what are they all about? If I take mine out and chuck it will there be any negative affect to my tintop?

Steve

You'll get pollen entering the car where you didn't before

They're a good thing if you're a hay-fever sufferer (or one of your passengers is a sufferer). They also stop dust & dirt getting dragged into the car.

However, they should be changed periodically (although mine hasn't been changed since the car was first registered in 2000!).

Must get round to it...

Its a good idea to change regulary. We have a problem with scenics at work which means that a blocked filter causes the motor to work harder, therefore burning out the resistor that controls the speed!!

Shaun

I don't know what they're like now but Vauxhalls used to be prone to the filter getting damp which was great for the windscreen demister function becoming a mister instead.

I washed the pollen filter out on my tintop, fully dried then put it back in. Seems ok. It wasnt made of paper though.

Pollen filters are not required, although in some cases you can get a strange harmonic w/o them in place and fan on high.
I am not sold on them personally. It seems like most people who are sensitive to pollen/dust are also sensitive to mold. And they do get moldy especially if the vehicle sits.
I'll take pollen over mold any day personally
Cheers.

In the past I've objected to paying £30+ for a bit of filter foam in a plastic frame...
...but today I've dipped into my pocket and paid £12.50 post-paid from a supplier on ebay! Genuine Toyota spares, too (allegedly).