Engine Cover

[golf nutter]

i bought a new air filter and thought i would fit it today...hmmm...the engine cover's a bit of a pig aint it!  i did search on here and vortex and found a couple of guides, but no matter how hard i pull at the cover it refuses to budge.  tried warming it up before hand for a couple of mins, still no joy.  any ideas guys?

[mark01348]

I know the feeling. I really struggled and even questioned if I knew what I was doing at one point 
I would say be really careful as I did break mine a little but you have to really tug the cover. Try pulling it up from the back first. With all pipes and connectors off first of course then what I found really helped refitting was removing the rubber bungs and fitting them into the cover first then use copper grease or something because I found it reseated much easier.
Good luck 

[keano]

You aren't pulling hard enough! 

I find bottom right (nearest to you) the easiest place to pull off first.

[bacillus]

IMO I'd start with the right rear corner (looking at the engine) as the plastic is more substantial i.e. less easy to break than starting at the front corners.

[Tfsi_Mike]

Might have been said but after engine is warm may be easier as the stubborn rubber bungs will be softer 

[NEWEY]

just give it a big pull in each corner. it will come off ;)

[golf nutter]

You aren't pulling hard enough! 

I find bottom right (nearest to you) the easiest place to pull off first.

...and this is what i did.  didnt need too much force.  i was starting in the top right as suggested by others and it was really tight.  once the front two were off it was easier to prise the back off.  K&N filter now in place and quite pleased with myself. 

[bacillus]

...and this is what i did.  didnt need too much force.  i was starting in the top right as suggested by others and it was really tight.  once the front two were off it was easier to prise the back off.  K&N filter now in place and quite pleased with myself. 

Well done mate. 

I hope you lubed the grommets with some silicon grease before you reinstalled the cover to make its removal next time extremely easy.

[golf nutter]

'fraid not!  in my excitement i just wanted to make sure it went back correctly!  i will do this next time.  i have some white silicon grease, would that do the job?  it wont make the grommets slide out and let the cover rattle about will it?

[bacillus]

Just put a smear on the underside of the grommet (side facing the engine) and you'll be fine.
I'm assuming that all four grommet are in the engine cover before you apply the grease.

[golf nutter]

will do, thanks 

[rdfcpete]

Much like you golf nutter I fished around google for a guide and found the Vortex one, i.e. this one:

http://www.swankmonkey.com/vw/jetta/2006/remove_engine_cover/

Does that apply to the UK k03 GTI engine cover too? I also had problems removing the cover despite following the guide and abandoned it as I didn't want to crack anything. I'm assuming the cover has never been removed in the cars life.

Cheers.

[golf nutter]

Yes Pete...as far as i can tell the link is the correct one to follow.  as mentioned earlier in this thread, the front right was the easiest for me to get out, followed by the front left and then the rears.  give it a go.

[rdfcpete]

Yes Pete...as far as i can tell the link is the correct one to follow.  as mentioned earlier in this thread, the front right was the easiest for me to get out, followed by the front left and then the rears.  give it a go.

It's that fine line between giving it some beans confidently and pulling too hard then breaking mounting points 

I took a good ten minutes earlier to gently wiggle the cover loose but it was in pretty solidly.

[golf nutter]

maybe yours is really wedged on in that case.  i know i pulled as hard as i dare the first time then after reading a thread just lifted the bottom right corner directly vertical with a good heave and the rest came up easy.