Cleaning the Snow Screens in the Phaeton Air Intake [TOC, Photos done]

[Sarmale89]

Zaph:

The upper portion of the airbox is very difficult to remove (due to extremely tight tolerances all around it) on the W12. It is possible that the same might be true on your car.

FYI, you have to remove the big round tube that carries the filtered air into the engine before you attempt to remove the upper portion of the airbox cover. You won't get anywhere as long as that tube is attached. In practice, you have to disconnect that big tube at both ends (airbox and where it connects to the engine, typically at the MAF, or Mass Airflow Sensor) and then remove it and set it aside.

Michael

Any advice on how to remove the plastic air intake hose? I've been trying for some time and cant seem to get it off. I'm using channel lock pliers to release the metal clamps and get the hose most of the way off of the engine side, but can't get get the air box side of the hose to move very much. I don't want to use too much force as I'm afraid of breaking something.

Bobby

[Sarmale89]

Any advice on how to remove the plastic air intake hose? I've been trying for some time and cant seem to get it off. I'm using channel lock pliers to release the metal clamps and get the hose most of the way off of the engine side, but can't get get the air box side of the hose to move very much. I don't want to use too much force as I'm afraid of breaking something.

Bobby

Never mind. Just got it off. FYI for everyone with a W12, you really have to compress the accordion-looking part of the hose to get it off. I did this by grabbing the hose firmly with both hands at the air box side and pushing away from the air box, thus compressing the hose.

Bobby

[Sarmale89]

I successfully removed my drivers side air box lid and cleaned the snow screen. I am having trouble, however, getting the lid on the passenger side off. It appears that the presence of a coolant hose is preventing me from lifting the lid out. I see, though, that the VW repair manual doesn't ask you to remove the coolant hose. Also, it appears that Michael's hose is attached in the last picture on the opening post on this thread. How do i get this darned thing off?!?

My Hose Problem


Bobby

[PanEuropean]

See instructions overlaid on the picture below - click on the picture to enlarge it.

Michael

Cooland Hose - Air Box.jpg

[Sarmale89]

See instructions overlaid on the picture below - click on the picture to enlarge it.

Michael

Attachment 870

Michael,

Thanks for the further clarification! I figured out the clip release last night and actually managed to get the lid out and then back in without disconnecting the hose. Though I must admit, it was mighty tricky getting it out and back in.

On a related note, my left saturation indicator read 100% and indeed had a filthy snow screen, which i cleaned. The right side's indicator, however, wasn't even red. I cleaned he filter and snow screen nonetheless. I thought this was kind of odd that one side would be clogged and the other relatively clean.

Also, loosening the hex nut that secures the lower plenum to the fender helped me a great deal in installing my dual xenon headlights. With the lower plenum (air box) loose, i could wiggle the headlamp into place MUCH easier.

Bobby

[johnt26]

Bobby,
Just a thought reference your "clean" right side.
Reference my post above, I found a large piece of styrofoam in the intake on one side of my car.
It was in the duct that goes between the grill and the air box.
I'm wondering if that is clogged if it takes air from the alternate source (engine compartment?) which may have kept your screen clean but probably is less than ideal.

[Sarmale89]

Bobby,
Just a thought reference your "clean" right side.
Reference my post above, I found a large piece of styrofoam in the intake on one side of my car.
It was in the duct that goes between the grill and the air box.
I'm wondering if that is clogged if it takes air from the alternate source (engine compartment?) which may have kept your screen clean but probably is less than ideal.

John,

My air duct appeared to be free of obstructions, although I didn't stick my hand in there to feel if anything was blocking it.

Bobby

[johnt26]

Update...

I just performed the 60K service.

The snow screens were relatively dirty again after only 3,000 miles, they will get attention at each oil change interval!

I assumed that they had never been cleaned in my previous post, I'm sure I was wrong. With the amount of dirt and debris I found after 3,000 miles, they must have been cleaned.

[chillson]

I bought my 2004 V8 last September with 62K miles on the odometer and cleaned out the screens within the first week (they were very dirty and clogged). I did my first oil change about 8K miles later and cleaned out the dirty screens again then. I just completed another oil change last week after about 10K miles and this time I just removed the screens (again very dirty) and will keep them out during the warm months of the year. I will re-install them in another 10K miles (next oil change). It will be Fall by then. Does anybody think there is anything wrong with this? I figure the engine will breath a bit more freely without them during the Summer and maybe improve performance and economy. Any thoughts? Thanks...Jay

[Itzmann]

My air filters are 8,000 mi old or less and both looked fairly new this morning when I changed the HID low beam bulbs. I have the dusty climate versions of the air filters (with the dark foam layer). I beat the filters, foam layer down, against the windshield glass, and a surprising amount of mostly white sand came out. As I beat, some fell off; beat it again and more and more kept falling off! It didn't seem possible that more could keep coming out, but did.

Thank you all to those who contributed.

and the driver's side had a lot more than the other screen.

The driver side on mine was at 25% red; pass side at 75% red. Passenger side was significantly dirtier and even had a torn piece of paper inside roughly of an area similar to a 10¢ US coin.

having trouble, however, getting the lid on the passenger side off. It appears that the presence of a coolant hose is preventing me from lifting the lid out. I see, though, that the VW repair manual doesn't ask you to remove the coolant hose.

I loosened the coolant hose. As engine was still warm, a little bit of vapor came out. No burns or anything. Watch out, whoever does this with a hot W12.

On a related note, my left saturation indicator read 100% and indeed had a filthy snow screen, which i cleaned. The right side's indicator, however, wasn't even red. I cleaned he filter and snow screen nonetheless. I thought this was kind of odd that one side would be clogged and the other relatively clean.

Phaeton's right side (passgr) was significantly dirtier than the left.

cleaned out the screens within the first week (they were very dirty and clogged) [...] I did my first oil change about 8K miles later and cleaned out the dirty screens again then. I just completed another oil change last week after about 10K miles and this time I just removed the screens (again very dirty) and will keep them out during the warm months of the year. I will re-install them in another 10K miles (next oil change). It will be Fall by then. Does anybody think there is anything wrong with this?

Don't know. Maybe that's why they only install these in the factory for cold climates.

Archival Note: Related post - air filter service gauges

Michael, the related post appears as non-existent on my machine.

[PanEuropean]

I think that the broken link referencing 'Air Filter Service Gauges' is a circular reference that would take the reader back to the very first post on page 1 of this discussion.

The link probably broke as a result of threads being merged, or possibly the conversion from the ZeroForum software to the Vbulletin software about a year ago.

Michael

[Geezar]

Thanks to the many members of this forum I was able to easily replace low beam HID on driver side of 4.2L V8....I was able to secure a #66145 bulb from OEMbulbs.com for $69.00 plus $8.00 packing and registered mail shipping...the downside was it came from Lithuania and took 12 days....

Now for the discovery of shoddy servece.... The filter was totally clean but only because no air was able to enter it due to the fact that the snow filter at the bottom was completely blocked by about one sixteenth crud and debree of butterflys, moths and other bugs...obviously the dealership just ignored completeing the service corectly.....Automobil's cannot run without air flow and bad air flow leads to all kinds of operating issues.....

Now I was curious as to the passenger side's condition....first observation was the heat shield was not snaped back in place but on further inspection I found a soiled filter....however it was only because the snow screen was not properly installed that air could flow through as that screen was partially blocked as well.......It goes without saying that I won't be using that dealership to service my new Phaeton....(New Owner of 2004 V8)

Just a caution to check up on your service tech's by yourself or someone else if you're not so inclined......

Hope the above helps someone avoid operating issues...

Dave

[tomasty]

Thanks to the many members of this forum I was able to easily replace low beam HID on driver side of 4.2L V8....I was able to secure a #66145 bulb from OEMbulbs.com for $69.00 plus $8.00 packing and registered mail shipping...the downside was it came from Lithuania and took 12 days....

Now for the discovery of shoddy servece.... The filter was totally clean but only because no air was able to enter it due to the fact that the snow filter at the bottom was completely blocked by about one sixteenth crud and debree of butterflys, moths and other bugs...obviously the dealership just ignored completeing the service corectly.....Automobil's cannot run without air flow and bad air flow leads to all kinds of operating issues.....

Now I was curious as to the passenger side's condition....first observation was the heat shield was not snaped back in place but on further inspection I found a soiled filter....however it was only because the snow screen was not properly installed that air could flow through as that screen was partially blocked as well.......It goes without saying that I won't be using that dealership to service my new Phaeton....(New Owner of 2004 V8)

Just a caution to check up on your service tech's by yourself or someone else if you're not so inclined......

Hope the above helps someone avoid operating issues...

Dave

Hi Dave,

Sorry to hear your service experience with the dealer, but I was on the same boat before, and similar thing happened with my snow screen as well, one side of the screen wasn't installed properly.

So I tried to do do more simple maintenance work my self, so far I have replaced Air and Pollen filter, fuel filter, spark plugs all by myself, and it wasn't hard at all, You can see my posts below:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...Y-(17-Pictures)

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...Y-(18-Pictures)

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...-V8-engine-TOC

Tomas

[invisiblewave]

I'm pretty sure neither dealer I've used for the 4 services I've had even knows the snow screens are fitted.

[Geezar]

Tomasty,
Thanks for the links as I am a DIY guy on most everything...Should have the vag-com and DVD manual from Bently tomorrow...Just did the A/C on that 86 Mark Vll LSC and had to send out to Oklahoma just to get a line with the correct fittings and still had to do some dramatic bending...BTW still using R12...lol (supply gettin real low) Sorry it took so long to get back to you guys..

Invisibleware
Thanks for you reply as well, have read a lot of your posts and got a feeling I'll be calling on your expertise a whole lot.....and yes you were right the Service Mgr didn't know what the snow screen was....scarey and glad I foung this forum....

Dave

[PanEuropean]

Photos re-hosted.

Michael

[laser21]

I tried to change the airfilters today, but I had a bad surprise waiting for me - my W12 is the newer one, with 450hp 2006 year. It seems as it has a different engine cover and an additional black box on the sides, so its impossible to get the airfilter cover out. At least I didnt figure it out. There is not enough clearence, I miss like 1cm.
In the pictures you can see the differences between Micheals and my W12. I also dont have the indicators on the air filters.


as you can see here, there are extra tubes going from the front of the engine to the sides.

on Micheals W12, there is only a round black "box", on mine there is a rectangular as well as a round box.

Any ideas how to get them out?

Thanks, Lukas

[laser21]

sorry to bring this up, but any ideas? Anything in the Bentley manual? Thanks

[Gabs08PHTN]

Hi Lukas,
To start with, I own a 3.0V6 TDI, so I do not know if my suggestions are going to be useful at all, however I hope they might help a little.
In my car in order to remove the air filter top cover, which sits on the passenger side, I found quite useful to detach the elbow like hose that connects the cover with turbo, in your case with the intake manifold in order to gain some maneouvrability. I also had to remove the windscreen washer fluir reservoir filling neck. And to disconnect the air mass flowmeter plug.
In your case you might also have to disconnect one of the hoses that connect onto the expansion tank and that run over the air filter top cover.
In my car, I find it to be a little PITA not only because of all the bits and bobs that you have to deal with, but also, on top of that due to the difficult to reach screws that you have to undo. Therefore I would strongly recommend to use the exact fit screwdriver to undo the screws that secure the airfilter top cover to the bottom side of it, otherwise it is quite likely that you will damage the head of the screws and it will become really difficult to remove them.
Best of luck!!!

Gabriel

[laser21]

Thanks for your suggestions, I have no problems making the airfilter cover loose, Ieven removed the hose with the sensor in it. There simply is not enough space between the engine and the side.

[WillemBal]

Hi Lukas,
That component you are referring to is the breather valve filter, or valve PCV. It connects the suction side of the intake manifold with the crankcase via a tube, which can be loosened quite easily. Just the location where it connects to the valve is different. Also, it looks like your valve filter is a little bigger than the original in Michael's (and my) car. Is the bigger size a problem or the different routing of the hoses? The valve PCV only has a couple of bolts. Isn't it possible to remove it?

Willem

[laser21]

since I didnt know what it was, I didnt want to disconnect it. We have holidays on tuesday, so I will try.

offtopic Willem
Btw I have sent you the package, it should arrive this week. the j605 B revision should be working, but didnt in my car. The newer revision is probably not working.

Thanks, Lukas

[Gabs08PHTN]

Just for the sake of curiosity, the rectangular box that you outlined in one of the pictures is, according to VW/Audi literature, the "pressure control valve for crankcase breather system". It contains an oil separator and a pressure valve that feeds the blow-by gases onto the intake manifold.
Perhaps by removing it, you might be able to lift the top cover... Just an idea.

[laser21]

Do I have to await any fluids running out of the PCV?

[WillemBal]

Do I have to await any fluids running out of the PCV?

Probably not at all. The PCV sits there to control the pressure inside the crankcase. Some of the combustible gas inside the cylinders (and exhaust gas too), finds its way into the crankcase, because the seals between pistons and cylinders aren't perfect. These gases are fed into the intake manifold in a controlled way through the PCV. So it is mainly gas flowing through it, with only marginal amounts of oil. So no oil will flow out there.

Btw I have sent you the package, it should arrive this week. the j605 B revision should be working, but didnt in my car. The newer revision is probably not working.

I'll let you know the results on the thread you started.

Willem

[laser21]

thanks Willem for the clarifications!