MX5Ireland

Last Autumn I checked the drain filters and sponge pieces on my ND, by following the instructions on page 6-60 of the owners manual. This meant sitting sideways on the seat with legs outside the car and stretching one arm down below the hinge assembly of the roof. This is very awkward and it is difficult to be sure that you have it clicked back in correctly.
This time, having in the mean time checked out the Miata.net Forum and the UK Forums where others have been complaining about positioning of these filters, I followed a suggestion in a Miata.net post.

This means removing the plastic quarter panel cover behind the seat (by removing four plastic clips and the door sill cover)


You can then unclip and remove the filter without any stretching at all.

Filter in place-.

Filter removed


The pictures above are from the left side.
On my car there Is less space around the right hand filter, but my hand was just small enough to get it done.


On both sides it is easy to be sure that the filters are correctly clicked back in place.

Tom.

Hi Tom, what is the purpose of those filters?

Hi Steve
These are at the top of the tubes that come out under the car, that deal with water running off the soft top. On my MK2 (and probably the MK1) there were no filters on these tubes so the debris would have to be cleaned out of the lower part of the tubes every so often with something like a trombone cleaning brush.

Similarly if these filters are allowed to get clogged with debris washed off the roof, rain water could overflow inside the car.

The water first drops through a plastic grill with about 2 or 3 mm. slots, then through a block of very coarse open cell foam.

Mine were clean both times I checked, but then I keep the car inside, and don't park under trees much.

Tom.

ahaa, nice solution to the issue. Thanks, didn't know that.

A nice work around - more time consuming, but easier by the sounds of it.

And just shows how cars are still 'a work in progress'.

Your mk4 looks easier than the mk3
https://youtu.be/ugkaPc4DGfE