To the designer of the E36's pollen filter - I hate you.

[g3org3y]

That is all.

[CoolHands]

No pics?

[Neil.D]

Makes you realise why no one ever changes them.

[willisit]

But the designer might not have been aware of where it was being placed... bit harsh to hate that person! :P

[T-bagger]

They're a piece of cake! Never understood the fuss - but then again I've prob done hundreds...

[4rephill]

willisit said:

But the designer might not have been aware of where it was being placed... bit harsh to hate that person! :P

The remit that the designer would have worked to would have been to base it on BMW's ability to replace it (comparatively)easily with the car lifted off the ground at their Dealerships - Service ability would have had to have been taken into account, based on the job it does as a filter!

It was not however, designed to make things easier for DIY'ers to do the job themselves at home! - That's not how BMW make their money!

[darrenw]

T-bagger said:

They're a piece of cake! Never understood the fuss - but then again I've prob done hundreds...

I've only ever done one, last year, and I didn't find it particularly difficult at all. But then, after having had loads of old Minis over the years just about any job on any other car seems quite straightforward after those

[g3org3y]

willisit said:

But the designer might not have been aware of where it was being placed... bit harsh to hate that person! :P

Don't worry, tongue in cheek. I'm a lover not a hater really.

Done it quite a few times on various E36s but it's a faff involving lying upside down to access it. Back is rather sore now.

Anyway, also changed the oil (used TripleQX for the first time - very keenly priced at ECP), oil filter (Bosch), air filter (Guttmann) and spark plugs(NGK). Total cost (buying 2x 5 litres oil) was £61.

(My only gripe is now ECP have changed their invoice paper, hence the new receipts don't match the old ones in my 'history folder'. [/first world problem])

Edit to add:

As a side note, the local ECP is very near to a BMW dealership so nipped in to have a quick browse. WTF is up with the random M badge stuck on the wings of the M sport models. Looks like a terrible afterthought.

Looked a lot better when it was integrated into the rubbing strips as per the E36 Sports.

Edited by g3org3y on Saturday 15th March 17:31

[kev b]

I would rather do ten E36 pollen filters than one Zafira, Mondeos are a pain too.

How difficult can it be to design a simple to change cabin filter? Toyota seem to have managed it ok.

[Synchromesh]

First time I ever serviced a car a few months ago and did the pollen filter on my E36 328i as part of it. A bit fiddly but perfectly doable, even to someone as mechanically incompetent as myself!

[Paul S4]

I am considering changing the pollen filter on my E36 318iS coupe.

I have had a look on youtube, but they are all US LHD cars.

I assume that as my car has electronic air con the filter is under the dash ?

[ady702]

Heres a guide, I did it years ago was annoying to say the least

http://www.bmwowner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&am...

[loose cannon]

There a piece of wee wee to change,
We're as my megane 3 you need to remove the clutch pedal assy
Lovely job it is !

[Mave]

kev b said:

I would rather do ten E36 pollen filters than one Zafira, Mondeos are a pain too.

Really? Remove half a dozen torx screws, remove windscreen trim, out comes the filter.... 10mins?

[kev b]

Mondeos aren't too bad in theory but when they start to age, the plastic bits often don't want to go back and if you get it slightly wrong water leaks in and soaks everything, it is just way trickier than it needs to be.

[Mave]

kev b said:

Mondeos aren't too bad in theory but when they start to age, the plastic bits often don't want to go back and if you get it slightly wrong water leaks in and soaks everything, it is just way trickier than it needs to be.

Fair does. Did my wife's mondeo recently, and if it hadn't been for mr Haynes telling me to remove things I didn't need to (wiper arms!) it would have been quick as.

[g3org3y]

Still a git of a job!

(You can guess what I did yesterday).

[s m]

They made the E46 one a lot easier

[eztiger328]

Urrgh that damn pollen filter.

I paid my local indie to do mine back in 2012. While not a difficult job its not worth me messing my back up fecking about in the drivers footwell.