Fixing broken vents using a Cellphone case

[esteban]

Hey guys, first time poster here. I recently bought a Yaris 2007 and the vents on the center console were broken to the point where I couldn’t move or direct airflow. I ended up manufacturing the parts I needed using household items for the most part. This post is intended to give you a general idea on how to fix your vents. Maybe this will motivate you to either buy the entire unit or to give it a shot.

You will need:

• Broken vents
• Clear tape
• Old cellphone case
• Box cutter / lighter
• Drill press/ drill
• Sandpaper

-The first solution is to replace the entire front vent unit. These are not expensive; they are $40 on ebay. But these are used units salvaged from wrecked cars. You run the risk of the vents failing again.

-The second solution is to manufacture the parts yourself. These are not difficult or time consuming to make, but they do require some skill. If this is your first crafting project, you will have a hard time. But it can be done.

The problem with the parts that we need is that they are very thin and brittle. So you cant really make these out of wood. I suppose you could use metal if you have the tools. But the best material that worked for me was vinyl. And where can you get thin vinyl? Cellphone cases!

Dug through a drawer and found an old cellphone case. Cut off all the curved sides to create a “sheet” of hard & flexible vinyl that is thin enough for what we need.

On a piece of tape, paste together the broken parts. The goal here is to figure out the shape and where the holes go.









With the pieces taped together, and the curved edges removed from the case, the hard part starts: tracing and cutting the parts. I cant really help you with this beyond a few tips:

• A hot box cutter will slice pretty well.
• Sometimes the knife may be overkill for the very fine edges you need. Use sandpaper. Sand little by little.
• The original parts have a lot of notches and bits. Dont worry about these, just make the parts flat. Both of my pieces are completely flat and they work like OEM.
• The edges will have to be sanded thin for fit. Again, sure to sand little by little while stopping to check for fit.
• Drilling the holes should be your LAST step before sanding down for fit.
• Use a drill press to drill the holes you need if you can.
• **DO NOT PLAY WITH THE VENTS.** I accidentally broke one :P and had to figure out how to fix it. This also means you shouldnt shove them in and out of holes to check for fit. They WILL break. ( you can actually see which one I broke if you look closely at the pics, "fixed" it by sticking a hot pin and leaving it alone )
• This is the most important one: These parts are not really visible. Go to town on them, doesnt matter how they look. You wont see them.

Once you have the parts, reassemble and you’re good to go!

Here is what mine came out like, with full OEM functionality:






Link to the image album, large pictures: https://imgur.com/a/S2DJ8dd

[esteban]

Whoops, sorry guys. Didnt realize the pics would be so big.
Edit: Fixed.