Aircon Sponge Problem

[clubhead]

My 8 year old Boxster is beginning to spit pieces of sponge at me through the various aircon ducts! Bits and pieces come out from the side, center, top and bottom vents. I figured the sealing sponge inside are all dried up and breaking up into pieces.

I thought the problem would eventually go away but after months, they're still coming out at me!

Does anyone know the parts that needs to be replaced to solve this? I brought this to an aircon shop and they said the entire dashboard needs to come off for the replacement. Anyone had this similar problem before and solution to it? I'm quoted $600 to replace the sponge.

[kabel]

A common problem with our hvac system. I have been thinking the same thing for a year now, "there can't be anymore in there, can there?!"

There is a write up here somewhere about where the problem stems from, but iirc it is not an easy task to undertake unless you enjoy disassembling your entire front dash area

[pk2]

My 8 year old Boxster is beginning to spit pieces of sponge at me ...I'm quoted $600 to replace the sponge.

-----------------------------------------------

Spit back.

I've had my dash out a couple of times, not as daunting as it seems, if you got the book and the time. block off a Saturday day but it may well be a mere 4 or 5 hrs. depending how well you know your way around a tool box.

Regards, PK

Edited March 3, 2008 by pk2

[1schoir]

My 8 year old Boxster is beginning to spit pieces of sponge at me through the various aircon ducts! Bits and pieces come out from the side, center, top and bottom vents. I figured the sealing sponge inside are all dried up and breaking up into pieces.

I thought the problem would eventually go away but after months, they're still coming out at me!

Does anyone know the parts that needs to be replaced to solve this? I brought this to an aircon shop and they said the entire dashboard needs to come off for the replacement. Anyone had this similar problem before and solution to it? I'm quoted $600 to replace the sponge.

Clubhead:

It is not necessary to remove the dashboard to fix your problem with the foam rubber coming out of the vents. You can access and repair the foam rubber-covered flap that is causing the problem from the outside of the car, just forward of the windshield.

A member named Sean (rsfeller on the board) has done this repair with an excellent write-up and photos. Here is the link:

http://carboncow.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=97

Regards, Maurice.

[rsfeller]

That would be me (Shawn). Let me know if you have any questions and don't let ANYONE tell you it comes upstream from the air filter area, impossible!

[kabel]

That is an awesome write-up shawn and I stand corrected. I really thought when I read about how to fix this it was a much more involved and destructive process.

I'll be adding this to my DIY list for the Boxster, thanks!

[clubhead]

That would be me (Shawn). Let me know if you have any questions and don't let ANYONE tell you it comes upstream from the air filter area, impossible!

Awesome writeout Shawn and thanks! I'm glad I'm a contributing member to this forum.

[lswjth2]

Thank you all for helping out a newbie.......I will let you know how it turns out...

[mikefocke]

It sure was a fine writeup..

I took the liberty of putting a link to it on my web site.

[rsfeller]

Fine by me! My only regret is I didn't take better photos. They really suck.

[judgejon]

Gentlemen, this is a great thread for anyone interested at all in the inner working of Porsche cars, let alone the inner working of the Porsche engineering guys that came up with the swiss cheese air mixer valve. Great write up, Shawn.

Question, has Porsche ever fixed this obvious design flaw? And, has Porsche hired Shawn as a consulting engineer? :)

[rsfeller]

Gentlemen, this is a great thread for anyone interested at all in the inner working of Porsche cars, let alone the inner working of the Porsche engineering guys that came up with the swiss cheese air mixer valve. Great write up, Shawn.

Question, has Porsche ever fixed this obvious design flaw? And, has Porsche hired Shawn as a consulting engineer? :)

I doubt they consider it a "design flaw" as German's tend to do EVERYTHING for a specific reason when it comes to engineering and those silly swiss cheese holes have some purpose unbeknown to us! My parents neigbor got me hooked interested in German cars when I was little with his Audi, Vw and Porsche collection. He used to have a saying that I stole. German doesn't always mean "good engineering" but it does man OVER engineering. They would only look at it as a failure in selecting the wrong quality foam!!

Similarly, Saab (obviously not German) had foam shooting out of the events in the 9000 series from 1986-1997 and never cared in those 11 years. I had a 1987 (and wife now has a 1995) 9000 and the foam was shooting out of the air vents when the 1987 car was 3 years old...yet they never cared about this issue to update it as I was surprised the 1995 was doing the same thing.

It would be interesting to know if anyone with later model 987 has had any foam shooting out. I have also been surprised at how few have commented on actually doing this procedure when the foam seems to be a common issue with many cars. I cannot image others have taken issue with the diminished heat problem. Are all the cars in the USA in warm climates!?!?!

and I still have not received a call from Porsche! :P

Maybe Loren could start a poll question for us and inquire the following.

Do you have pieces of foam coming out of your air vent?

No

Yes, 1997

Yes, 1998

Yes, 1999

and so on...

and we can then get a feel when if this issue has stopped or how old the car must be before the foam has deteriorated.

Shawn

[silver arrow]

2000 Yes, lots of foam. I'm thinking of collecting it all and making a pillow out of it. Trying to do my part to recycle. lol

[Loren]

Gentlemen, this is a great thread for anyone interested at all in the inner working of Porsche cars, let alone the inner working of the Porsche engineering guys that came up with the swiss cheese air mixer valve. Great write up, Shawn.

Question, has Porsche ever fixed this obvious design flaw? And, has Porsche hired Shawn as a consulting engineer? :)

I doubt they consider it a "design flaw" as German's tend to do EVERYTHING for a specific reason when it comes to engineering and those silly swiss cheese holes have some purpose unbeknown to us! My parents neigbor got me hooked interested in German cars when I was little with his Audi, Vw and Porsche collection. He used to have a saying that I stole. German doesn't always mean "good engineering" but it does man OVER engineering. They would only look at it as a failure in selecting the wrong quality foam!!

Similarly, Saab (obviously not German) had foam shooting out of the events in the 9000 series from 1986-1997 and never cared in those 11 years. I had a 1987 (and wife now has a 1995) 9000 and the foam was shooting out of the air vents when the 1987 car was 3 years old...yet they never cared about this issue to update it as I was surprised the 1995 was doing the same thing.

It would be interesting to know if anyone with later model 987 has had any foam shooting out. I have also been surprised at how few have commented on actually doing this procedure when the foam seems to be a common issue with many cars. I cannot image others have taken issue with the diminished heat problem. Are all the cars in the USA in warm climates!?!?!

and I still have not received a call from Porsche! :P

Maybe Loren could start a poll question for us and inquire the following.

Do you have pieces of foam coming out of your air vent?

No

Yes, 1997

Yes, 1998

Yes, 1999

and so on...

and we can then get a feel when if this issue has stopped or how old the car must be before the foam has deteriorated.

Shawn

Any member can start a poll... Posting Help

[seafeye]

http://carboncow.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=97

Link not working....for me at least..

[rsfeller]

Edited February 21, 2011 by rsfeller

[Tom C]

http://carboncow.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=97

Link not working....for me at least..

you can now find the write up on www.carboncow.net, I thought there was an updated link mentioned in this (or another?) thread, but I didn't see it. Root around under the automotive links and you'll find it...

I can't find it either, must have spent 30 minutes looking for it. A nice site however that I put into my favorites for future reference.

[rsfeller]

http://www.renntech....-the-procedure/ Edited February 21, 2011 by rsfeller

[Tom C]

Thanks for the compliment, regretably all my good stuff for Vw was on the old site.

To help you will your search shortcoming... :D

Menu/Automotive/Porsche/986: Heaterbox Repair

...or maybe the search function with words like "foam, air, box, Porsche"...

Shawn

Sorry, but that link doesn't work either. I keep getting sites that include furnace repair and mostly that type of thing. Nothing that looks like the photo of the line you posted.

[rsfeller]

Edited February 21, 2011 by rsfeller

[ThunderRolls]

Looks like the first links were to a ".com" address when they should have been a ".net" address.

Good write up!

[rsfeller]

Looks like the first links were to a ".com" address when they should have been a ".net" address.

Good write up!

Yea, regretably I cannot edit the original posters URL as I have changed websites over the years for less then logical reasons. Finding it on my new website was shown in my last post but for those who are still stuggling with searching my sites here is the exact URL

http://www.carboncow.net/index.php?option=...6&Itemid=97

[rsfeller]

My website if offline now. A PDF of the procedure can be found here:

[neutron561]

I just used Shawn's procedure to deal with foam bits from the A/C vents on my '99 996 C2. I covered the door with felt, easily sourced from a fabric store, and spray adhesive. I covered both sides of the door, then trimmed the double thickness of felt about ¼ inch +/- bigger than the door. I reassembled the door and tested it for fit before putting everything else back together and it seemed to operate OK without jamming.

Looking through my junk I found a plastic cap that had once covered an inlet fitting on something new, perhaps a fuel pump or A/C compressor, that fit perfectly over the top bushing carrier that was ground off. (just had to slice down with my dermal between the round carrier molding and the heater core molding).

I also note that when I separated the link arm from the servo, the link arm with bushing attached literally fell out. Perhaps someone has had it apart before.

[nusenyaw]

Having same foam spewing problem on my 2005 987. Do I need to get it repaired or will the foam just "blow out". Heat/AC still working fine.