bob44

Posts: 30

Country:

Thanks: 0

Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

Got my green filters yesterday and looked at the instructions posted several places. Seemed easy enough... but at the very first step, when I try to take the front cover off (instructions say gently lift from the front), I am meeting resistance at the back of the cover (on each side of the "signed" plate). Is this normal? I am hesitant to just keep lifting from the front - it feels like something is going to break. Am I doing something wrong? If feels more like I should be lifting straight up, but there's no way to grab anything on the back edge. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Bob

DansSlk

Posts: 6,752

Country:

Thanks: 96

Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts

Grab the front section of the airbox where it attaches to the feed line for the oil cooler and lift up it will separate from the pipe then while lifting the panel slightly pull towards you and it will detach from the airbox.

Remove the intake tubes by grabbing them at the connection to the airbox and pulling back then shift them about until they come free from the attachments to the fan housing.

Make sure the wire tie connecting the engine harness to the airbox is cut then using one of the openings for the intake tubes on the airbox lift up this will cause the box to pop up and release from the rubber stoppers they might not all release at the same time so any still holding on can be released by grabbing the box above where they connect and pulling up once they are all free lift the box outta the car and cover the MAF with something like a plastic bag to protect it from anything entering.

Install is the reverse just line the box up on the mounts and push from the middle of the unit all 4 should engage at the same time and seal to the mouth of the MAF.

One thing to watch out for when doing the R&R is the brake and fuel lines that pass close by the airbox do not bash into them and when replacing the intake tubes they have a small bump that locks onto the airbox intakes keep pushing the tubes into the airbox until you feel them engage otherwise you will have an air leak.

Oh and if you want to do it totally factory style apply a small amount of lube (anything that you would normally use on rubber in door seals and such like) to the 4 mount points on the engine, to the O-Ring for the MAF and around the outer edge of the airbox containers so the filter is sandwiched between a layer of lube before coming into contact with the airbox

__________________

bob44

Posts: 30

Country:

Thanks: 0

Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

Thanks Dan, I finally got it. Mine does seem different. There are also two clips at the back, on either side of the center "tunnel", so they have to lifted up and out before the housing can be pulled out toward me.

Also, I have a hose connected to the main housing in the very back (going to AC unit?). I can't undo that connection, so I had to leave the main housing in the engine bay, turned up, and got the filters out that way. Not as straightforward as I thought it was going to be. Again, thanks for your help.

DansSlk

Posts: 6,752

Country:

Thanks: 96

Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts

2 clips at the back? you mean one almost either side of the siggy plate? If so thats normal they should release as the unit is lifted up.

It takes a bit of practice because the design is crap but after you have removed a few of these it becomes second nature.

That hose you mentioned does it connect into the airbox itself or does it drop behind the engine and is tied on, does it come from a black box with an AC warning sticker on it, if so thats the engine harness i was talking about and you have to cut the zip-tie to release it the tie is not needed and does not have to be replaced its only there to keep the harness suspended as the engine is raised into the car.

__________________

bob44

Posts: 30

Country:

Thanks: 0

Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

Yes Dan, it's the engine harness. Now I know to just cut the tie. Thanks again!

DansSlk

Posts: 6,752

Country:

Thanks: 96

Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts

No worries mate

__________________

WhiteRabbit

Posts: 368

Country:

Thanks: 80

Thanked 35 Times in 23 Posts

The air filters installation on a 55 is quite a bit more involved than it is on a 280 (and I assume a 350).

__________________
2009 SLK 350, Arctic White, Gullwing Red, 7G Automatic, Premium PKG I, Lighting, Heating packages, Auto Climate Control, smartTop roof module v3.22, Clear side-marker lenses.