View Full Version : Dodgy Previous Owner.... Help....
I just went about pulling out my airbox, in order to neatly drill the wing side (following the article on this site) and once it was out of the car, there were several shoddily drilled holes all over it - the deadsh1t owner before me had obviously had a go at it himself and clearly was f00ckin useless with a drill and all else for that matter.
If you look at the diagram on this site:
http://www.seatcupra.net/images/airbox/airbox.jpg and look above the nicely drilled holes, there's the clear section with no holes drilled in it. This loser has drilled holes all through it, so that the air isn't hitting under the filter - yet still not above. Basically the air hits the side of the standard paper filter, where it sits down deeply in it's seat.
Basically, I'm a bit worried about this terrible effort, as I'm not sure my car is getting totally filtered air. I hope the above description makes sense, though.
I'm thinking I should just order the underside of the airbox and re-do it myself, to ease my mind, or will this shoddy job still filter well enough?
Any help, very much appreciated and sorry this is so long
if you mean the bit above the hole then yes that should be solid!
Or just plastic weld over the top holes which lie above or at the filter line?
Originally posted by edc
Or just plastic weld over the top holes which lie above or at the filter line?
That's a decent idea, but until I can do this, my main concern is whether I'm ok to be driving the car... The holes are still on the underside of the airbox and below the rubber seal on the sides of the standard filter, so I'm guessing the air is still getting filtered or blocked altogether...??
That's all I care about for now, cos if the engine is getting filled with sh1t, I'll find the past owner and deliver him a slow and painful death!! :devil: lol!
To recap: with holes drilled just below the edge of the underside of the airbox - is the air filtered sufficiently?
As long as the holes are below the line of the filter then they are ok. If they are level wit the filter then some unfiltered air can pass through.
For a temp bodge measure how about cutting a strip of foam, wrap it in some layers of cotton gauze and use duct tape to secure it in a ring shape around the outside of the airbox. Not the most efficient of methods but it should be free and the materials, if you have lots of rubbish like I do, should be in the garage.
Originally posted by edc
As long as the holes are below the line of the filter then they are ok. If they are level wit the filter then some unfiltered air can pass through.
For a temp bodge measure how about cutting a strip of foam, wrap it in some layers of cotton gauze and use duct tape to secure it in a ring shape around the outside of the airbox. Not the most efficient of methods but it should be free and the materials, if you have lots of rubbish like I do, should be in the garage.
The holes are about 12mm from the edge. I actually tried covering them with filter oiled foam and gauze but the ridges of the airbox were making gaps for air to get through anyway. Plus the tape wouldn't hold over the ridges and the oiled foam either... Maybe I'll just opt for hunting the last owner...
It just annoys me as I don't wanna pay for a new airbox as parts for euro cars in Aus. are crazily expensive and that money could go to mods...
It's hard to know what kind of recourse you have against th owner as i don;t know what the laws are in your country. You could ask him to buy a new airbox for you and if he refuses i spose you could take him to court for misleading you when you bought the car, well for not telling you about the mod anyway. But then it is his word against yours that it was like that when you got it.
It'a an annoying problem and i cannt imagine how pissed off you are.
I don't think he expects any recourse, just wants to 'have it out' with him. There's no way you'd get anything back unless he explicitly said the airbox was unmodded or advertised it as a standard car (and that the seller knew nothing about cars). Caveat emptor is always the prevailing rule.
There are many cases where the seller can be 'excused' from misrepresentation as the buyer is the perceived 'expert' and the onus is placed on them. There is UK case law that shows this.
For a real temporary bodge how about just wrapping some insulating tape around the section of the box with the holes?
You might be able to pick up another box from the scrappy. I don't know if any other VW models have the same box. Mk3 Golf maybe?
Lucky_32
07-06-2003, 20:35
You could try getting some rubber bungs fitting them in the holes and triming it off.
Or some - "No More Nails" and some plastic sheeting cut to fit between the grooves.
Don not worry, no unfiltered air can enter the engine, as the "edge" and seal of the filter is at the top of this black box (squeezed between this and the upper part of the airbox). If the upper part would be holed, that would be a problem. You could put any holes to anywhere on the lower box.
Polo TDI uses same K&N filter element so must be the same box shape.
Originally posted by Sim
Don not worry, no unfiltered air can enter the engine, as the "edge" and seal of the filter is at the top of this black box (squeezed between this and the upper part of the airbox). If the upper part would be holed, that would be a problem. You could put any holes to anywhere on the lower box.
Cheers, that's all I needed to hear!!
Originally posted by edc
I don't think he expects any recourse, just wants to 'have it out' with him. There's no way you'd get anything back unless he explicitly said the airbox was unmodded or advertised it as a standard car (and that the seller knew nothing about cars). Caveat emptor is always the prevailing rule.
There are many cases where the seller can be 'excused' from misrepresentation as the buyer is the perceived 'expert' and the onus is placed on them. There is UK case law that shows this.
I was only kidding, yes. Not taking it THAT seriously!!