A friend asked me about these, and knowing nothing first hand about them, I figured I'd ask the hive..
For the models listed in the title, it's not uncommon to have the foam on the blend doors fail, meaning HVAC air isn't directed as the user desires. The fixes are some radical surgery to get to the doors and replace the foam with aluminum tape, OR have the entire dash disassembled, the HVAC box removed and the doors replaced or repaired - $$$$.
One of the things the failure of the foam apparently can cause is an inability to shut off AC directed at the windshield through the defogger/defroster vents. The "Vision Vents" address this inability, basically by adding a manually operated vent door over the defroster vents that the driver can open or close at will.
https://visionvents.com/
Lots of info and a lovely YouTube video:
So - I'm curious if anyone has used these, and what the feeling about them is. Issues I see with them are:
It doesn't actually fix the blend door issues, which are that air isn't directed where you actually set the HVAC control to send it.
You'll still get black foam pieces out of the face vents. People have questioned breathing these since if you take one and rub it between your thumb/finger - it leaves a black oil smear. The only fixes for the foam pieces are - wait it out until they've all exited the HVAC system, or open it up and remove the foam and replace with aluminum foil strips (lots of videos on that job.. it's an ugly job.)
I question the design a bit. These "vents" when they are open appear to direct the air up and back into the vehicle, not at the windshield. If I was designing them, I'd reverse that and have it direct the air at the windshield when the vent is open. That way the defroster would actually work.
Didn't see the price. How much could it be? Lemme look.. oh my.. $350. Some sorta "Porsche Tax" on that.. cost to 3D print these is maybe about $3.50. 100x markup.. that sounds fair.
- They do appear as if most owners could install them, meaning you'd get to actually do a DIY on your Boxster, a bonding experience so to speak. And it's only money.
So - those are my questions. I'll put some links to this thread in the other model forums if it generates any interest.
My 2010
Cayman
has been blowing chunks for years and since I haven't noticed it recently, I suspect it is mostly gone. AFA windshield condensation, I honestly haven't been bothered by it much. Maybe I just wasn't driving in conditions where it is conducive? I live in very humid areas (moved from coastal Florida to the mountains of N Carolina). The last few years in FL I mostly drove short trips. Possibly not long enough to chill the windshield. Although I've put 95000 miles on my car, I'm not driving it as much now. And now that I live in a more temperate climate, I don't need the A/C blasting as much.
I do recall occasionally dealing with condensation but IIRC, I just opened a window and/or turned off the A/C to blow warmer air.
I agree with your
points
. At first I thought this might be a practical solution. But it isn't actually a cure - just a way to lessen one of the symptoms. And if your car is still blowing foam chunks, it will just be one more place for the chunks to accumulate. I used to routinely use a shop vac to evacuate all my ducts and this would possibly (I can't tell for sure) make it more difficult to clean-out the defrosters.
I'm glad the product comes in the 3 most common dash colors. Black would of looked horrible on my sand beige dash.
I realize the limited market for these makes the unit cost much higher than some mass-produced products, but I can't justify the $350 (+ $10 shipping) for (in my case) a minor annoyance. I think if it was about 1/2 that price I might consider it.
I have them in an 11 boxter. After removing the dash to fix this issue on an 07
cayman
with 80% success, I wasnt going to do that job again.
The vents work OK. The adheisive tape pcs supplied allow cold air to bleed from under the vent and windshield still fogs at times. I fixed that with narrow 3m double side tape all around the periphery of the vent and remounting them.
Still not a 100% fix but much better.
As for the cost, they are pricy but you must understand the cost involved with producing something like this.
They are an injection molded 2 piece item that actually fits together and is of good quality. To make injection molds is a highly skilled profession. Materials for a part this large are not cheap and nither is the labor and design engineering. It is also a low volume product to amortorize those costs. Therefore, I understand the price.
Im not championing the product, nor have I any vested interest in it, just explaining the reason for the price. Overall I'm impressed with the quality of the product, its apperance, and ease of install. Just tape all around it if you install them.
Again its not a 100% fix, but it helps a lot and is a bunch easier than fixing the doors inside the air box.
Photo follows.
Lester
Hi Don. I've had Vision Vents installed for a couple of years (Stone Grey), and I could not be happier. Could not imagine doing the repair and now can't imagine driving without Vision Vents. The product is high-quality, not sure if machined or molded and the color/paint is top-notch. Hope this helps.
