GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi all,

I need some expert advice on getting my girlfriends ring out of the defrost vent in my 2004 vibe. I have gone in there with an inspection camera and can not seem to locate it as of yet. When the ring fell in the setting of the heat was for defrost and feet. I am not familiar with the path that the ring could have taken. Where is the best place to get in there with the camera and look? I am willing to make a hole in the system if need be and patch it up later. I am not looking forward to taking the entire dash apart which might be necessary. Would taking the radio out give me some better access? What about going in from the glove box area? Any help would be greatly appreciated it means a lot to my girlfriend.

Thanks,

JB

I'd probably take the radio and glovebox out and see if you can see anything from there. Did you try to go in from each vent on the dash and see it? Honestly, you may end up having to remove the dash to get to it.

you may end up having to remove the dash to get to it.

It's not as hard as you might think. I am not sure if there is a complete dash removal Youtube. But there are some Youtubes how to remove the bezels and other parts of the dash leaving very little for you to figure out on your own.
If you get to do that here is a hint: pull the center knob of the climate controls to reveal a hidden screw.

ragingfish (one of the pioneers in Vibe disassembly) wrote up a how-to years ago. Unfortunately the pics are long gone but the instructions are still there... Maybe this will help:

viewtopic.php?t=7912

Here is a PDF showing the various parts of the air ducts and heater box. Looks to me like something dropped into the defrost vent would fall into the back of the central air distribution box. Somewhere in there is the AC coil, so if you cut a hole to access it, be careful to not cut too deep and nick a refrigerant line or coil.

From the looks of the diagrams I am guessing the ring is inside the Defroster Nozzle Assy. It is hard to imagine how it could move from there into the duct work.