bigsnowdog

Is there some trick to getting the air box apart to access the engine air filter? I took the car to an independent for an oil change, quite capable in US & Japanese vehicles, and they could not get the box apart, afraid of breaking it. Ducts were removed from each end and the clips were unlatched, but it would not swing very far open, acting as if something in the area where it hinges was going to break.

I took it there to get it up on a lift to better view possible lift points. I have 1-1/4, 4, and 10 ton floor jacks. The 1-1/4 is the only one that fits under the car. Since there does not seem to be central lift points, I was curious to get a better look.

In summary, two questions:

What, in your view, are the steps for air filter removal?

How are you getting one of these cars up on four stands, given the height and lack of central lift points on each end.

It appears to me the best way might be to get one more 1-1/4 ton floor jack and put one on each side.

KevinGary

Take a look at the 55k service link at the top of the forum. There is a pretty good write up on removing the air filter.

bigsnowdog

I have seen it, thank you, and it is as follows:

Air filter: 30 minutes as it was my first time. Need light, phillips/flathead screw drivers, compressed air or damp towel, air filter and a little patience.

1) Pop the hood, remove the only two phillips screws from the black cover on the front left side of the hood left of the radiator and above the grill. The air intake/box comes in three sections. Underneath the black cover there is a small piece (snow screen) that should be cleaned.

The part about the snow screen.... the photo provided shows the grille out of the car. So, what is the black cover referenced; it seems not to allow access to this cover, if the grille has to be removed to clean this screen. Is that correct, you have to remove the grille?
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5011008_n.jpg

2)Remove the front section of the air box by simply pulling it out now that the screws are off. Remove the second section that goes into the airbox. Clean both sections.

....remove the second section [of the air box] that goes into the air box? Does it really mean to say, goes into the air box? Is this actually referring to duct?

3) Remove wires from top of the air box. Just slide them off (u will see what I mean, no biggie).

4) Loosen O clamp and undo the two clips that connects air intake to airbox and pull out the air intake.

What is the meaning of, air intake, in this sentence? A piece of duct?

5)Leaving the airbox still in the car, undo the two clips at the top of the airbox.

6) Pull up and to the right on the airbox just enough where it pops out. There are rubber, cork like stops that pop in and out of holes in the frame (sort of like wine/champagne corks) that secure the airbox to the frame of the car.

7) Now just pull out and you will remove the air box with one half of the box still attached to the car. May have to do some wiggling.

You will remove the air box with one half of the air box still attached to the car. Are we removing the air box, or half of the air box? The two halves of the air box do not want to separate. That is the crux of the problem.

8) Unscrew the air filter (two phillips screws) from the 1/2 of airbox you have pulled out of the car. Clean and replace with new filter.

9)Clean out the other half of the airbox still in the car.

10) Reassemble not forgetting to redo all clips and screws. Make sure the air box stops/corks pop back into the frame. Reattch wires.

Note: You can remove the entire air box, but it was easier to just take out 1/2 of it and this is the way the service manual recommeds that it be done.


The text conflicts with itself. What I am experiencing here is that we disconnected ducts from both sides of the air box, forward side toward grille and rear side ducting to engine. That leaves the air box in place under the fender sheet metal. It has clips holding it closed.

If you unlatch the clips, the box will open somewhat. The lower, outer section of the box assembly is attached to the car's body at the point of lower mounts, referenced in the text. The inner, upper section, now unlatched, is still attached at a hinge line created by physical features on each air box section mating/meshing together.

The text in the post says, pull it up and to the right until it pops out. What pops out, the entire airbox? Mention is made of mounts. Are the mounts separating?

See number 7.

By what we have seen here, the box separates at the lower, hinge-line feature. It does not want to do that.

The thread you mention is great and I appreciate it, so don't mean to seem critical. It is just that this text does not seem to work.

Thoughts on this?

john_S6

I remove mine all the time, on S6 all you have to do is remove hose from engine to air box and then unscrew two top screws and one on the side of air box. Side screw is pain in the @$$ but I got 16" screwdriver and makes life easier. The air box will open toward the engine.

zzz4

On our 2007 3.2 engine removing the air filter was not very difficult - took about 30 minutes to remove and put back in. I followed the 55k service instructions. There is a rubber O-ring that is a major b8tch to take out and put back in.

Now what i have issues is removing the coils on the driver side of the engine to do a spark plug change.

r1racer

See comments

The part about the snow screen.... the photo provided shows the grille out of the car. So, what is the black cover referenced; it seems not to allow access to this cover, if the grille has to be removed to clean this screen. Is that correct, you have to remove the grille?

Not sure what u mean by the "grille out of the car." In order to access the snow screen (shown in pic), you must remove the black plastic cover above the grille. The grille stays on the car.

[/I]....remove the second section [of the air box] that goes into the air box? Does it really mean to say, goes into the air box? Is this actually referring to duct?

The middle section of the duct that goes into the airbox is what I was referring to.

What is the meaning of, air intake, in this sentence? A piece of duct?

Yes.

You will remove the air box with one half of the air box still attached to the car. Are we removing the air box, or half of the air box? The two halves of the air box do not want to separate. That is the crux of the problem.

You can remove the entire box or just one half as I did. Make sure all clips are undone. I belive I had to pull part of the bottom section of the airbox "up and to the right" for more room in order to get the top half off.

The text conflicts with itself. What I am experiencing here is that we disconnected ducts from both sides of the air box, forward side toward grille and rear side ducting to engine. That leaves the air box in place under the fender sheet metal. It has clips holding it closed.

If you unlatch the clips, the box will open somewhat. The lower, outer section of the box assembly is attached to the car's body at the point of lower mounts, referenced in the text. The inner, upper section, now unlatched, is still attached at a hinge line created by physical features on each air box section mating/meshing together.

The text in the post says, pull it up and to the right until it pops out. What pops out, the entire airbox? Mention is made of mounts. Are the mounts separating?

Not sure what you're asking but I think I popped out the bottom section of the airbox (the cork like thing that attaches to the frame) so I had room to take the top half of the box off. It's been a while so I can't rememeber. I will post Bentley instructions later tonight...that may help you but really the goal is to just get either the entire thing or half of the thing out so that you can replace the filter. Not that difficult.


By what we have seen here, the box separates at the lower, hinge-line feature. It does not want to do that.

The thread you mention is great and I appreciate it, so don't mean to seem critical. It is just that this text does not seem to work.

Thoughts on this?[/QUOTE]

bigsnowdog

This is my air filter assembly. I wonder if it is different from the layout said to work with the descriptions in the long text provided.

The piece seems too big to remove; see my initial post. Am I just not holding my mouth right?