middle vent falls shut

[Suddha]

Anyone else having this?

When it's hot out and I have the A/C cranked up (fan speed 3 or 4), the middle vent dial will fall to half closed position. It will only stay open at fan speed 1 or 2. It's like something's expanded in there from the heat and there isn't enough friction to keep it open. Any tips?

[DarkenDioxen]

Suddha,

I have the exact same problem, I additionally seem to have a trickle of air coming out of the defoggers for the windshield. (thank god for Rain-x no Fog)

I took a folded up piece of paper and jammed it into the vent to keep it in the open position, until I get the time and patience to tear it apart.
I imagine that it is a combination of heat/cold expansion/contraction, and the fact that it is just plastic so it would eventually wear out.

Good luck let me know if you come up with anything better looking!



------------------
Darren
'95 Club Sport

[madfronter]

I have the same thing happening to my vent. I also had the same problem in my old car a VW scirocco 16v.

[Suddha]

The piece of paper wedge is a brilliant idea. I will try it. Probably looks a bit kludgy, but hey, the A/C still blows cold and that's what counts.

Thanks for commiserating.

[1996 328ti]

I use a black guitar pick wedged in there.
You hardly see it.

[J!m]

Mine's not so bad, but I found what direction you aim the vent seems to control weather it's closing or not...

Aim it up, and it closes right down. Aim it down, and it will stay fully open. Must be something with the air pressure pushing it a certain way or something.

I just deal with it...

[Travis]

I have been using a piece of plastic fork from Wendy's (not black). Just put a guitar pick in there. Works great!

[sydeshow]

electrical tape. especially if your dash is black.

take a 2-3" piece. roll it up. (sounds like i'm giving drug advice here.) and place it in the dial (about two notches above the line). and roll the dial up until it wedges and you can see only part of the tape. i don't even ever notice mine. nor has anyone else actually.

but does anyone know how to go about fixing it? tightening a cable behind the dash?

[gooten1]

When I bought my car, it had a piece of black cardboard folded up and stuck beside the knob. It works.

My guess is, you'd have to take the dashboard apart to get to it. More than likely, it would eventually involve laying upside down in the floorboard trying to look behind the dash. I had to fix part of the ventalation system in my truck and I 'bout passed out because of all the blood going to my head. (=

[CirrusSR22]

Mine came with a dime shoved in there when I bought it

[gooten1]

So ya bought a car and got a free dime! Sweet! LoL.