Debris coming through cowl vent

[Jordan K.]

I picked up a 1997 last year and I’m slowly making it better and better. One thing that drives me nuts is how much debris flys out of the vents into my face. Now if I had a slightly newer jeep, there are plenty of vent covers that I could install. Because it’s a 1997, it has the three sets of vents those covers don’t work. What are my options? Do they make covers for 1997 vent setups? Which vent(s) need to be covered? Do they all pull fresh air in?

 

[Jordan K.]

Still looking for help here. Any ideas??

 

[The Real Lxxtsy]

Just an idea, check out your local hardware store in the heat/a.c. section for something like this in the length and width you need and can use double sided tape to hold it down or custom make on out of sheet metal.

 

[Dawghouse]

I was having that same problem on my 01. I removed the cowl and got some heavy screen material. I used some adhesive to secure the screen material to the bottom of the cowl. Installed the cowl back on the jeep. No more problems.

 

[Chris]

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

 

[TJ2]

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

Dude, next time that happens, you're trippin'

 

[Dawghouse]

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

I missed the part about debris in his face. lol.. I would get debris in my fresh air intake and it would make noise on the fan. I would always have to clean out the debris.

 

[Skully]

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

On more than one occasion I've had leaves and crap fly out of the vents. Doesn't happen much but it does happen on my 97.

 

[TJ2]

On more than one occasion I've had leaves and crap fly out of the vents. Doesn't happen much but it does happen on my 97.

ancarta: Man I am telling you... you're trippin' bad!

 

[Jordan K.]

I was having that same problem on my 01. I removed the cowl and got some heavy screen material. I used some adhesive to secure the screen material to the bottom of the cowl. Installed the cowl back on the jeep. No more problems.

How difficult was removing the cowl? It sounds pretty involved, but it may be worth it. I'm sick of all this trash blowing out of my vents and I don't have the luxury of parking anywhere there aren't trees around.
The other day I finally popped the side vents out and turned the fan on high to get some of the leaves to blow out the whole way instead of getting caught on the back side of the vents.

 

[greenliftedtj97]

you can also, just buy a '98-... cowl off ebay and swap it for the single vent. They're cheap enough. The three vents was just one year only.

 

[Stockli]

Sounds like mice live in your vents and are putting crap in there that blows out at you.

Clean out the vents and get rid of the mice and you should be ok

 

[derekmac]

The cowl is super easy to remove. Pop off the wiper arms, and there's less than 10 screws holding it on. You'll have to remove the rubber strip between the hood and cowl to get some of them.

 

[Markblea]

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.

 

[Dawghouse]

How difficult was removing the cowl? It sounds pretty involved, but it may be worth it. I'm sick of all this trash blowing out of my vents and I don't have the luxury of parking anywhere there aren't trees around.
The other day I finally popped the side vents out and turned the fan on high to get some of the leaves to blow out the whole way instead of getting caught on the back side of the vents.

It's not hard at all. You have two screws between the hood line and the cowl. Three on top where the cowl meets the bottom of the window frame. remove the wipers and it lifts up. The top screws are different from the bottom two. When your done just reverse the process.

 

[Camdenst]

Don’t forget to get at it from the inside. I used to burn through blower resistor motors until I cleaned the cowl and the the fan.

 

[Jeepaholic]

Mine has a grid under the fresh air vent...but I also think you've got a rodent problem, or you park under some small leafed tree all the time, along with not having a grid under the vent...I'd pull out the blower motor, remove the cowl and clean both sides. There's probably a lot of junk in there.

 

[06TJ35's]

I probably need to do this. Sometimes dirt blows to my face.

 

[Drizit]

My 06 has that grid for the factory, another option is the plastic gutter guard. Lots of JK owners use it behind the grill to protect the rad. Just get some of the 3M stick on zip tie holders to attach it to the back side of the cowl.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.

 

[Jordan K.]

Mine has a grid under the fresh air vent...but I also think you've got a rodent problem, or you park under some small leafed tree all the time, along with not having a grid under the vent...I'd pull out the blower motor, remove the cowl and clean both sides. There's probably a lot of junk in there.

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!