Freelander 2 drivers side air vent.

Would like some help and advice on my drivers side air vent.

I have taken a couple of photos to help demonstrate the issue. The shiney plastic chrome operational up and down slide has become detached from the rear section which currently sits inside the vent. Does the vent cover lift off so I can reconnect ( assuming a small tab or the such like has not broken off ) the parts back together again or is it the case of dismantling part of the drivers side dash to access everything.

I really must invest in a workshop manual but would appreciate any offers of help in the meantime

Some parts are available for the vents.
I've not pulled them apart though, as mine are ok. I've got to fix the wife's vent on her VW Eos, as it's suffering the issue.

Thanks very much Nodge68 for your reply, as you mention there are some replacement parts available for the vents, however since my post I have managed to use a pair of long nosed pliers to retrieve the old part black part sitting inside the vent flap as seen in the second photo.

I have tried and succeeded in pairing the retrieved item with the silver shiney slide, it appears they do just clip together. There doesnt seem to be anything broken. They will seperate again ready for fitting back into the vent, the conundrum now is how to fit them back into the vent.

remember to take the side panel from the centre console, & disconnect the vent pipe from the bottom .
i had to retrieve the back part of mine many times from the bottom of the pipe.i was trying to hold it with long nose pliers
& then tried large tweezers but it just kept pinging back off back down the pipe, good luck with yours.
mine is still at the bottom of the pipe, & it can stay there..

Thank you Ian for taking the time to reply

I have been tinkering around this evening trying to fit the two pieces back into the vent flaps. The shiney plastic sliver section acts as a sprung loaded c clamp for the black plastic rear section. I have used long nose pliers, tweezers, folded paper clip, bits of bent wire all to no avail, unfortunately it was too hot and my patience was being tested.

Will try again when its cooler as I nearly suceeded on one attempt

i just didn`t have the patience.i spent a couple of hours trying but it just kept falling down the pipe.
but i am sure somebody on here might know a easy way to do it.

Cracked it.

Pliers or tweezers didn`t do the job as they couldn`t straddle the upright vent flap and hold the back bit firmly enough to push on the front shiney section.

So made up a small holding bracket, tucked it behind the upright vent flaps and popped the front bit on.

Sierra Charlie said:

Cracked it.

Pliers or tweezers didn`t do the job as they couldn`t straddle the upright vent flap and hold the back bit firmly enough to push on the front shiney section.

So made up a small holding bracket, tucked it behind the upright vent flaps and popped the front bit on.

View attachment 243356

View attachment 243357
View attachment 243358

View attachment 243359

Click to expand...

Ingenious.

Necessity is the mother of invention.


Thanks for sharing.

Pleased to share, anything that helps others is good with me as I might need some help and assistance in the future

Sierra Charlie said:

Pleased to share, anything that helps others is good with me as I might neeed some help and assistance in the future

Click to expand...

I've just got to come up with fix for the wife's driver vent on her Eos now, so I will probably need to make up a similar device for that.

Dont know about the Eos but on the FL2 there is a dedicated slot at the rear of the central upright flap where the black rear fixing locates. Once located you can hold that in place whilst you pop the front shiney part on the front.

Sierra Charlie said:

Dont know about the Eos but on the FL2 there is a dedicated slot at the rear of the central upright flap where the black rear fixing locates. Once located you can hold that in place whilst you pop the front shiney part on the front.

Click to expand...

I suspect the Eos is the same construction.
I'm betting that there a 1 maybe 2 manufacturers of these things in Europe, which make them for pretty much every vehicle assembled in Europe.

Nodge68 said:

I suspect the Eos is the same construction.
I'm betting that there a 1 maybe 2 manufacturers of these things in Europe, which make them for pretty much every vehicle assembled in Europe.

Click to expand...

I think you are probably right.

Just another thought, I did try coupling the two parts together before uncoupling then coupling back together again before fitting into the vent flap, this gave me the assurance the two parts should clip together when fitted to the vent flaps. As mentioned earlier in the thread the silver shiney front part acts like a spung loaded c clamp.