Just out of curiosity (crunching noise? WTF?) I started reading this thread - even though my car doesn't (yet) exhibit these symptoms - and by the second page recognized that we were dealing with a top notch trouble shooter in Jstic - I found his methodology and approach very interesting and (at least I'd like to think) similar to the way I tend to approach things. Bravo.
So now I'm realizing:
1) that changing the cabin filter in these cars is significantly more involved than in any of our other cars,
2) that I have never (doh!!) changed my own filter since purchasing the car (an '08 3.0si roadster) in November 2010,
3) that I've already had to replace a soft-top motor because of accumulated debris in the poorly designed drainage tubes, and
4) that I better get my ass under the dash and change the air filter this weekend, or be prepared to hear my own crunching noises!!
Thanks for the kick in the ass!
BTW, for those who have now received a similar kick, the video appended below seems to be a pretty good primer on how to actually change the filter -
Mike
PS - Is it just me, or do these cars sure seem to have design issues with proper 'waste' elimination?