Debris coming through cowl vent

[Jeepaholic]

I park under a crape myrtle with small leaves, tiny berry debris, and even tinier little flower petals, and a live oak, which sheds these stupid pollen pods every year.
Does the blower motor come out from the inside (under dash) or out (under cowl)? I probably do need to give it a good cleaning!

On my 06, it's removed from under passenger side dash. On the older ones, I believe you remove the battery and engine computer, and access it through an opening in the firewall.

 

[JeepNWilly]

It is not that strange to have stuff fly out of the vents specially here in Florida. Most people wheel in mud and dirty swampy water. If you hit a deep water hole water will splash onto the windshield and stuff will get into the cowl area.

Here is a prime example of what we do here in Florida.

 

[JK906]

Remove the cowl - the plastic grid is attached to the cowl with like double face tape. Use a putty knife type tool I used a sharp chisel to remove the plastic grid from the cowl - clean the remaining adhesive off the plastic grid and cowl. Get some hardware cloth or screen very small squares and cut it to match the rectangular plastic grid openings. Apply some trim mounting double face tape on the areas you removed the original adhesive on the plastic grid - remount the plastic grid to the cowl sandwiching the hardware cloth/screen between the plastic grid and cowl. Put the cowl back on! My nemesis was silver maple seeds getting into the cowl area filling it and blowing out the vents inside the Jeep TJ - not anymore !

 

[Ephry73]

Debris fly out of the vent and into your face? Does this happen to anyone else? I’ve never experienced this before... ever.

All the time until I mod'ed the intake for the HVAC unit. Every now and then I get some tiny seedlings and dead bug dust blowing through. Mine is a 1997 TJ

 

[Ephry73]

I have the same year, same problem. Thinking of using screen door material to fab something after I remove the cowl. The only other solution is to never take it out of the garage. Ever.

Make sure you get something that is mildew resistant.