Well I gave the car a bit of a clean up on Saturday, and gave the interior a good going over.

I've had the car around 5 months now and on start up there's always a bit of a musty / doggy sort of smell coming through the air vents so I thought I'd get on and change the filter in a few weeks as it's something I've been meaning to do for ages!

Anyway, I unscrewed the two plastic screws, found the filter and removed the sliding cover only for this lot to fall out on to the mat:

That was just the crap that was caught up loose by the filter and not embedded in it.

I took the filter out and it was almost blocked solid with leaves, dust, hairs, general dirt! I haven't got my new one yet so spent around 1/2 hour hoovering it all out and cleaning it before putting it back. I used a foaming anti bacterial cleaning spray and left it to soak before scrubbing with a brush, then did it again once dry.

Now when starting up the car smells fresh as a daisy but I've still ordered a new filter anyway.

The interesting part for me was that the filter had a date stamp of Jan 2006 (Car is a 56 reg) so it's obviously never been changed so no wonder it was so bad.... It should have been done according to the service book so it makes you wonder how many times dealers don't change parts like this as 90% of the owners would never check!

Are you sure you don´t have a hamster under dash

you can pick up a new one for about a tenner or less with your freedom discount from http://www.eurocarparts.com

I renewed mine last week and that was only done last July!

I do mine every year in any car or van i have used to do my caddy everytime it got serviced, make sure its the charcoal filter you have.

£9.00 delivered to your door...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-VW-AUDI-SEAT-SKODA-POLLEN-FILTER-1K2819653B-A3-TT-GOLF-PASSAT-OCTAVIA-/130687658692?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e6d976ac4

I do mine with every service, pollen, oil, fuel filters.

I agree with doing it annually at least, but I just wonder how many people have been stung for this and it never actually having been changed! I would always do mine for the sake of what it costs but I just can't believe a Dealer has the cheek to stamp a book and then never even change the filter.

Can you explain where the pollen filter can be found please?

Thanks.

Dill

Above the front passengers feet.

Mine was similar to this on a 59 plate.

I'm skeptical as to whether it is replaced during a service. My friend has just had his Punto serviced and they didn't do the pollen filter (though it was part of the service), despite providing him with a sheet that had everything listed that had (supposedly) been done. The pollen filter was listed with the relevant charge!

Like Nick says above, how many people would check that a pollen filter had been changed when the car has been in for a service?

Mine was similar to this on a 59 plate.

I'm skeptical as to whether it is replaced during a service. My friend has just had his Punto serviced and they didn't do the pollen filter (though it was part of the service), despite providing him with a sheet that had everything listed that had (supposedly) been done. The pollen filter was listed with the relevant charge!

Like Nick says above, how many people would check that a pollen filter had been changed when the car has been in for a service?

Mad isn't it! My other fear is of course if they're too lazy to change a Pollen Filter that takes all of about 3 minutes to do (And you can actually notice the difference), how do we then know if they've changed things like Spark plugs, oil filters etc..... It really does say something for doing your own servicing - Even if potential buyers are put off I don't think main dealer servicing is always what people think it is.........

I'd like to know what happens though, maybe the 16 year old trainee keeps the part for his own use to sell on or sell to a mate? Maybe the service manager encourages them not to fit parts like that and just keep them in stock so they can effectively be sold multiple times??

My pollen filter was changed yesterday as part of the service and the result was exactly the same. Looks like it had never been changed

I changed mine. It had been changed at some time as the clips were broken and then someone had glued it shut so probably quite a while ago.

Mine looked very similar with a lot of leafs and debris. The filter was also very black... the new one was white. Made a huge difference to airflow into the cabin!

It's disgusting that people are being charged for it replacing and not having it done though!

Phil

I changed mine. It had been changed at some time as the clips were broken and then someone had glued it shut so probably quite a while ago.

Mine looked very similar with a lot of leafs and debris. The filter was also very black... the new one was white. Made a huge difference to airflow into the cabin!

It's disgusting that people are being charged for it replacing and not having it done though!

Phil

The filter was black because it was a charcoal filter, the new one being white wont be a charcoal filter

The filter was black because it was a charcoal filter, the new one being white wont be a charcoal filter

That's often the case, but I have seen a white one I installed (and marked with a date) not changed for two services in another persons car.

When I next looked at it, it was the same filter and filthy and black.

The next one that went in was a charcoal filter, but it did help with the airflow

Yeah you can see my new and original filters here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/221290-pollen-filter-cleaned/#entry2651127

The black one was definitely just the standard pollen filter (i.e. not the charcoal one), I checked the part numbers!

On an annual service plan, which service years are they supposed to change the pollen filter??