*Disclaimer that is a HOW-TO on the physical removal and replacement of the Pollen filter housing on the B5/5.5 cars. This is intended as a visual aid ONLY they are many many suggestions on how best to seal your pollen filter to stop it leaking, and that choice is yours.
I have opted for Industrial Silicon sealant...other options are available.I am not responsible for you breaking something, or your pollen filter failing to seal. (Thankyou)
The tools requires are:
Flat Head Screwdriver
Cross Head Screwdriver (B5 only)
10mm Spanner
13mm Socket
T30 Torx Socket/Allen Key
Time it took me from start to finish was about 2 hours, but that was stopping to make tea, and take some pics, and removing the bungs also, but i think that would be a suitable estimate if you've not done it before.
Part Numbers: (These are taken from the parts i have removed, or purchased from VW)
B5 Pollen Filter Housing W 8D0 819 441 E
B5.5 Pollen Filter Housing 3B2 819 640 A
B5.5 Scuttle Panel 3B2 819 415 E
I have done this on both my B5 and B5.5, and their is only slight variation in method. I will try and post pics for both types. Apologies but some pics are fuzzy, (and some i just forgot to take)...
Getting to the Housing
Today this was done on my B5.5 with the plenum cover, so you will start with something like this:
First thing to do is remove the wiper arms...
With the bonnet UP take the cap off the arms to reveal the nut.
Then with the bonnet DOWN, undo the nuts and remove the arms.
(This can be tricky: specialist tools are available, but i found by levering the arm up, and rocking it back and forth both arms came off)* - You will see later, but these wiper spigots are mounted using large rubber gromets btw
(adjustable spanner was best i could find for leverage)
Next are to the remove the two plastic pieces on the corners. (T30 Torx) Make sure you note the location of the washer pipe
If you have a cover over the plenum area, this held in place by the rubber seal at the front. This just pulls off, but don't forget the corners..
If you have the B5, now is the time to take the cover off the pollen filter, it's just that one screw, and then pull the cover towards from front of the car.
Next is to remove the Scuttle panel. It's is held on by 2 or 3 metal clips. (3 on the B5, and 2 on the B5.5)
one in the centre and one at each end. (b5.5 was only on drivers end)
Now the tricky part- getting the scuttle off. All i can tell you is how I did it: (which worked and didn't break anything) at each end of the scuttle it looks it's should go under the windscreen rubber. These move out the way slightly, so giving more room for the ends to move. it will need to bend upwards in the middle to go over the windscreen wipers though, yet you still need to pull it down to get it off the screen. It's tricky but i can be done.
(although as you'll see mine wasn't perfect)
As you can see- There is an additional piece of plastic here: This is what the scuttle clips into to keep it on the screen. About half of it stayed on the scuttle when i took mine off.
If you want to also do your plenum drain holes (and it's a very very good idea to do it at the same time) Now is a suitable time to disconnect and remove your battery. - i've added the photos for that at the end of this, then come back to this point when the battery is out ;)
Take the filter out, and you should now see three 10mm nuts holding the housing in place. The one in the corner can be a pain to get at, but it is reachable using a open ended spanner.
(this is mine all refitted with the addition of some washers)
The B5.5 will also have an additional rain channel at the back which is tricky to see, this will need to come out before the tray can be removed. tbh in my case removing this was just trial and error, but what i think happened is the 'vertical' ends can be moved outwards to free it from the main housing.
- given the fact that it took so long to get out, and the fact it was bone dry, at present this drain channel didn't go back in my car, but will update this if or when it's back in. (so i can't tell you how best to get this back in, sorry)
So now you should be left with something like this:
very easy to get at and clean up a bit...
So to the housing itself...if you havn't already noticed. This is what the problem is: a stupid foam seal that doesn't work. (that's water running out of that seal)
Whether you decide just to keep that in place, and seal, around it, over it, under it...whatever you decide to use that's up to you.
Basically putting it all back is just the reverse of what you just did taking it all apart.
but I would recommend:
A) getting some additional washers for the nuts in the pollen filter housing, as the nuts did start to eat into the plastic when i re-tightened them.
B ) putting some grease on the wiper spigots to make future removal easier
C) make sure you locate the ridge on the underside of the scuttle in the grove in the plastic on the windscreen.
- i did find putting the scuttle back on much easier than taking it off
Keep Scrolling past the next two pics for the Plenum Drain hole pics
My Solution
The following is what i did next to solve my problem, but the choice is yours. - Two weeks (and lots of rain) on everything is still dry!!
I decided to ditch the outer gasket all together, and you are left with a recess where the gasket sat. I filled this entire recess with silicone. (which of course i forgot to take a photo of...
)After cleaning up area around the hole in the bulk head, i also covered this is silicone
I then put the housing back on, and with the addition of some washers under the nuts, i put even more silicone round the edges...!
better safe then sorry i say...
Removing the Plenum Drain
Removing the plenum drains is really simple, but it does mean removing the battery - which in turn means taking the Scuttle off...which you have already done!
The battery is held in place by a 13mm bolt on a clamp, located on the drivers side of the battery. I found space a little cramped in the B5.5, but the bolt and clamp both need to come out for the battery to come out. Don't forget the battery will be heavy!!
If you are struggling for space to remove the battery due to the large foam wire in front of the battery. This is clipped into the engine bay from the front. i found lifting and twisting the foam wire toward the front of the car the best way of unclipping it.
(You will need to lift the rubber seal up to access the clips on the B5.)
With the battery removed you are left with the tray the battery sits on.
This is held in place by 3 x 13mm nuts. (2 nuts and a bolt)
The nut by the heater hoses also holds in place the alarm siren, but it won't go far when you remove the battery tray.
With the tray removed you should now be able to see several of the grommets that get blocked.
Two on the B5.5
and one on the B5
These ones are simple enough to either push through...or pull out...and you may be surprised as just how much water is in still in there.
There is also another grommet situated under the brake servo.
(that's the big black thing your brake fluid is sat on...)
This is just about accessible is you have small hands or a long screwdriver...
However there is a cable that runs through this grommet so it's upto you if you decide to leave it in place, push the grommet through and leave the cable, or cut the grommet and leave the cable, but DO NOT cut the cable!!
This is the grommet from the bottom...how VW expected leaves and twigs to get through here i don't know.
Again re-fitting is simply the reverse of removal...