Check Plenums ! **NEW MEMBERS TAKE NOTE**

[DefibDuncan]

So, I had my bi monthly poke out of the drain as its been very wet/windy and I am not far from a whole row of silver birch trees. You know the ones. 75, killers with hundreds of spicky tiny seed pods. And yes, drain was running.... just, so managed to push through quite a clump of debris. First time I have had that much. So very pleased I did my Plems today !! Without the club I would never have known and for sure, by now my ECU would have been gurging away to itself. Thanks

[android6600]

I ordered my plenum shield wednesday,received it this morning.
Excellent service,many thanks Jules.
So thats my job for the weekend,do the spyhole mod and fit shield.
I've checked the how to,so feel pretty confident,just wondered if there's anything else i need to know before i proceed.
It's just that i can be a bit hamfisted at times!

[ashbash2403]

Shield fits one way and will take 90 seconds, the mod takes 5 mins to take the plenum out drill it and the put it back test and put the bung in.

I am useless at mods and I breezed through it.

Checked mine this morning but all clear

[badrover]

Forgive my naivety here but I have a question about plenums. I'm asking about my 53 plate 1.8t tourer. I've just emptied my plenum today, I had the tell tale sloshing sound when going around a corner. There was about an inch of water, now all gone. I emptied it by massaging and rodding the drain tube that sits nearest the drivers side, behind the brake pipes on the bulkhead box section. This and other posts makes reference to a plenum drain below the pollen filter on the passenger side of the bulkhead. My question is; does my car have one of these and does it drain the same plenum chamber/cavity as the one I've rodded already?

[stevestrat]

Yes your car has the drain below the pollen filter. That area contains the pollen filter and ECU, it is deeper, has it's own drain and is the most important of all. If the drain is blocked there is the possibility that the water can reach and penetrate the ECU the results of which can be terminal.

[badrover]

Thanks so much. Had to go out and check in the dark! Glad I did, no water but rubber drain was full of soil and grit. I've cleared it now, pollen filter looks dirty though, that will be the next job then!

[Avulon]

Originally Posted by badrover

Thanks so much. Had to go out and check in the dark! Glad I did, no water but rubber drain was full of soil and grit. I've cleared it now, pollen filter looks dirty though, that will be the next job then!

The only time the pollen filter will look clean is before fitting, two weeks is enough to make it look grotty. Really should be changed annually, more often if high mileage.

[Avulon]

should've also said change the pollen filter if it's been wet (by flooded plenums usually!) The smell of damp dog in the car is not appealing!

[Lottysvdub]

All I can say is thank you to the club who made me aware of this problem ..... Tonight I checked mine and the water was just touching the bottom of the ecu by a couple of mm ....

[Avulon]

A narrow escape.

Checked mine the other day, using the spyhole and my usual metal coathanger, not a drop in there .