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Hey guys, I am a relatively new owner of 04 tl and just recently I have noticed that there is barely any air coming from the center vents, even if I change the mode to face only, it blows a little more but not nearly as much as It should. Is this common with this car? Thanks
I've had the same issue for years. I asked the dealer to check it out a while back during a service visit and they said everything is normal, and that's just the way it is.
...just recently I have noticed that there is barely any air coming from the center vents, even if I change the mode to face only, it blows a little more but not nearly as much as It should.
Are you having the face vents blow cold air with the A/C on "low" or set at a low temperature during warm weather? If so, there should be a good amount of air coming from the center vents.
However, if you have the heat on, or if the interior temperature is set on "Auto" and you are in a cold climate, you will not get much air from the center vents, as heated air will come from the footwell vents rather than the center vents.
Yes, you should change the cabin air filter, and vacuum out that area if necessary, if the cabin filter was not changed.
Are you having the face vents blow cold air with the A/C on "low" or set at a low temperature during warm weather? If so, there should be a good amount of air coming from the center vents.
However, if you have the heat on, or if the interior temperature is set on "Auto" and you are in a cold climate, you will not get much air from the center vents, as heated air will come from the footwell vents rather than the center vents.
Yes, you should change the cabin air filter, and vacuum out that area if necessary, if the cabin filter was not changed.
Welcome to AZ.
You might have a point, because I did not really pay attention to the vents when it was hot out. That kind of makes sense if you think about it, but I would think if I selected the air to blow out of those center vents and turned the fan all the way up it should be blowing like crazy.
Yeah I have the same problem too. I thought it was the cabin filter but even after I replaced it, there was no difference. All the other cars that I have been in blows a lot harder than ours even when all vents are open. I guess that's just the way the TL is made.
Yeah I have the same problem too. I thought it was the cabin filter but even after I replaced it, there was no difference. All the other cars that I have been in blows a lot harder than ours even when all vents are open. I guess that's just the way the TL is made.
Yeah, that's what I think too. There is only so much air to go around in the system and the sides vents take priority over the center vents I think.
Do you notice if the center console sides air getting warm or cold depending if you using heat or A/C? Mine does and I think the duct joint is leaking in there.
I have the same problem and it hasn't always been this way. I used to be able to have every vent open (including rear) and the air would blow like crazy out of all the vents, now the center vents hardly have any air..
Anyone else out there want to chime in on this?
Close the vents that blow air to the rear of the car and you'll notice a difference.
When I had my Accord, I noticed that there was more air coming out of the center vents than the side vents. When I recently bought my TL, I noticed there was more air coming out of the side vents rather than the center vents. The airflow rate coming out of both the Accord and the TL within the inside dash is the same. It's the air that gets diverted to the rear A/C vents is what's robbing the air going to the front A/C center vents.
It's the way the car is set up. You might be able to get SOME air back into the front center vents by closing the rear center vents, but it won't be much because it's downstream of the front center vents. Imagine a tube below with a theoretical airflow in the tube of 100CFM. If the feed airflow rate going to the center vents is 100CFM (before it splits off to the rear), and the front center vent gets 60CFM of airflow, the rear A/C vents will get 40CFM of airflow. If you shut off the rear A/C vents, the majority of that air has to go somewhere, and it should go to the front center vents. (You might get some parasitic losses and recirculation of airflow in the rear A/C vent ductwork, but that should be minimal.
Hey guys, I am a relatively new owner of 04 tl and just recently I have noticed that there is barely any air coming from the center vents, even if I change the mode to face only, it blows a little more but not nearly as much as It should. Is this common with this car? Thanks
Laying on my back on the driver side floor looking up at the vent controls. The white arms would move as the mode select on the front panel was changed. The lowest arm appeared to be binding on a rectangular bracket during the mode panel changes.
While my wife selected Auto on the panel, I pushed between the white arm(facing down) and the bracket and the arm moved up about 90 degrees. Air rushed through the center vent at full force. I will watch to see if that hangs up in the future.
Laying on my back on the driver side floor looking up at the vent controls. The white arms would move as the mode select on the front panel was changed. The lowest arm appeared to be binding on a rectangular bracket during the mode panel changes.
While my wife selected Auto on the panel, I pushed between the white arm(facing down) and the bracket and the arm moved up about 90 degrees. Air rushed through the center vent at full force. I will watch to see if that hangs up in the future.
This was on a 1999 3.2 TL and should cover model years 1999-2003.
It's the foam tape that connects the air duct system to the center vents. It has deteriorated and so you have a quarter inch gap that's escaping behind your radio. I had the same issue and spent time figuring out new blower motors and all that stuff but as I was changing out my factory radio I saw the huge gap in the ductwork for the center vents. I just got some aluminimum-mastic duct tape and I'm going to try and patch it up and that should take care of the soft air blow through the center vents. Hope this helps. I can send a picture if need be but it's right behind the radio.
Interesting: I'm preparing to replace the cracked dash in my 08 Base w/Navi. Since I'll have access to the center vents from behind, I'll check the condition of the foam tape and correct if necessary. I have noticed, if I close both side and rear vents, air flow thru the center vents is dramatically improved, which makes sense because "all" air flow is than directed to the center vents. However if the side and rear vents are left open, there is very little air flow thru the center vents. I have checked the air mix control arm positions, and the air mix motor arm appears to be operating properly. Selecting air flow thru the upper vents only, slightly improves flow via the center vents, but still, not as much air exits the center vents, as compared to the right and left side vents.
2008 RDX - Center vents were not blowing air. (Heat or Cool) - Everything online kept mentioning the Gate Door actuator (on the driver side). Nope - it is a 'door actuator' unit on the passenger side that controls the air out of the center vents. It is up next to the airbag - big pain to access. I finally figured out what controls that - I pulled the unit an manipulated teh levers by hand. The funny thing is once I put the unit back it started working. I suspect simple corrosion on the contacts.
After putting it all back together, there is enough air howling out of those center vents to blow my hair around.
might as well not have any if there aren't any controls for these!
