Air vents play an important role when it comes to providing a comfortable journey in your vehicle.
So, it’s a good idea to know the location of your car vents so you can adjust them to get the optimum comfort.
But, where are the air vents located in the car? How do you know when they are opened or closed?
Keep reading to find out all the details.
Here Are The Possible Location Of Air Vents In A Car
Multiple air vents in a car are usually located in the dash for the front passenger comfort, however, some modern cars have air vents at the rear for rear passengers as well. The location varies depending on the make and model of the vehicle.
There are two types of vents on a car and they may be located in these locations.
Intake Vents
In order to keep the air inside your car moving, the air is allowed to enter your car at two different points at all times.
Air is let into your car through vents located beneath the windshield called Cowl intake vents.
Air in your car is also circulated by a recirculation system.
They are usually located at the base of the windshield where the air intake for heating and ventilation is located.
The cabin receives optimal airflow while the air enters these locations.
Leaves and other debris are kept out of your intake vents by a plastic grille and screen, but this area should be vacuumed periodically.
Read this great article to know all about Cowl intake vents, their purpose, and how you can unclog them.
Output Vents
Air is released into the cabin of the car through the output vents.
It depends on what type of car you have and where they are located. In most vehicles, the vents are located in the front dash of the car.
Some vehicles also have back or rear vents that are in the center console.
You could also find vents located on the ceiling of the vehicle and the doors.
Related:
- What Is a Cowl Vent or Intake Vent in a Car? (Explained For Beginners)
- What Is the Rear A/C Vent In a Car? (Explained For Beginners)
- What Controls The Vents In A Car Cabin? (Explained For Beginners)
How Do I Know If The Car Vents Are Open Or Closed?
If your car vents are functioning properly you will be able to tell if they are open by whether or not air is blowing out of them.
If the vents are open the air will flow from them. If they are closed the air will not come out.
You can also look and inspect the vents to see if they are open.
When the vents are open, you can see inside them and when they are closed the louvers will fit tightly against each other.
How Do I Access The Car Air Vent?
Get into the air duct by snapping out the vent cover.
With some leverage, you can easily pop out vent covers in older cars that aren’t molded to the dash.
Usually, you can tell if this will be possible at a glance.
You should be able to access the vents once you have popped off the vent cover.
Sticking your hand down the vents isn’t a good idea because the vents are narrow and could break.
How Can I Unclog My Car’s Air Vents?
Cleaning out clogged air vents in your car is easy if you follow these steps:
You can first try vacuuming with the hose attachment of your vacuum cleaner.
A vacuum may be useful to clean out debris from car vents.
Using sift microfiber towels or longer brushes to clean car vents is more difficult if you don’t vacuum them first.
You’ll find it much simpler to clean vents if you clean some dust with a vacuum first.
Ideally, the vacuum should be as strong as you can find.
It will be easier to clean the dust that has accumulated throughout the ventilation hole if you have more suction power.
A gentle agitation of the vent slots can be achieved with a brush with a long bristle.
Don’t rush the process and be thorough. Take as much time as you can in order to dig as deeply as you can. The more dirt you can remove, the better.
Vents should also be slid all the way around.
Ideally, you should clean every crevice or place.
You’ll need a brush with a long bristle for this step so as to get rid of all the debris and any dust remaining inside the vents after thoroughly cleaning them with a long-bristle brush.
Microfiber towels should be inserted as deeply as you can get without getting stuck.
You may need to strategize if you believe the vents are clogged with a particular item.
Use a strong string or fishing line to attach a magnet to the metal item. Place the magnet in the duct after ensuring it is secure.
You should start slowly pulling the magnet up when you see it latch onto an object. You are less likely to experience an issue if you use a stronger magnet.
Those types of tools are designed to solve just these kinds of problems, so if you need a little more stability, try a magnetic pickup tool that you can buy at many home improvement stores.
A clog may also be removed simply by pulling it out.
Using forceps to pull the object out of the duct if it’s straight.
The object can be grabbed using long hemostat forceps.
Avoid pushing the object farther down the duct as you move slowly.
The locking mechanism of some forceps provides more security to prevent this from happening.
It might be possible to grab the object using chopsticks or forceps if you are good with them.
Your forceps may need to be twisted or your grip adjusted if you weren’t able to take off the vent covers.
To get the job done, you could also use tweezers.
Compressed air can be used to blow out the vents if that doesn’t work.
You should only put the can as far away from the vents as possible so that they are not damaged.
Last but not least, if nothing else works, you can clean the vents manually.
Once you’ve finished, make sure you put the vent covers back where they go.
How Do I Replace My Car’s Air Vents?
Due to their usage, car vents can experience some wear and tear since they are in contact with several things in the vehicle’s cabin.
It may be necessary to replace the vents or tabs if they are damaged.
If your car is of a certain make and model, it may be fairly easy to do.
In order to replace the vent covers, you must first remove the old ones.
The screws on either side of the panel can be removed with a screwdriver.
Using one hand, hold the cover in place and use the other hand to unscrew it.
Be careful when pulling the screws. Remove the air vent cover and dust the area around it while you are at it.
Depending on whether the vent pops out or is hidden under the interior trim, some vents may just be visible.
The vents must be popped out or unscrewed after removing the trim.
You should also check the vent for signs of damage or clogging when you are inside.
To ensure that the vents remain functional, you may want to clean them.
Placing your new air vent cover over the gap left by the old one is as easy as taking one hand over the gap and placing it over the old one to press the vent cover into place.
The screws should be lined up.
For screws to fit into a new cover, you may need to drill fresh holes in it using a drill.
Screw the vent firmly to the car body or trim but be careful not to add screws in places that won’t look right or won’t allow the trim to go back into place.
Final Thoughts
You might consider replacing your air vent covers if you are concerned that you are seeing wear and tear on them, or if your air vents are not working and you think they may be clogged.
In most cases, this is a simple task that any car owner can accomplish in a few minutes.
If your vents are clogged or dirty, you can also clean them while you have your vent covers off.
If you aren’t comfortable working on your vehicle yourself, take the car to an experienced mechanic.
Sources
How to Replace Vent Tabs on Your Car’s Air Vents? (viraltrench.com)
How do you replace car air vents? | Jerry (getjerry.com)
How to Unclog Air Vents in Car: From Removing Smell to Cleaning Fungi (carfromjapan.com)
