pull off?

I hope I won't need to remove the engine to do this. lol

 

[varesecrazy]

Ok - it seems my question has stumped the forum.

Maybe if someone could help me with this bit: I would like to now replace those two duck-bills in the tray underneath the windscreen. How on earth do I get them back? Squeezing them in from the outside (from the bottom?). I used a bread-knife and part of a fishing rod (!) to get them out (from the top).
Related: how does one remove the entire air-filter box on a 1.3 MJ? Does it just pull off?

I hope I won't need to remove the engine to do this. lol

The duckbills are easist fod down from the scuttle.
A length of wire through the duckbill and into the drain hole will do a good job of guiding them..

Other hole is just fron structural assembly

Charlie

 

[Dieselfan]

Thanks Charlie. The wire idea will be a good idea for the one on the left side - the other one - I may have to call a specialized surgeon! But thanks you have given me a great idea - maybe even to use a piece of string to pull the right hand one into place and work from there.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The duckbills are easist fod down from the scuttle.
A length of wire through the duckbill and into the drain hole will do a good job of guiding them..

Other hole is just fron structural assembly

Charlie

:yeahthat:

 

[daveofkent]

The best tool to clear duck bills is a length of net curtain hanging wire. It's just perfect. I keep a length in the boot now. I got that tip from someone else on here. Don't tell the wife why one of the net curtains has fallen down though. You'll be in trouble.

 

[AB100]

The best tool to clear duck bills is a length of net curtain hanging wire.

Jubblies, white dog-turds, soul-shoes, three telly channels, Arctic Roll, 90% of the population borderline-anorexic, stack of candles under t'stairs in case there's a power cut.


By 'eck, it must be nice to be living int 70s again.

 

[Sweetsixteen]

Easier still if you screw in one of those little closed metal loops at the end of the curtain wire. Smooths the path and stops the open end of the wire snagging.

 

[SurreyAlan]

I can't see any problem if they were removed. They only seem to fill in a hole which the water would just go down if they weren't there or am I missing something. Ours are very soft so just squeeze back into place but seem to get gunged up very quickly. Since keeping them clear the mats inside have stayed nice and dry.

 

[Dieselfan]

I can't see any problem if they were removed. They only seem to fill in a hole which the water would just go down if they weren't there or am I missing something.

Hi Alan, I totally agree. In fact, I would go one step further - I don't quite know why there should be a tray there at all. I guess they try to get the car to "breathe" fresh air from the outside of the bonnet, and not directly from inside the engine. I guess the duckbills are required to keep exhaust fumes from other cars away which come up from beneath the car.

As far as your suggestion to simply squeeze them back - this would impossible as there is no space to do it from the top or bottom of the tray on the Cross. I would like to ask - how do I remove the air-filter box? I have only found videos on how to remove the air-filter element, but not the whole thing.

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi Alan, I totally agree. In fact, I would go one step further - I don't quite know why there should be a tray there at all. I guess they try to get the car to "breathe" fresh air from the outside of the bonnet, and not directly from inside the engine. I guess the duckbills are required to keep exhaust fumes from other cars away which come up from beneath the car.

As far as your suggestion to simply squeeze them back - this would impossible as there is no space to do it from the top or bottom of the tray on the Cross. I would like to ask - how do I remove the air-filter box? I have only found videos on how to remove the air-filter element, but not the whole thing.

Thanks for all the feedback!

hi, yes that's why they are there,
on the little FIRE petrols access is so easy I just give the edges a squeeze monthly, and any crud trapped pulls out.. never any trapped water

I've seen how tight it is on a DERV so you can't do this as easily..
TOP TIP - dont park under trees so the crud doesn't build-up anyway..

access to remove airfilter casing on a diesel 1.3 .. no idea,
look / SEARCH in panda and 500 sections.. will no doubt be VERY similar..
:idea: look in the thread about water ingress to air filter.. somebody has probably documented the removal - for the "fix".,
Charlie