How do I remove AC vents in dash?

[armeN]

Hi. I need to know how to remove the AC vents in my dash right above the radio and buttons without damaging them. Thank you.

[rs4pro3]

Pull realy hard. Or remove the dash, unscrew the ducts from under the dash, and then push the vents out.

[RedBaron86325]

Turn them down all the way, then turn them (a little hard) a little further. You will hear a "snap". Once you hear the pop, you can pull/wiggle the vents out.

[armeN]

this would be a safe snap right? not snapping any plastic peices am I?

[Marvin_Hecht]

Hey...this is just the thread I was looking for. My vents have this problem where they droop all of the time, no you touch them and they actually spin to the bottom position on their own...no stiffness left. I have been sticking in pieces of black-colored paper to try to keep them in the normal (ie blowing at you) position.

Luckily my "parts car" has normal vents -- but I thought I would have to replace the whole dash. I went to this site to check out how to do a dash
swap-

http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecdeegan9/dashboard/dashboard_1.html

and it looks pretty involved. (Plus the actual dash in my parts car has more cracks in it -- I really just want the vents from it....)

So..are you guys saying i could get away with just popping out the vents from one car to another ...and skip the whole dash removal thing?
If so... god bless you!!!!

[pogiboy9]

wow that sounds hell of a lot easier than removing the entire dash, so remove the radio to get access to the center vents?.

[Ducati]

Yeah you can do that, we did that with armeN's car.
edit - you don't need to remove the radio, at least armen and I didn't.

[pogiboy9]

You guys just pulled it then ?

[Marvin_Hecht]

I did the air vent swaperoo today with my non-running car which had vents that actually stayed in place instead of flipping around like they belong inside a pinball machine.

Turn them so the vents and everything points all the way down, then keep pulling at the top part (as if turning them down even further) and they snap out. In some cases I used a pair of needle nose pliars to "coax" them out when they got stubborn - the needles left a few scuff marks even though I tried to be careful and grasp the pliars around a cloth before grabbing one of the horizontal slats with it. Once you get good at this, after about 10 minutes, I was popping them in and out like I was a pro. I even took some pictures which I will post in the next few days.

I drove the car and no more droopy vents pointing at the floor because they won't stay in place!! I could actually feel cold AC on my face - what a concept. And no moreneed to wedge in there some business cards, starbuck coffee holders, or black cardboard paper to hold them in position.

There is one vent that still droops a bit despite the changeover--may replace that one eventually - the 3 others are nice and stuff.

I found that accessing them from the radio hole is no use, since the plastic air chamber inside the dash feeds right up to the edege ot the dash anyway, so it does not help to get in there from behind.

Man the internet rocks...you can find out almost anything you always wantedto know but couldn't find who to ask. Man, I've suffered for like 10 years with droppy vents...glad it is fixed now....

[DrMcDave]

its really quite easy. I have my dash out so i could get a good look at it. on the underside of the vent there are two little tabs you have to push down. they won't be visible through the radio but you should be able to feel them. push them down and slide it out. It should come out fairly easily if you do this.

[cheffy30]

thanks for this post... made my life so easy.. what a "snap" it is to remove, fix and clean... replacement is even easier...

[IceWhite]

Before you replace them, check out this thread: DIY: Inside Air Vent Tightening

[cheffy30]

vents

Before you replace them, check out this thread: DIY: Inside Air Vent Tightening

i was prepared to remove my dash as i have a free set coming in the mail ... guess they're for free to pass on again now... no need to replace. washed thoroughly and re inserted. look like new...