Mod to stop plenums blocking?

[bikerdude666]

Just wondering if there's a mod a previous owner could have performed on my car to stop the plenums blocking. I keep seeing posts on here warning to check them regularly and people who have drowned their ECU's, but in the nearly 5 years I've owned my car, I've checked about 6 times and every time its been dry, despite me parking under trees at work.

I checked today as in the last week, when I first get in the car and turn the demist on, theres a bit of an odd damp type smell, so was expecting the pollen filter to be under water but once again, it was all fry in there...

So is it a possible mod, or just that I'm lucky/some other cause of the smell from the vents?

[Simondi]

You may just be lucky
Is there any mesh or guard at the driver's side inside the bonnet?

[Dawn]

Cutting the tip of the pipe under the car can help. My 1.8 was blocked when purchased but she I got it on a ramp I cut them off a bit at an angle and hasn't blocked again so far. You can buy a guard from Jules or use mesh as has been stated also . ��

[bikerdude666]

Thanks. It's the only ZT/75 I've owned so nothing to compare it to, but there's nothing that's obviously not a factory fit. There are a few bit of leaves and things in the plenum, but it never blocks, and I can see the rubber bit where the drain hole is, so that's not got mesh or anything on it.

[roverbarmy]

As the drained water travels through the plenum, it will be damp in there, first thing. This will appear worse, first thing on a cold day due to introducing cold, damp air onto the (warmer) screen on start up. If my car has been parked outside, I just use the demist button for a minute or so to clear the damp vapours out of the plenum. The musty smell may be that your pollen filter has got damp and needs changing. Some of them have a water repellant and some are just a paper type element. I occasionally spray air con steriliser/deodoriser in the plenum for a fresh (in my case minty) smell.

[Nev The Bear]

There is a plenum guard available from Jules.

I have one fitted to my ZT-T.

Here is a link to the item Jules sells.

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...ad.php?t=68328

[trikey]

Sounds silly, and a bit ott, but if you clean and wax the inside of the plenum, the water will bead off and dry quicker.

You might get funny looks from the neighbours cleaning somewhere you don't see! (Unless your Lotuslc, Nev, Ricardo, Fusilier Teflon etc etc )

[roverbarmy]

Originally Posted by trikey

You might get funny looks from the neighbours cleaning somewhere you don't see! (Unless your Lotuslc, Nev, Ricardo, Fusilier Teflon etc etc )

Add me to the list Trikes! I polished the inside of my wheels before I had the tyres fitted!

[trikey]

Originally Posted by roverbarmy

Add me to the list Trikes! I polished the inside of my wheels before I had the tyres fitted!

Ha ha, well done, we all have a bit of that in us, I was cleaning the FBH in the kitchen sink at 04:00 the other week before fitting it

[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by bikerdude666

when I first get in the car and turn the demist on, there's a bit of an odd damp type smell - - - some other cause of the smell from the vents?

Airconpong is often caused by bacterial slime forming on the evaporator matrix rather than from a damp pollen filter, though it's effectively the same thing. If the pollen filter is bone dry, but the smell of drains is there, you need a proper matrix cleanser. You can get a bactericidal foam aerosol that you inject up the condensate pipes. This kills and liquifies the slime and neutralises the pong. It's the only method that gets directly at the cause.

TC