Imagine cruising downtown on a hot and sunny afternoon or driving on a snowy day, then suddenly your dashboard air vents are not working. Take it from a guy that has been on both sides.
It is very frustrating or worse. During winter, the vehicle’s heater is needed to function optimally due to the very cold environment as opposed to summer.
But several factors like a faulty fuse, insufficient refrigerant, clogged air intake, resistor malfunction, torn hoses, and failed condenser may prevent your dashboard air vents not working.
A functioning ventilation system is integral to most modern vehicles for comfort while driving. The air vent is a part of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system of your vehicle that allows the free flow of air in and out of your vehicle.
Hot or Cool air is blown into your vehicle through the air vents controlled by your HVAC system. So, you must ensure they are working. But how?
This article has briefed on the said factors that can cause your vehicle’s air vents to stop functioning and how to fix these problems with a few easy steps. You will also develop authority knowledge on how the ventilation system of your vehicle operates.
What is the purpose of Dashboard Air Vents?
The purpose of Dashboard Air Vents is to provide a better breathing environment in the car.
It’s the part of the car’s HVAC system that ensures the free flow of air by pulling air from the outside and re-circulating the air without opening a window.
On the front side of the car, there is a large duct that creates high pressure and the air is forced to in when moving the vehicle.
Then, It travels to the heater if needed, and air enters through vents and front foot-wells on the dashboard.
What causes dashboard air vents not to work?
To successfully detect the cause of a faulty air ventilation system, you need to check the various components of your vehicle’s ventilation system, which can be technical. So, you should be attentive to these probable causes listed below:
#1. A faulty fuse or relay.
This is one area to check that might be responsible for your dashboard air vents not working. If there is a bad ventilation fuse in your vehicle, the blower motor will not be able to carry out its function by blowing air through the vents.
This problem can also occur if your vehicle has a faulty relay; the relay helps to provide the current needed for the blower motor to operate. If there is no current to stir up the blowing motor, there will be no ventilation.
#2. Low level of refrigerant.
This is a common cause of the air conditioner in your vehicle to stop working. When the refrigerant level in your vehicle is low, you will need to notice a significant reduction in the cooling effect of the air blown into the vehicle.
This might lead to a point where the air conditioner starts blowing hot air. If there is no refrigerant in your vehicle’s cooling system, your conditioner cannot blow cool air.
#3. Jammed air intake.
Two areas allow the flow of air into your vehicle. The first area is the vents by the lower half of the windshield, and the second area is the air that is circulated again within the cabin of your vehicle.
These two areas are very necessary for your vehicle’s ventilation system to properly function. If any of these two areas is blocked by debris or any other substance, the ventilation system of the car will not be able to blow air inside your vehicle.
#4. Faulty blower motor or resistor.
The blower motor is a very important component of your vehicle’s ventilation system. This motor is a fan located behind the dashboard responsible for blowing the air through the vents.
A few factors can affect the functionality of the blower motor like electrical problems, aging, etc. However, if the blower motor cannot function, then no cool or hot air will be blown inside your vehicle when you turn on the air vents.
The blow motor functions with the aid of the blower resistor. The blower resistor helps regulate the flow of air that is blown into your vehicle as instructed by you through the air vent controls.
So, if the blower resistor in your vehicle’s ventilation system is bad, it can be why the car heater is not blowing air and affects the flow of cool air inside your vehicle.
#5. Torn hoses or belts.
The ventilation system of your vehicle is connected with various hoses that transport fluid; if there is any damage to these hoses, the ventilation system will not be able to function properly.
A torn hose can even lead to refrigerant leakage, which will reduce the effectiveness of your vehicle’s air conditioner. A damaged belt can also lead to this issue.
#6. Failed condenser or compressor.
A failed condenser can prevent cool air from flowing through your vents. The condenser takes the heat of the refrigerant by changing it from its gaseous state to a liquid state.
If the condenser is damaged or blocked, it can cause your car to overheat while the AC is on due to inadequate air flowing to the air conditioner.
How do you fix an air vent in a car?
Here are a few possible fixes of Dashboard Air Vents problems.
#1. Easy Fix For Blown Fuse and Bad Relay.
If the fuse is blown, then you need to replace it for taking up the system online. Usually, You’ll get the fuse box in your vehicle engine bay. Also, Sometimes it is located low on your dashboard or kick panel.
Just like a blown fuse, If you find a problem in the relay, you need to change the relay to solve the problem.
#2. Easy Fix For Damaged blower motor and resistor.
It’s a technical part. So, If you find any problem in your blower motor and resistor, you need to take it into the mechanic’s shop to fix or replace the motor. Here is how you can check whether the blower motor has any problem.
You need an amp meter to do the task. First, Connect the motor’s power wire with the amp meter and set it to run at full speed.
If there isn’t any fault in the motor, the amp read between 8 to 15 amps. The lower and higher number than 8 and 15 indicate the faulty motor.
#3. Easy Fix For Air Intake Issue.
You need to carefully clean the air intake to solve the issue. You can find the air intake in your vehicle at the windshield base and footwell of the passenger seat. After removing all the blockage, you’ll notice a quick performance improvement in the ventilation system.
#4. Easy Fix For Cabin Filter Issue.
You need to clean the dust and debris from the cabin filter to fix the issue. Generally, the Cabin filter is located under the bonnet or passenger’s seat, depending on the car model. First, Take a screwdriver and unmount the mounting screws that hold those.
Then, remove it from its housing and clean the dust, but it’s better to replace the air filter to avoid such a problem for a longer period.
#5. Easy Fix For Cabin Filter Issue.
To solve this, Find out the torn hose and reconnect it properly.
FAQs.
Q: Why is there no air coming from the vents in my car?
This problem can either be caused by a damaged blower motor or resistor, blocked air intake, damaged fuse, or a torn hose. You can use these common factors to properly investigate the actual cause of your vehicle’s vent problems.
Though you will not damage your vehicle if you decide to drive with a bad ventilation system, however, you need to be aware of the probable factors that could have caused this problem, so you know if your car just needs a quick fix or not instead of unnecessarily inconveniencing yourself and also your passengers.
Q: What controls the vents in a car?
The vents for modern vehicles are controlled by three or four electrical actuator motors, which can be adjusted by the climate control module; this electronically regulates and control the air ventilation system in your vehicle.
While on older vehicles with a manual control system, the air vents in these vehicles are controlled by vacuum servos. The vacuum is created by the engine while driving.
Q: How do I know If my blower motor relay is bad?
The blower motor relay is an electrical component that supplies current to the blower motor of your car.
If your blower motor is bad, it is one of the signs to notice is your vehicle’s blower motor relay is not functioning, and you might find out that the blower motor fuse is also blown.
Q: How do you open car vents?
The ventilation system of most vehicles can be opened by a manual device known as the ‘Thumbwheel.’ The thumbwheel is used to open or close vents in your vehicle to either stop or allow the flow of air inside the vehicle.
If the thumbwheel is wheeled to the right, it will make the vents fully open the vents while the opposite direction closes the vent of your vehicle.
Q: How do you clean car AC vents?
It is not easy to clean through the narrow spaces of your vehicle’s air vents thoroughly. However, using cheap or homemade cleaning tools can make the job easy.
You can try cleaning the vents with a set of foam paintbrushes, this can penetrate through your vents’ narrow spaces and help remove dust or debris.
You can also try preparing a cleaning solution at home by mixing water and vinegar to aid you with this cleaning process.
You can also use dry brushes for this purpose but remember; you have to do this gently. You can also periodically put on the fan in your vents without the AC on to completely dry your ventilation system and prevent the accumulation of debris.
Q: Why is air only coming out of some vents?
The only reason air is coming out of some vents or from one particular vent is that there is a blockage in the air ducts or vents that are not flowing out air.
However, if the air is only coming from the front vents but not coming from the rear vents or vice versa, it could mean the vents controlling that area is closed.
Q: How do you reset air vents?
The process of resetting air vents is quite simple. To do the reset, follow these procedures;
- Insert the car key and turn on the ignition
- Switch off all the climate control knobs
- Press and hold the window heater and recirculating button together. Hold it for 5 seconds
- The lights on the two buttons will start flashing
- All the vent flaps will open and close and run through a circle. That circle will run for about 30 seconds.
That’s all you need to reset the air vents. However, if the circle is terminated before the 30 seconds elapse, the air vents are okay. But if it continues running until you turn off the ignition, you have a problem that needs to be fixed.
Final Words
The gist is you have to know why your dashboard air vents are not responding, how to unclog air vents in your car and fix other air vent issues.
Here we have singled out the recurring causes, suggested expert ways to fix them, and complemented with other crucial factors. So, with some DIY auto-repair skills, you can now repair your dashboard air vents not working now.