Technical Pollen - Cabin Filter

[Goudrons]

Been getting a bit of window misting on both our air con fitted Pandas, so I decided to replace their cabin/pollen filters.

Seems it's not part of the low mileage service of my local stealer and they've been in nearly three years.

I've done a couple of 169's and I don't remember having to rotate my head 320 degree, bend both elbows back on themselves and snap my spine in four places to access the cover.

It wasn't until I'd shattered mayor bones and my vision redded out due all my blood running to my head, that I discovered my 6mm socket was chewed up and wouldn't grip the covers bolt heads!

Got to find another socket and do it all again, twice!

 

[burrowsdeano]

Those screws are 5.5mm not 6mm, helps if you in-bolt the lower steering collumn pinch bolt and slide the collumn to one side

 

[Goudrons]

Those screws are 5.5mm not 6mm,

That helps/explains a lot, thanks.

It was hard to tell which was the proper socket when I was contorted like that.
My eyes are still bloodshot 5 hours later!

 

[Tom95]

Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but how exactly does one go about changing the pollen filter?

The reason I ask is that I requested it be done last service, however the workshop (an independant euro specialist) was unable to do so as they indicated that the steering column would need to be removed?

The bloke also mentioned that he'd "never seen anything like it" and that the RHD conversion was "a bit of a bodge job".

Anyhow, they left the new filter in the boot, so I'd like to have a bit of a go at it myself.

 

[Putty John]

There is no need to remove the steering column or the clutch pedal.
It is a struggle but remove the cover pull out the old one noting which way it was in. The new one might have along the top and bottom sides a small slit so that it will bend, then squeeze it in you might need to push with a blunt piece of dowel or something similar but push it in and it will spring into shape.
No swearing

 

[portland_bill]

If you do remove the column lower pinch bolt the job is easier.
However, due to the stresses the bolt takes, and its safety importance, it is recommended that it is replaced if disturbed. It is, if I remember correctly, a grade 10 bolt, not the normal 8.8 of standard bolts, so needs to be the right one.
I think they may be the same, or very close to the bottom suspension joint bolt. I bought a bag of 10 online. Will probably outlast me and the car. Especially if I can't find them in the garage next time.

 

[jrkitching]

Like most things plastic, slightly easier when the parts are warm - plastic is more brittle when it's cold.

 

[Goudrons]

The bottom screw on the filters cover is the hardest one due to the steering column being in the way for a socket.

First the lower trim panel that has the foot rest in it needs removing.
It's held in with three torq headed screws, two one size and one a smaller size.
Once these are out, the panel unclips and wriggles out.

The two cover screws are, as already written 5.5mm.
The top one is easy.
The bottom one a pain, I cut down a socket and drilled a hole through it to poke a thin screwdriver through for leverage.
But a 5.5 ring spanner like this would work
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elora-02597-5x5-5mm-Midget-D-Crank-Metric-Ring-Spanner-/400824201366?hash=item5d52fbf096:g:QDgAAOSwEzxYN0Rv

You now need to push and hold the clutch pedal down, either with you hand or a brace so you can pull the old filter out and the new one in.

This might help, but it's a left hand drive and the pedals and steering aren't in the way.

 

[Tom95]

Thanks for your help and advice, everyone.

My God, what a pain in the a**e!

I had to Macgyver a couple of tools to get the job done, but in the end all is well (minus a few bleeding knuckles).

In the absence of a 5.5mm socket, I found that a 7/32 socket does the trick. To get around the bottom screw issue without one of those nifty bent ring-spanners above I used pliers cable-tied shut to hold the socket (with a small piece of bicycle inner-tube for grip, of course).

Also, to hold the clutch pedal depressed, I wedged a ratchet spanner in between the steering column and brake pedals.

The A/C now smells noticeably 'fresher' too, which is nice.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Things have moved on, go with it, its progress. All you need to do is ask someone with a chain saw to cut off both your arms and you can use your feet to operate them as remote control filter fitting tools. Job done!

PS Driver less cars are coming so you wont actually need the arms!

 

[Chriselectrics]

Just did this job on my 2014 panda pop.
Mine did not have a filter in it to begin with.
No wounder the cabin in my car used to steam up during the winter months. Did complain to the Dealer about this but they did not seem to understand what the issue was?
Anyway its done now. So cant wait to see whats its like in the cold mornings.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Just did this job on my 2014 panda pop.
Mine did not have a filter in it to begin with.
No wounder the cabin in my car used to steam up during the winter months. Did complain to the Dealer about this but they did not seem to understand what the issue was?
Anyway its done now. So cant wait to see whats its like in the cold mornings.

Sorry to say that adding a filter won’t stop it misting up - (assuming your Pop does not have aircon). Only blowing more air , with heat in it and being sure it’s not on recirculate will stop that.

The filter is only needed on cars with aircon. In those, as well as a heater matrix (small hot radiator within the heater box), is the chiller unit (similar but cold radiator cooled by the aircon system). When aircon is on, condensation forms on the chiller unit, and any spores in the air coming into the car settle on the damp surface of the chiller and can start to grow and go mouldy. That’s why aircon can smell, and why there’s a filter to try and keep spores out. (Cure to that smell — now and again, turn aircon off and heat to full and blower to max, to dry the heater box out... and of course changing the filter Every couple of years). This is also why the windows demist faster with the aircon on: because the air is dried out (leaving condensation on the chiller means the air passing through becomes less humid) and so is more able to absorb moisture from inside the car.

Another cause of excessive misting up can blocked drains in the panel beneath the windscreen - search this forum for “milking a goat" to find that thread! Or, more rarely, because the condensate drain from the heater box (only on models with aircon) is blocked.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

In the absence of a 5.5mm socket, I found that a 7/32 socket does the trick. To get around the bottom screw issue without one of those nifty bent ring-spanners above I used pliers cable-tied shut to hold the socket (with a small piece of bicycle inner-tube for grip, of course).

Useful trick to know -thanks!

I guess the job is easy on a left hand drive car... shame it can’t come out from the other side when they make the RHD version.

 

[Goudrons]

Well, I found a car that's twice as hard to swap the cabin filter as the RHD Panda.

My Berlingo came with the subtle aroma of eau de chein and after several valets it still hung around a little.

As there's no air con I didn't think it had a filter, turns out it has two, one sat on top of the other in exactly the same place as the Panda.
The first one (should) push through the hole and drop down inside, while the second sits on the first's top edge.

Although there's a hole big enough for one filter to fit through, access isn't straight as a big solid heater pipe bends out right if front of the hole and there's no slot or track for the filter to follow inside, so you end up pushing the thing in at an angle and back up the heater intake pipe, then doing the same with the second one!

Took me four hours to swap two stupid filters and I ended up tearing the first two so had to get two more.
I was black and blue with bruises and cut to shreds, to make it worse, mines a two pedal, so the brake pedal is massive and can't be pushed all the way down, out of the way.

This is a someone fitting a LHD model, so there's no pedals or steering column in the way and he can remove the glove box for better access, which I couldn't and it still looks like a feckin' nightmare!
I can't be sure what he's saying, but I can guess it's rather rude.

 

[Al D]

This however is a doddle.

[ame]https://youtu.be/1nrO4X1iqv4[/ame]

 

[Chriselectrics]

Oh Pooh Sticks

 

[The Panda Nut]

Thanks for your help and advice, everyone.

My God, what a pain in the a**e!

I had to Macgyver a couple of tools to get the job done, but in the end all is well (minus a few bleeding knuckles).

In the absence of a 5.5mm socket, I found that a 7/32 socket does the trick. To get around the bottom screw issue without one of those nifty bent ring-spanners above I used pliers cable-tied shut to hold the socket (with a small piece of bicycle inner-tube for grip, of course).

Also, to hold the clutch pedal depressed, I wedged a ratchet spanner in between the steering column and brake pedals.

The A/C now smells noticeably 'fresher' too, which is nice.

Wow!

 

[murphyv310]

Hi.
Just finished mine, took 55 minutes in all. Not the horrendous job I was expecting. I managed to remove the bottom screw of the cover with small cranked long nosed pliers, I jammed the clutch pedal down with a long screwdriver against the brake pedal and floor. The scary part is bending the new filter. The old filter wasn't too bad but this area is not noted for dirty air. Anyway another job done.
Incidentally I got a Bosch filter from my local autoshop for £7 it was made in the Czech Republic.

 

[Chriselectrics]

I am very pleased to report that the pollen/Cabin filter makes a massive difference to car in term of misting up. Something which has totally stopped since fitting the filter. So if you have the POP fit that filter asap.
And replace it every 12 months. Something which I will be doing from now on.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I am very pleased to report that the pollen/Cabin filter makes a massive difference to car in term of misting up. Something which has totally stopped since fitting the filter. So if you have the POP fit that filter asap.
And replace it every 12 months. Something which I will be doing from now on.

I can't work out why the filter will stop misting - it only filters dust, not moisture... but it it works for you, then problem solved.

(I do wonder if you have also moved the control from 'recirculate' to 'fresh air from outside' -- recirc will guarantee the car will mist up as no fresh/dry air gets in, and it mists up very quickly like that)