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Am I to understand that over time the gimbal vents on the dash tend to get loose and droop?
My new NB has the left two vents sort of frozen in action by some foreign product being wedged between the vent and its socket.
Is there a solution to the loose vents that allow them to be directed about as intended?
Thanks.
Just to confirm your understanding, Miata vents will indeed droop after 17 years.
There are little felt strips that just wear with age that are supposed to provide enough friction to make the vent stay in place. The easiest and cheapest fix is to pop the vent out and place a small piece of electrical tape next to the felt. That is what I did and it works well. Another option is to peel the felt off, put a piece of double sided tape down and readhere the felt.
To pop the eyeball vent out you need a shoelace, or a thin piece of rope. You put it through the top of the vent and use a hook to pull in back through the bottom of the vent. Grab both ends and give a firm tug straight out and the ball will pop free. Installation is just pushing the ball into the socket until it pops in place.
You can google Miata vent fix to find a video showing steps on how to resolve the issue.
Ice hockey sports tape works very wellQuote:
Originally Posted by riefdaddy
I changed over to Mitsu Eclipse vents. There is some modification to get them to work. Nothing major. They work great especially in completely closing off any vents that aren't being used.
Lots of good stuff there, thanks.
Not an example of good industrial design.Quote:
Originally Posted by Agent☣Orange
if you are pulling NB vents, be careful. They are a PITA. There are enough how-tos out there.
Definitely do not fish string through and yank. Slide a couple of durable plastic sleeves on either side which unlocks the tabs and the vent practically pops out.
The tabs are at 9 o clock and 3 o clock, yes?Quote:
Originally Posted by Agent☣Orange
Thanks.
On my NA, I normally use a length of mechanic’s wire bent in half, about 12-18” overall. Feed it through, pull it out so the two halves of the wire are 180* apart on the vent, then pull strongly straight back.
BTW, drooping vents aren’t poor industrial design, that’s engineering and execution (manufacturing).
also, 17 years is not a bad lifespan for a piece of felt. Many car manufacturers can't keep their vehicles rolling for that long.
My new Civic’s vents droop when it gets hot inside which is every day. Pretty sorry compared to a Miata’s vents.
Yes, tabs at 3 and 9. I did a photo-intensive writeup on the whole tool-creation, vent removal process many, many years ago but thanks to PhotoSuckit, it’s all lost.