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Blocked Air Vent

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by smarano, Nov 2, 2010.

  1. smarano

    smarano Junior Member

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    Today the left middle air vent in my 2006 Prius (the vent immediately to the left of the display/radio) suddenly stopped working. Or more accurately, the air flow suddenly became almost non-existent. All of the other vents work properly. This occurs regardless of the air flow setting.

    The oak trees above our driveway are shedding leaves by the hundreds now, so I'm wondering if a leaf is blocking the flow. But is it possible for just one of the vents to become clogged this way?

    My real question: is fixing this problem something that I can try on my own, or is getting access to the air vent something that I should leave up to a repair shop?

    Any advice would be appreciated.
     
    #1 smarano, Nov 2, 2010
  2. 2009Prius

    2009Prius A Wimpy DIYer

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    Tree leaves should be captured by the cabin air filter so if the filter is good (do check it though) then probably not that especially all other vents work. Did you check the little sliding mechanism that open/close the vent? It's just a simple baffle that block/unblock the vent. Good luck! :)
     
    #2 2009Prius, Nov 2, 2010
  3. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    By any chance was it turned off with the adjustment wheel? H
     
    #3 Hal W, Nov 2, 2010
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    To gain access to that vent, you need to:

    1) remove the far left vent by yanking it out horizontally
    2) remove the plastic instrument panel covers above and below the steering wheel - there are a couple of screws that will become apparent after the vent has been removed

    Then you can remove the vent to the left of the MFD by yanking it out, same as #1 above. Good luck.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Nov 2, 2010
  5. smarano

    smarano Junior Member

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    Thanks to all. Turns out the wheel was somehow stuck in the closed position. Realized it this morning in daylight hours when I was able to see the indicator notch on the wheel. Wheel was sticky making me think someone in my family spilled coffee or soda. A little more pressure than normal sprang it.
     
    #5 smarano, Nov 2, 2010
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