Hi, Just started working on this car, the drivers vent opens and (mostly) closes OK, but the passenger side is frozen. Any tips on how to access/free up the mechanism?
John
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Hi, Just started working on this car, the drivers vent opens and (mostly) closes OK, but the passenger side is frozen. Any tips on how to access/free up the mechanism?
John
Hello John.
While we can never be sure of the cause of the mechanism freezing up, it is likely that it is in need of lubrication. It would be best if you removed the mechanism and look to see if there is a physical obstruction. If not, oil it and let the oil soak in for a few minutes. Then try to gently work the mechanism back and forth a little at a time to see if you can get any movement. Once full movement is achieved, you can lube with white lithium grease and reinstall.
I have also found that one end of the gear will take all the wear, sometimes causing the window to not shut all the way. A simple trick to solve this is to switch the left side and right side mechanisms with each other. This allows the unworn section of the gears to be the part that is in use. It's like getting all new mechanisms without the cost or effort to find them.
Good luck with this, and let me know if you are successful.
Ron,Quote:
Originally Posted by rcfryer
Thanks for the info. What is the best way to access/remove the mechanism? This is all new to me :) Just starting to learn this stuff. Will probably not attempt anything until the season is over and the car will be sitting idle.
Hello John.
You will need to remove the door panel to access the vent window mechanism. You will see a flat shaft coming downward from the vent window frame with two bolts in it. Remove those two bolts. Then you will see three bolts in a triangular pattern that hold the window crank mechanism in place. Remove these three bolts and it will come right out. Be sure to reach inside the door and hold the mechanism with one hand before releasing the last bolt so it doesn't fall down into the bottom of the door.
Apologies for the confusion.. I meant the toe panel vents near the floor, not the vent windows (small triangular windows near the front of the door). Those are manual and both work just fine. It's the ones by your feet. The drivers side works pretty well, but the passenger one doesn't move at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by rcfryer
Hello John.
The air vents are cable operated, and the cables can be lubricated easily, since the cable housings are actually a coil of wire wound around a single wire. If you put oil on the outside of the cable housing, it will penetrate through the housing and lubricate the wire inside. Let the oil soak in for an hour or so and then try to move the lever back and forth gently to free up the cable. this usually will fix the problem.
If the vents themselves are blocked or frozen, you may have to remove the kick panel to access them to work on. The kick panel is mainly held on by two screws in the perimeter of the vent. The back edge is tucked into a channel, and the kick panel can be bent slightly to pop it out. This will allow you to remove the kick panel and access the vent.
I took the kick panel off and removed all the cardboard & duct tape covering the vent. After lubricating the cable (with lithium grease), I was able to get it to move..The moving part of the vent (a metal oval with a rubber gasket) has hinge pins top and bottom that were out of the holes.. Fortunately the holes themselves where OK.. Was able to get the mechanism back together it operates properly. The gasket is worn out so it will leak, but I can live with that.. Don't plan to use the car in cold weather anyway :) :) :)
Feels good to work on something and not only fix it, but avoid breaking or losing anything on the process.:bana: