Replacing Air Filter -- You gotta be kidding.

[annarborhawk]

Is it just me, or is it crazy hard to get the cover off of the air filter. Seems impossible to reach the two clips on the lower (right) side of the housing, and the cover itself hardly lifts high enough to exchange filters.

Am I missing an easier way to do this. Or is VW just out to skin our knuckles?

Edit: It's a '02 Passat.

[00Psst]

Have you removed the heat shield? If not, this is the best way to get to the clips. Also, the cover should lift off without much problem so if its not, I would suggest you've got something catching as well.

[annarborhawk]

Thanks for the tip on the heat shield. I was afraid of that. Seems like an air filter should be positioned in a more accessible area. Never had a car like this. Oh well. Thanks for the tip.

[00Psst]

Happy to help. I would recommend getting a K & N filter as well - personal preference. You can go longer between filter changes so you won't have to mess with it as often. Plus with a recharging kit, you can use it again and again - just make sure you don't over oil it.

Oh yeah, get some band-aids too. I scraped up my knuckles pretty good doing this the first time.

[pfahey]

So did the K & N filter improve the performance any? I was thinking of getting one.

[00Psst]

The K & N won't really improve your performance much if at all. Most people don't even notice the change unless the old filter was really dirty - but then they would have noticed it putting in a paper filter too. The real benefit is having to change the filter less often because its a pain in the butt to do it.

[scqueaky]

I just changed the air filter for the first time on my car and was just as surprised at how difficult it was. Even after taking the heat shield off, the hoses and tubes on top of the cover made it difficult to get to the filter.

[00Psst]

Originally Posted by scqueaky

I just changed the air filter for the first time on my car and was just as surprised at how difficult it was. Even after taking the heat shield off, the hoses and tubes on top of the cover made it difficult to get to the filter.

You shouldn't have to remove any of the hoses from the top of the airbox cover, it should all lift up as one piece. All you need to do is remove the heat shield to get to the bottom clips, unclip all four clips, and then lift the cover off enough to pull the old filter out and slide the new one in. Its a pain but its not that difficult once you've done it once.

[markfollmer]

For my 2002 Passat 4-cyl turbo, which is the cabin air filter and which is the engine air filter and where are they, respectively?
I can get the filter out and would like to order one, but don't know if this is the engine air or cabin air.

[scqueaky]

I couldn't tell you. You may want to post your own message in the main board. I didn't know there was a separate filter for the inside of the car.

[00Psst]

Originally Posted by markfollmer

For my 2002 Passat 4-cyl turbo, which is the cabin air filter and which is the engine air filter and where are they, respectively?
I can get the filter out and would like to order one, but don't know if this is the engine air or cabin air.

Cabin filter is located at the base of the windshield under the black shroud by the wipers. The engine air filter is located behind the passenger side headlight. You can find the engine air filter by following the air intake from the grill. There is a small cover that you'll need to remove in order to access it.

[SEKirk144]

Originally Posted by markfollmer

For my 2002 Passat 4-cyl turbo, which is the cabin air filter and which is the engine air filter and where are they, respectively?
I can get the filter out and would like to order one, but don't know if this is the engine air or cabin air.

http://www.taligentx.com/passat/main...e/cabinfilter/

[The_Penguin]

Yes the air filter is a pain.
Be careful with K&N filters and oil, excess oil can mess up the MAF sensor.