I hate this bit - can you help, please?

[Phutters]

BAU-engined 2004 allroad

The seal which is supposed to seal the pollen filter housing to the bodywork is shot, and as a consequence I've got water coming inside the car when it really tonks it down.

I've removed two of the three nushers - nuts with flat washers attached - which hold the filter housing on (this has enabled me to lift the housing sufficiently to see that the seal is perished) but it looks horribly as if getting the third nusher off will require removing the windscreen cowl (the trim piece through which the wiper motor shafts emerge).

The three clips - one dead centre and one at each end - come off easily enough, but I've got the heebee-jeebies about the next bit...

Apparently there's a ridge on the back of the cowl which clips into a groove on a bit of trim bonded to the lower edge of the screen, and it needs to be unclipped.

Is there a knack to this?

Do I start in the middle and work outwards?

How much force do I need to apply, and in which direction?

Am I aiming to pull it directly away from the screen at a right angle without twisting it unduly?

Can I achieve this by lifting under the centre bottom of the cowl trim until it pops out, or am I being far too optimistic in using the word 'pop'?

I don't want to bust it if I can avoid it.

Help...

[kite]

On my A4, it doesn't pull straight out.
I got mine out by wiggling it and easing up at the same time.
These bits of trim tend to be bonded in with years of road grime from the screen.
Think they are around £15 new.
Good luck.

[CharlesElliott]

I'm also interested (!) in doing this to replace my filter housing so will follow the thread. The workshop manual doesn't seem to cover the removal of this piece (unless I'm missing it).

[Peter D]

You start at one end and ease the trim up perpendicular to the glass. Do not lever it off or put pressure on the glass. The edge of the glass is vunerable and can crack. Regards Peter

[CharlesElliott]

And how do you put it back? Is there sealant in there that needs to be replaced, or is it a dry fit piece?

[Phutters]

You start at one end and ease the trim up perpendicular to the glass. Do not lever it off or put pressure on the glass. The edge of the glass is vulnerable and can crack. Regards PeterThanks Peter.

I'm afraid I've bottled out for now. It's a poor do, and I'm very sorry.

I tried at one end, the other end and in the middle.

No dice.

I don't doubt that it will come out, but having applied a judicious amount of force I can only assume that your average windscreen fitter's idea of judicious is rather different to mine.

I'll try again when I'm feeling more relaxed about the possibility of a shower of plastic shrapnel, even if it means standing over it with a brolly whenever the weather looks inclement.

If I was designing this piece, I'd design it with seven or eight large wingnuts holding it on instead.

[JimTraining]

Daft thought and probably more suitable than a bilge pump is silkaflex or similar? With a well crafted end, could you apply it from inside the pollen filter housing? they do sealant that can be applied where moisture is present and a couple of firms do moisture activated sealant e.g. http://www.ct1ltd.com/how-to-seal-gutters.html I haven't tried it but it is available on ebay / amazon etc in different colours and could do a decent job in the right hands no doubt. Agree that removing the cowl seems more challenging than a couple of temporary fixes whilst we wait for glorious summer.

[jamietdi]

i had same problem with my passat,water behind passaenger seat,alarm going off all the time,eventually had enough. remove trim over battery,3 nuts on pollen filter housing,trim under screen can be raised slightly at passaenger side aftr removing clips,top of housing can come off seperately,when housing removed there was a load of leaves and gunk behind.removed both seals off housing,and replaced with normal weather strip from b&Q 11 QUID little smear of silicon round rim where filter fits put it all back,took an hour,dry as a bone now easy peasy,but can understand why you are a bit hesitant to do it.

[Phutters]

...3 nuts on pollen filter housing... ...easy peasy,but can understand why you are a bit hesitant to do it.Your nuts must be in a different place to mine mate, both literally and metaphorically.

There's no way I could get at the housing nut closest to the bottom corner of the windscreen without removing the windscreen cowl moulding from the bottom of the screen.

Anyway, I've cleaned as much as I can clean having removed two of the nuts, applied a bead of silicone round as much of the base of the filter housing where it compresses its seal as I can and tightened everything back up as much as is prudent.

So far so good. There's no sign of moisture in the housing void under the filter, and the spongy gasket affair which separates the upper and lower parts of the assembly is dry.

So I've stopped worrying about that for the time being and instead I've gone back to worrying about when I need to get one of bagpipingandy's compressor piston ring kits.

[jamietdi]

the nuts are a bit fiddley i admit,but i managed to get them out eventually,you can lift the lower cowl up about 3 inches enough to get to most awkward nut