Who on earth designed this?

[Bailes1992]

So my aircon has started to get a little smelly, especially if I didn't use it for a few days. It was a sort of eggy kind of sulphur sort of smell.
I decided to change the pollen filter as there was no mention of it in the service history and then run an aircon cleaner through the system.

I'd love to know who designed the placement of the pollen filter in the MK4 Mondeo and I'd love to know what drugs they were taking. Most cars have them located under the scuttle panel and it's usually a 10min job to replace them.
My Mondeo however has the pollen filter burried deep inside the dashboard. In order to replace it you must remove the glovebox, the carpet in the footwell, the body control module and the ECU. As I dare not disconnect any of these you have no room to remove the bolts that hold the cover for the pollen filter in and you have about 3" to remove a 10" long pollen filter.




It took me longer to change the pollen filter than it does for me to do an oil change. Took me an hour and 20 mins.

The cats made things interesting though!

[Captain Jack]

The 407's pollen filter is in a similar awkward place but is a little easier to replace.

[Welly]

I see your Mondeo Cabin Filter and raise you the Volvo Cabin filter of doom (Ford Flavour):









Difficult to capture what a pig of a job it is, you can just see it, just reach it and just about get the access door open, again about an hour but probably quicker next time around. I was actually injured doing the filter (back, hips etc)

[lozz]

What you both need is a sthil saw..

You can get in to awkward areas with one ... it makes jobs like this easy..

Don't forget to wear eye goggles..

[Rolebama]

I have been in awe of just how stupid design engineers can be for forty plus years. The only saving grace with some of them is that it would deter some of the more ham-fisted owners, who could turn a five minute job into a garage bill in the hundreds of £s.

[jasper5]

The Volvo (Focus) one is dead easy pull out the fusebox and its bracket then take off the filter cover.....same with Mondeo.
15 minutes tops

[Captain Jack]

15 minutes tops

Takes no more than 2 on the 406 though!

[Bailes1992]

The picture above is the furthest you can pull out the BCM without disconnecting it. No play in the cables at all!

If I could remove the BCM/Fusebox all together then it would be a 10min job!

[Doggy]

There was a time before pollen filters.....

[FarmerPug]

The 305 has no pollen filter, it just blows bits of leaves and twigs around the cabin, as long as you keep your eyes closed it ok, nothing too serious.

It looks a bit like toyota does with their pollen filters they are located behind the glovebox, although they click out fairly easily.

[tan159]

The Micra k11 model before 2002 required you to cut away part of the dash behind the glovebox

[Rolebama]

At the other end of the scale, I had a Fiesta Mk4 and you just opened the bonnet, undid two clips, lifted the flap, and pulled it out.

[Bailes1992]

My MK1 Focus was a piece of piss. One screw on the scuttle panel to undo, then you unclipped and removed the scuttle, you change the filter and the seal around te scuttle and pop it all back together. 10mins MAX!

[OllieNZ]

My MK1 Focus was a piece of piss. One screw on the scuttle panel to undo, then you unclipped and removed the scuttle, you change the filter and the seal around te scuttle and pop it all back together. 10mins MAX!

Until you have your windscreen replaced and the fitter glues the scuttle panel down to stop water pouring into the pollen filter [emoji57]

[Bailes1992]

My MK1 Focus was a piece of piss. One screw on the scuttle panel to undo, then you unclipped and removed the scuttle, you change the filter and the seal around te scuttle and pop it all back together. 10mins MAX!

Until you have your windscreen replaced and the fitter glues the scuttle panel down to stop water pouring into the pollen filter [emoji57]

Not just windscreen fitters! People would replace the filter over and not replace the seal. A few months down the line the passengers footwell would be full of water so they'd seal around the scuttle with silicone!