Pictures: snow PRE-screen keeps bugs out.

[NarfBLAST]

Last summer I got tired of finding this in my snow screen:

So I took an old piece of aluminum screen door mesh and made this:

It slips in (and out) easily, and is held in place by the folded over part at the top:

It is really satisfying when I catch bugs or seeds in it. Unfortunately it seems to be self cleaning: most debris just falls down because there is a gap the bottom between the large square plastic grille holes and in front of the aluminum pre-screen.

So, has anyone else tried something like this?

I've been running for a year with my snow pre-screen installed. The best part about keeping insects out is that there are no insect legs stuck in the snow screen! They are the prickly things (kind of like stubble) that are hard to remove (I find I have to massage them out from the opposite side under running water: GROSS!) I hear people using sharp objects to get the crud out (mostly insect legs! look closely!) but I would not want to damage the fine screen. Anyway, this year: no insects. Fantastic!

I know I could just remove the snow screen and get the filter media with the "barrier material" on the bottom, but I like the idea of stopping snow and insects and seeds (and rodents I've heard?) before they gets to the air box.

 

[ymz]

I like it !!!!!

When I have the time (that's a joke, BTW...) I'll make some screens for both our cars...

Good idea!!! Send a copy to VW...

All the best,

Yuri.


PS: I find that I can usually get the screen mostly clean by using a very small nozzle on my vacuum cleaner... I do need to "scrape" the screen with the nozzle...

PPS: warning to any new-bies with cars under warranty: this will no doubt void your warranty... VW will probably claim that any transmission / clutch / brake / camshaft / injector / airbag / electical / whatever problems you may experience are solely due to this modification!!!!!!

 

[jeffro83]

PPS: warning to any new-bies with cars under warranty: this will no doubt void your warranty... VW will probably claim that any transmission / clutch / brake / camshaft / injector / airbag / electical / whatever problems you may experience are solely due to this modification!!!!!!

awesome idea, i'm going to give this a shot as well.

though it's true...i'm pretty sure my left tail light assembly will spontaneously explode when i put in the new screen.....followed by a blowout on the highway.

 

[Honeydew]

Finally a good reason to cut the only remaining section of screen out of my back porch. Might as well put it to good use before the next hurricane gets it.

 

[NB_TDi]

Woa, that's one clogged snow screen!

Neat idea, I'm going to check it out.

 

[NarfBLAST]

update

Just cleaned my snow screen a few days ago while installing a tdiheater. Last time was probably in the spring. Found that because of the pre screen there was sadly nothing "interesting" in there... just a 7mm wide vertical band of sand in the rearward passenger side and a few small insects... some seemed too big to pass thru the pre-screen, they must have slipped in around the headlight or something. The rest of the snow screen was nice and clean.

 

[concours]

Been running the window screen there for years... hasn't helped much though. Keeps out Dragonflies, that's it. My snow screen still plugs tight with fines and I have to clean it every 2,500 miles. This image is 2,500 miles.... that's twenty five HUNDRED!!!! That's sealed shut with a felt like mixture of junk.

 

[NarfBLAST]

Cleaned the snow screen and pre-snow-screen. And changed the air filter.

 

[dieseldorf]

 

[jollyGreenGiant]

I concur with DD, enhanced winter element and cut out the mesh screen. Let the large air filter do it's job.

 

[ChippedNotBroken]

I concur with DD, enhanced winter element and cut out the mesh screen. Let the large air filter do it's job.

enhanced winter element???

 

[ymz]

enhanced winter element???

The air filter for the 2004 MkIV has an additional layer of foam (the white stuff at the top of the filter in DD's photo). Part number has an additional "A" at the end...

My 2001 Golf (German-built) had no "snow" screen in the first place, so I use the PD-model air filter...

Yuri

 

[Powder Hound]

...Good idea!!! Send a copy to VW...

ROFLMAO!!!

Yuri, you're a scream!!

 

[valdemar71]

I bought an air filter at CT without the winter foam for my '05 PD. The old filter was from the PO (just got the car) and was the winter VW unit. Will my car explode?

 

[ChippedNotBroken]

Why would you need an extra layer of foam in the winter? Wouldn't that just restrict air flow?

 

[dieseldorf]

well, should snow entire the airbox, that white mesh stuff prevents a soaked paper filter from falling apart. Also, the white mesh slows the impact velocity of incoming sand, etc.

 

[dieseldorf]

I bought an air filter at CT without the winter foam for my '05 PD. The old filter was from the PO (just got the car) and was the winter VW unit. Will my car explode?

If your car is snowscreen-less, you should have the cold weather filter, IMO. It does offer an extra layer of protection.

 

[rgi]

so is the cold weather filter compatible with any MK4? I looked on IMPEX for the part number from dd's pic (1j0129620a), and it came up with 3 different results, but they all list compatibility with cars going back to 02 or 03 - would this work on a 99.5? i would think so, but am not sure... also, does it really matter which brand i buy? like is the $15 genuine part any better than the $12 MANN part or the $10 GERMAN part?

 

[ChippedNotBroken]

Just a thought here, but the restriction of a clean snow filter looks like it would be less than that snow insert on the air filter. I must drive on fairly clean roads as my snow filter never looks that bad, and it is so easy to clean that I have just left mine in. The prescreen of the OP looks interesting and I may consider it if I find myself cleaning any large junk out of the snow screen.

 

[valdemar71]

If your car is snowscreen-less, you should have the cold weather filter, IMO. It does offer an extra layer of protection.

Thanks dieseldorf, make sense.. the car's PO did live in Montreal, but winters here in southern Ontario can be harsh too.