Ac Side Air Vent Removal

[D_Man]

Need experts to assist!

OK so I bought these nice Silver painted AC vent's at a swap meet for $5 ea. now I want to to install them. They dont match my all black trim but I wanted to see what they would look like installed. Hey $5 you cant go wrong. I tried removing the passenger AC vet and it was easy three screws and its out. The last screw is under the cover.

The problem side is the AC vent on the driver side has the Headlight switch installed and I have no idea how to remove the switch inorder to get to the inside screw.

Anyone got the trick on this?

Thanks

D Man

[Loren]

Need experts to assist!

OK so I bought these nice Silver painted AC vent's at a swap meet for $5 ea. now I want to to install them. They dont match my all black trim but I wanted to see what they would look like installed. Hey $5 you cant go wrong. I tried removing the passenger AC vet and it was easy three screws and its out. The last screw is under the cover.

The problem side is the AC vent on the driver side has the Headlight switch installed and I have no idea how to remove the switch inorder to get to the inside screw.

Anyone got the trick on this?

Thanks

D Man

Pull forward the control button -25- of the light switch -31- as far as it will go -direction of the arrow- towards the front. Press in the locking device at the lower side using a small screwdriver and remove the control button towards the front. Undo the fastening screws -21- at the side, remove the side vent towards the front. Disconnect the plug connection -30- of the main light switch -31-. In order to disassemble the side vent, the covering cap -28-, the fastening nut -26- and the inner race -27- of the main light switch -31- can be removed. Remove light switch -31- from the side vent by turning it slightly in clockwise direction.

[D_Man]

Thanks Loren

What service!!!

Makes since looking at the picture now.

[Tool Pants]

Like this.

[D_Man]

I Love this board!

This website serves as a tremendous asset to the Porsche 911 community,

Thanks too all.

[C4S Surgeon]

Loren,

Is there any way to remove the actual slats/blades and the control wheel? I want to paint these to match the rest of my aluminum look package.

Chris

[bddgsxr]

Loren,

Is there any way to remove the actual slats/blades and the control wheel? I want to paint these to match the rest of my aluminum look package.

Chris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I removed mine and painted them as well. You have to be very careful. Just look at the little tabs that the slats fit into and pry them out. But again be very careful. The best thing I can tell you is to make sure to sand the vents down to bear plastic then paint. The assembly is exactly opposite of removal. But this time you have to be even more careful because you might scratch the paint

[C4S Surgeon]

Thanks, I'll give her a try.

[gandrade1]

The instructions are great as always, thanks Loren...

The only problem I have is to keep those pink thinks in place so that I can screw everything back. They move out as I push the panel back in place.

Can I glue them?

Best,

Gus

[jthailer]

I am having trouble removing the switch from the vent. Does the front race (switch plate) need to be removed? Bentley manual says to slide the switch plate forward in the vent about 5mm. I am unable to slide it forward. The instructions here say to turn the switch clockwise, is that while facing the switch as if it were in the dash? Bentley manual says to turn the switch slightly couter clockwise.

Thanks Loren

2003 Boxster S

[Loren]

Yes, item 27 needs to be removed along with the nut (26) holding it place.

[jthailer]

Yes, item 27 needs to be removed along with the nut (26) holding it place.

Are there instructions on how to remove #27? Should it just slide out once the nut is removed? #27 seems to be in there very tight almost as if it is glued in. Is there a way to push it out from the back? There seem to be a couple of tabs on the back.

Edited September 22, 2010 by jthailer

[jthailer]

I was able to take apart the switch and cleaned some of the contacts with fine sandpaper. There are a lot of small parts in there so be careful if you attempt this.

As one post said above, I am not sure if opening the switch and cleaning the contacts was the trick or just the fact that I disconnected the switch and reconnected it, but now the Litronics light up on the first try every time.

If someone attempts this in the future, first try disconnecting the switch from the power and the reconnect it and see if that works. I bet it will buy you a few more years of trouble free operation.

[rzucchet]

As one post said above, I am not sure if opening the switch and cleaning the contacts was the trick or just the fact that I disconnected the switch and reconnected it, but now the Litronics light up on the first try every time.

If someone attempts this in the future, first try disconnecting the switch from the power and the reconnect it and see if that works. I bet it will buy you a few more years of trouble free operation.

My headlights used to work fine, then inconsistently (they would come on several minutes after I had turned the switch), and now they don't want to come on at all. I suspect the switch assembly, but before I go in there, were your symptoms similar to mine?

Thanks,

-Roger

[Loren]

As one post said above, I am not sure if opening the switch and cleaning the contacts was the trick or just the fact that I disconnected the switch and reconnected it, but now the Litronics light up on the first try every time.

If someone attempts this in the future, first try disconnecting the switch from the power and the reconnect it and see if that works. I bet it will buy you a few more years of trouble free operation.

My headlights used to work fine, then inconsistently (they would come on several minutes after I had turned the switch), and now they don't want to come on at all. I suspect the switch assembly, but before I go in there, were your symptoms similar to mine?

Thanks,

-Roger

Classic headlight switch failure.

[rzucchet]

Thanks Loren. I'm going in!

[bretskyg]

I followed the instructions carefully and removed the light control button and the 3 #21 screws. I can not get the side vent to move forward. I do not want to force anything. Is there a trick to releasing the side vent?

[Loren]

I followed the instructions carefully and removed the light control button and the 3 #21 screws. I can not get the side vent to move forward. I do not want to force anything. Is there a trick to releasing the side vent?

Sounds like you did not do this part "In order to disassemble the side vent, the covering cap -28-, the fastening nut -26- and the inner race -27- of the main light switch -31- can be removed. Remove light switch -31- from the side vent by turning it slightly in clockwise direction."

[bretskyg]

I followed the instructions carefully and removed the light control button and the 3 #21 screws. I can not get the side vent to move forward. I do not want to force anything. Is there a trick to releasing the side vent?

Sounds like you did not do this part "In order to disassemble the side vent, the covering cap -28-, the fastening nut -26- and the inner race -27- of the main light switch -31- can be removed. Remove light switch -31- from the side vent by turning it slightly in clockwise direction."

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I do not know if I made myself clear. I can not remove the vent itself. Don't I need to remove the side vent itself before disassembling?

[bretskyg]

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I do not know if I made myself clear. I can not remove the side vent itself. Don't I need to remove the side vent before diassembling?

[Rick down under]

For the search engines - re my Porsche MY02 996 - the pictures and descriptions in this thread were helpful as I removed the driver's side vent panel to re-attach the air vent opening and closing wheel's link arm to the air vent valve. It had either popped off at some stage, or had never been connected properly at the factory.

 

I have some additions for the disassembly instructions.

 

- to remove the light switch (25 in Loren's diagram above) use a torch and look for the metal tab right at the leading edge of the slot that's revealed on the underside of the knob when it's pulled out. This tab needs only the slightest push inwards with the tip of a small screwdriver to release the knob from its shaft. The screwdriver will be perpendicular to the knob when you do this, rather than angled as shown in the diagram. There should be no effort at all with this step, so go gently.

 

- there are three screws labelled as number 21, all Torx 20. Two are easily seen on the outside of the side vent, near the A pillar. The third is in a hole revealed once the light switch knob is removed. Be sure to take all three screws out. The side vent panel is now ready for removal.

 

- now for the real reason I'm writing this post. There are two, strong clips holding the side vent into the dash; one at the top and one at the bottom. You'll feel their resistance as you try to work the side vent free. I was removing the side vent for the first time and those clips were holding on tight! With clean, mechnanic's nitrile gloves on for good grip and with my arms extended to avoid over-travel I tugged to release the vent from the top clip, then again for the bottom clip. Nothing broke, probably because I was careful to avoid over-travel when the clips released. The clip system consists of metal, female clips embedded in the dash, which receive plastic male probes moulded into the inner surface of the side vent. These went back together nicely upon reassembly.

 

As for my problem of the open/close wheel not operating the valve inside the air vent duct, the link arm had fallen off the valve. I snapped it into place. I'm not convinced it will stay there. If it falls off I'll add some kind of pin to keep the plastic ring at the end of the link arm riding on the plastic ball at the end of the valve's shaft.

 

I hope this helps anyone pulling these side vents off.

 

Regards, Rick.

 

edit - once the side vent panel is removed it will dangle from the attached electrics. There will be sticky glue residue from the tapes and rattle insulation materials around these electrics. Some of this glue will get onto the dash surfaces in the area.  I used warm water and mild soap from the bathroom to clean this up, with fresh, warm water on a cloth for wiping clear a few times. Better to do this than experiment with solvents, which can ruin interior finishes in a second or two.

Edited June 20, 2018 by Rick down under