fix for sloppy A/C vents

my beater A/C vents won't stay in position, and flop around pretty much at whim. Today while at the hardware store I noticed some wave spring washers in the metric section and grabbed a bag of the 6mm set. Since these are springy they help to increase the preload on the nipple that holds the vent in place, but since they are also really thin they don't move the nipple away from the hole like a larger washer would do. Total cost was about $.70 I think.

I'm using a folded up piece of gum packaging right now haha. I"ll have to give this a shot to end the strange look

ehall said:

my beater A/C vents won't stay in position, and flop around pretty much at whim. Today while at the hardware store I noticed some wave spring washers in the metric section and grabbed a bag of the 6mm set. Since these are springy they help to increase the preload on the nipple that holds the vent in place, but since they are also really thin they don't move the nipple away from the hole like a larger washer would do. Total cost was about $.70 I think.

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haven't had the occasion to pull one out yet--

will they just pop out with a little force, or do I need to pull the dash bezel and stuff? Mine annoy me, but not enough to work very hard to fix 'em (unless it's just a case of popping them out and slapping a washer in there)

The ends of the vents have a tab with a nipple that pops into an indent in the dash. The problem is that the tab eventually loses the preload resistance, so the vent flops around.



Removal is as easy as pushing the nipple away from the indent and then tugging on the vent. I like to use an awl for this--just stick it between the vent and dash and it will separate them enough for the nipple to lift out.

You need to restore preload, but you cant reduce the gap any or else the nipple won't stay seated. The wave/spring washers are nice for this because they are springy and really thin. The 6mm is the right size--big enough hole to fit over the nipple and small enough OD to stay in the recess.



Note that one end is labelled "TOP". The vent piece I have in the middle (below the HVAC unit) is the same as the tall pieces but I don't know if that's original setup. Also the crotch blower under the steering wheel does not come out like the others, and the lower dash has to be removed to get that one out.

thanx-- I guess it's worth the effort since nothing else has to come apart!

Nice fix ehall.

I wonder if heating the plastic with a little underside pressure would be enough to put a little "spring" back in the tabs?

I thought about that but I assume it would just bend back to neutral again eventually.

The real fix is replace the vents with new parts.

Thanks for the idea! Looks like a great fix, now if I find one of your so-called "crotch blowers" for my XJ.

nblanton said:

... now if I find one of your so-called "crotch blowers" for my XJ.

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called a "lot lizard" at most truck stops.

joe_peters said:

Nice fix ehall.

I wonder if heating the plastic with a little underside pressure would be enough to put a little "spring" back in the tabs?

Click to expand...

I actually thought about gluing some 2000 grit sand paper to the side of the vent, but I figured it would just remove the vent (little at a time) until it flopped around again. Bending the tabs back with a little heat sounds like something I'd manage to "go to far" with and break it clean off.

One other option... when you get the vent out you will find some felt or foam strips on the sides of the cavity. It might be possible to put some of the adhesive-backed foam weatherstripping in its place to make some pressure on the sides of the vent.

you guys are doing it the hard way. Use a velcro strip.. the felt side and sick it on the plastic housing where the adjustable louver is attached.

The louver will rub against it and stay put in any position... 5 min fix.

Ditto on the self-adhesive Velcro strip. I've used this on several brands of Beaters over the years and it works better than OEM!

You guys are so clever. I switched over to the velcro fuzz tape and it works great, it has more resistance than the wave washer, but it holds everything in place better