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About a year ago I shot at a varmit on my propery out of the drivers window of my truck. A 22LR spent case went down into the defrost vents, I assume on driver side. When I pull out and slow down I can hear it at times sound like it's rolling back & forth an inch or two. The noise sounds like its coming from the center vents, but I removed them today and looked inside them as fas as I could with an inspection mirror and flashlight and didn't see anything. Sometimes I don't notice the sound, but other times it drives me nuts.
Is anyone familiar with the HVAC ducts and know if the defrost ducts (1) even connect to the dash vents main duct (2) ? From looking at this diagram, it's hard to tell. I'm wondering if blasting an air hose down into the defrost ducts may blow it to one of the vents to where I can get to it and remove it.
Last edited by number9xd; Oct 26, 2025 at 11:33 PM.
Good luck with your search. My wife's Accord was hit through the back window into the center dash vent by some nut who decided to shoot up a parking lot. Bullet was in there somewhere and would roll around a bit. Easier than the cost and gamble of taking the dash apart. YMMV
Yeah, I'm not pulling the whole dash out, not a chance. Like I said,s ometimes I don't notice the sound, but other times it drives me nuts. Yesterday was nuts and I had nothing else to do and was in the right mood to go pulling stuff off looking for it, but there's no way in this world I'd consider pulling the whole dash.
Maybe it is not in the hvac ducts. pull the wipers and cowl off and see if there is something rolling around in the cavity under the cowl. I am also going to guess there are other areas in the dash for things to get caught and roll around.
I pulled the dash back on a 2004 explorer a few times. It's wasn't has bad as I thought it was going to be. I don't know how it is in these trucks but I would assume the heater core and ac evaporator are not part of it and they are attached to the fire wall before the dash is installed, but i could be wrong.
I dropped a screw down the defrost vent of my 2018. Tried my hardest with a small mechanics magnet on a bendable wire. Could never get it. You could only hear it when turning if the radio was off…so that’s where it stayed.
Yeah, I just wish I knew (was hoping someone did) if duct 1 only connects left and right to 3, 4, & 5. Blasting air down in there may blow it enough that it makes it's way through one of those and drops to the side of the dash were I can get to it. It's light enough for air to move, and if it's facing the right way to where air flows into the case it'd prob move it pretty easy.
But if duct 1 connects to all the rest of the ducts, it may end up somewhere that it will never come out and roll around making more noise. OR jam up a door / flap that opens & closes and then I'd HAVE to get it out.
Last edited by number9xd; Oct 27, 2025 at 08:04 PM.
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