I'm all in with "German Engineering" but hiding the air filter in the engine cover is just bad design. It is a 30min job to check your air filter LOL!
VW Filter placement
- Thread starter Scum_Frog
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You really shouldnt "check" your air filter - this is a bad practice and introduces dirt unnecessarily into the inlet; just replace as recommended in the OM. A somewhat dirty AF wont neg affect fuel mileage on a gas engine.
Do you have this issue with the 2.0T? I know the 2.5L's are like that.
Originally Posted By: Scum_Frog
I'm all in with "German Engineering" but hiding the air filter in the engine cover is just bad design. It is a 30min job to check your air filter LOL!
Try my old Audi. It's almost two hours to replace the air filter.
I'm all in with "German Engineering" but hiding the air filter in the engine cover is just bad design. It is a 30min job to check your air filter LOL!
Try my old Audi. It's almost two hours to replace the air filter.
Originally Posted By: jigen
Do you have this issue with the 2.0T? I know the 2.5L's are like that.
Yep...2.0T FSI
I'm not sure but they may have changed it on your version of the 2.0T TSI/TFSI
Good to hear I'm not alone and others have the same issue LOL
Do you have this issue with the 2.0T? I know the 2.5L's are like that.
Yep...2.0T FSI
I'm not sure but they may have changed it on your version of the 2.0T TSI/TFSI
Good to hear I'm not alone and others have the same issue LOL
JHZR2
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Originally Posted By: jigen
Do you have this issue with the 2.0T? I know the 2.5L's are like that.
Yeah its not that huge of a deal. I would prefer to see a restriction gauge on filter setups like this, if not all vehicles...
Do you have this issue with the 2.0T? I know the 2.5L's are like that.
Yeah its not that huge of a deal. I would prefer to see a restriction gauge on filter setups like this, if not all vehicles...
Originally Posted By: Rand
its not just a VEE-DUmB thing. I seem to remember a friend that had a buick rendezvous?? that took about an hour because of what you had to disassemble/move to get down far enough in the engine to open the filter holder.
I have a 2007 Buick Rendezvous with the 3.5L V6. I can change the air filter in 10 minutes. Not sure which year/engine your friend has. Maybe the 3.6 DOHC engine is trickier. I can't imagine the 3.4 OHV that grew into the 3.5 being any different. It's not the 2 minute, no tools, job as on my dad's Pontiac but it ain't bad at all. I move the accordion tube (loosen clamps with flat screwdriver) and then the airbox lid has room to open.
its not just a VEE-DUmB thing. I seem to remember a friend that had a buick rendezvous?? that took about an hour because of what you had to disassemble/move to get down far enough in the engine to open the filter holder.
I have a 2007 Buick Rendezvous with the 3.5L V6. I can change the air filter in 10 minutes. Not sure which year/engine your friend has. Maybe the 3.6 DOHC engine is trickier. I can't imagine the 3.4 OHV that grew into the 3.5 being any different. It's not the 2 minute, no tools, job as on my dad's Pontiac but it ain't bad at all. I move the accordion tube (loosen clamps with flat screwdriver) and then the airbox lid has room to open.
Ouch...both my vehicles air filters can be changed in about 15 seconds, 30 if I stop to inspect everything associated with it.
My scions filter is easy to get to, but because the filter itself sticks up above the bottom half of the air box so far, its hard to slide the tabs in on the lid on the back side of the box and get the filter to stay in place at the same time.
Confirming what others have already said, yup, the 2.0T has that same, stupid "clamshell" filter housing. Not a big deal, but an annoying design nonetheless. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is when the four rubber plugs/grommets decide to marry into holy matrimony and "become one." Then you pray that you don't break the plastic wonder while trying to arm-wrestle it loose. I inherited from my dad some very thick, clear silicone oil that's used to slide PVC rain gutters together as a lube for the male and female rubber connectors. It seems to work reasonably well. FYI, where I live, and for my driving, I’ve found that it doesn’t really pay to change that filter more than 5K less than what’s called for; it simply doesn’t seem to get that dirty in that time/mileage period.
The only way to remove the air filter in my old Audi 200 Turbo in under ten minutes would be with a sledge hammer and a pry bar.
He he. When I did it (without a pry bar or sledge hammer), I dropped a screw into the turbo. That caused a few nervous minutes until I was able to extricate it with a magnet.
It is close to a two hour job (I lost track of the exact time), and even then, I shredded the old filter getting it out of the box. The only way to open the air box all the way is to unmount the engine on the passenger side, and I am not going to do that for an air filter. The OM and FSM both recommend to leave it to a dealer and do not even list the procedure.
It requires removal of a bunch of turbo plumbing and the passenger headlight assembly, and very small hands (like mine).
It is close to a two hour job (I lost track of the exact time), and even then, I shredded the old filter getting it out of the box. The only way to open the air box all the way is to unmount the engine on the passenger side, and I am not going to do that for an air filter. The OM and FSM both recommend to leave it to a dealer and do not even list the procedure.
It requires removal of a bunch of turbo plumbing and the passenger headlight assembly, and very small hands (like mine).
Ironically, the air filter in my 1995 Audi 90 V-6 could be changed in maybe 60 seconds if you were in a mad rush with a gun pointed at your head. But add a turbo to a similar vintage of Audi and you get Garak's air filter nightmare. I can picture the German design engineers trying to get the puzzle together and fit it all under the hood, finally giving up at some point and saying, "Oh, forget it...just wedge everything in there as best you can, and if it's impossible to service, so be it." 
"It requires removal of a bunch of turbo plumbing and the passenger headlight assembly, and very small hands (like mine)."
I hope the factory made the darn filter BIG (either in size or at least total pleat surface area) so you didn't have to change it often! That might offer at least some consolation.
I hope the factory made the darn filter BIG (either in size or at least total pleat surface area) so you didn't have to change it often! That might offer at least some consolation.
Originally Posted By: TC
"It requires removal of a bunch of turbo plumbing and the passenger headlight assembly, and very small hands (like mine)."
I hope the factory made the darn filter BIG (either in size or at least total pleat surface area) so you didn't have to change it often! That might offer at least some consolation.
TC, I totally agreed on what you've said. So what's your recommended interval for filter change?
"It requires removal of a bunch of turbo plumbing and the passenger headlight assembly, and very small hands (like mine)."
I hope the factory made the darn filter BIG (either in size or at least total pleat surface area) so you didn't have to change it often! That might offer at least some consolation.
TC, I totally agreed on what you've said. So what's your recommended interval for filter change?
By the looks of it, and I'm not exaggerating here, the air filter box was one of the first things they mounted in the engine compartment, and simply piled everything on top of it. Even the air box clips are hidden underneath things like the fuel lines, fuel filter, and so forth. Only one of them is readily accessible by hand. The rest require serious contortion or a very long, thin screwdriver and a lot of patience.
The filter wasn't overly large, but rather deep with a lot of pleats. It certainly was no short-life filter. I don't recall the recommended change interval, but people do tend to change filters too often, anyhow. It was definitely designed to discourage people from changing it every OCI, that's for sure.
The filter wasn't overly large, but rather deep with a lot of pleats. It certainly was no short-life filter. I don't recall the recommended change interval, but people do tend to change filters too often, anyhow. It was definitely designed to discourage people from changing it every OCI, that's for sure.
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