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Cleaning vents in front of windshield?

10K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Defiant 
#1 ·
Where do the vents just below/in front of the windshield go? I am wondering if they are not intakes for HVAC, and my car constantly has a musty, moldy smell. It's the first year model with ~70k miles, so not new. The problem I have it I for years it has often been under a couple of crepe myrtles over my driveway. This tree drops all kind of stuff on my car, including aphid waste (it can feel like a light sprinkle at its worst). I have to pull out bits of branches, leaves, and flowers from the around the wiper base and the vent that goes under the hood. So I bet those vents have also accumulated a lot of crap inside. So anyone know of a way to get in there to see, and maybe clean it out? Or is there another way inside? I am about to have the car professionally detailed to see if that helps, but it's never really been that dirty. Yet the musty smell persists, and I really hate it.
 
#5 ·
Yes... Change the cabin air filter... I usually change out my cabin air filter every spring. However, I also spray A/C cleaner and run the A/C then Heater then A/C again. Let it run for 15min then do a final spray of Ozium. THEN I replace the cabin air filter with a new one.

I too get a musty smell from my A/C and apparently its because I don't turn off the A/C before I turn off my engine - if that makes any sense. Cleaning it out removes the musty smell for about a year before it comes back again.
 
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#6 ·
The cabin filter has been changed several times before--at least the dealer has charged me for it. I guess it's time to make sure they did. I still wish I knew where those vents go. As I said, I am certain that wherever it goes it's filled with tree parts.
 
#7 ·
I have taken the cowl cover/vent apart a few times, and mine had nothing growing in it, but you may want to just shine a flashlight down in the holes, angled so you can see the bottom of the gutter in there. Otherwise, you can remove it entirely and clean it, but you'll have to remove wiper arms to pull it out. The opening for the inside cabin air is actually below the passenger part of the cowl vent holes where they just have divots instead of holes because there's a big opening behind it that goes directly to the fan/air box for the cabin.
 
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