Focus vents

I bought a Focus '03 recently and I noticed that there's almost no airflow through the side vents. At first I thought it might be blocked (on the driver's side), but both sides are the same. You can feel the air's colder immediately in front of it if the A/C's on, but you can't really feel a draught. Obviously I've tried twiddling the open/close control, to no avail. The centre vents are fine. Is this normal for a Focus? I've got a very vague memory of reading that they do have rubbish side vents, or that the side windows don't demist easily or something.

I think if you pry the vent off there is a pipe/ducting that connects up and oftens comes lose, some duct take wrapped round will hold it and restore air flow.

I think you have to undo lower drivers side panel for that one or might be accessible in the vent bit of you have flexible hands.

The air flow through the centre vents and the outer vents is about the same on mine.

If airflow is low generally, has the cabin filter been replaced in the last two years?

Chris

Probably not, but the centre vents seem OK. Is it easy to change the filter? I haven't got a Haynes manual for it yet.

It's under a plastic cover on the N/S at the base of the windscreen. There will be a single screw under a plastic bung,then it's just clipped.

Get everything clean where the cover meets the windscreen, and use a strip of genuine Ford sealant, or it *will* leak into the footwell.

If the history is unknown, best to change it anyway. If it blocks, it can cause the fan speed resistors to burn out.

Chris