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Blocking or covering the air vent output?

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I ordered one and received it today. It works well, but mine had issues with fit- very tight and didn’t quite snap in as well as it should. The front would not stay down and kept popping up. I suspect it may be related to 3D printing tolerances. I took a Dremel to it on the underside and back, which helped, but not quite perfect. I may try again with the dremel tomorrow.

Nonetheless, it’s a great idea, and works well even if the fit isn’t quite perfect on every car. If you order one or get one printed, you may have to do the same with a Dremel or sandpaper.
 
I ordered one and received it today. It works well, but mine had issues with fit- very tight and didn’t quite snap in as well as it should. The front would not stay down and kept popping up. I suspect it may be related to 3D printing tolerances. I took a Dremel to it on the underside and back, which helped, but not quite perfect. I may try again with the dremel tomorrow.

Nonetheless, it’s a great idea, and works well even if the fit isn’t quite perfect on every car. If you order one or get one printed, you may have to do the same with a Dremel or sandpaper.
Yes, sorry it didn't fit perfectly. I've found the printing tolerances are very close, the difference is typically in the vent area of the car. The soft dashboard top doesn't always mate up to the vent area the same, and it may change when it's much warmer vs colder outside too. Double check the side end caps, they may be the problem and might need some sanding. You can remove the end caps to see if the middle part fits by itself, then make adjustments to the end caps.
 
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Yes, sorry it didn't fit perfectly. I've found the printing tolerances are very close, the difference is typically in the vent area of the car. The soft dashboard top doesn't always mate up to the vent area the same, and it may change when it's much warmer vs colder outside too. Double check the side end caps, they may be the problem and might need some sanding. You can remove the end caps to see if the middle part fits by itself, then make adjustments to the end caps.

Thanks, you are right, it is the dashboard. I took off the end caps, and the same problem- the back of the part was hitting the dashboard. Interestingly, if I moved it to the center of the dash, then no issue. I took a Dremel and cut the rear back to where the back nub is on the bottom, which improved the fit. In the end, decided not to put the end caps back on, as it seems to work well enough without them. I think it will stay in place, but need to try it on some high-g turns...
 
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Received the vent cover today. Beautifully designed and shipped, thank you icefree!

Had the same issue as f308gt4, the fit is very tight, however it does work, and I think that you're right about the slightly different dashboard spacings and tolerances on each Model 3, along with expansions and contractions based on the interior temperature.

I may refine the fit a bit with a Dremel to the top part so that it slides better, but for now it's easy enough to pop out and manually push back in to place when needed, and looks great!

Definitely recommended.
 
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Received the vent cover today. Beautifully designed and shipped, thank you icefree!

Had the same issue as f308gt4, the fit is very tight, however it does work, and I think that you're right about the slightly different dashboard spacings and tolerances on each Model 3, along with expansions and contractions based on the interior temperature.

I may refine the fit a bit with a Dremel to the top part so that it slides better, but for now it's easy enough to pop out and manually push back in to place when needed, and looks great!

Definitely recommended.
Thanks. Yes, each car seems to be different, unfortunately. The two I've tried it on locally actually are a little loose, and the velcro is needed to help hold it in place. I'm wondering if the vent cover should be redesigned to have a rubber blade at the top (like a windshield wiper blade or similar) to allow it to conform to the varying dashboard fitments. Hmm...
 
Awesome product, thank you!

just a quick question, I’m usually decently mechanically inclined but I’m not sure how this piece fits in exactly. Is it a tolerance issue? Or am i totally missing something? I’ve attached a pic for review.


Any help is appreciated.
 

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Awesome product, thank you!

just a quick question, I’m usually decently mechanically inclined but I’m not sure how this piece fits in exactly. Is it a tolerance issue? Or am i totally missing something? I’ve attached a pic for review.


Any help is appreciated.

Yes, this looks like the same issue that happened to me, so likely a tolerance issue. The dash is pushing down on the rear of the vent cover. You can use a Dremel to do some sanding or cutting on the back of the vent cover. Or, just leave as is, since it is still functional.
 
Yes, this looks like the same issue that happened to me, so likely a tolerance issue. The dash is pushing down on the rear of the vent cover. You can use a Dremel to do some sanding or cutting on the back of the vent cover. Or, just leave as is, since it is still functional.

Thanks for this...

Are thinking to Dremel the top angle, just above the screw in the picture? I was thinking of rounding that off....

AP
 
Yes, it appears that some dashboards are much more narrow than the ones I tested. I'm working on a variation that uses a soft silicone flap at the top, so it can accommodate varying dash sizes.
Hello, is there anyway to have your solution shipped to Belgium? I cannot find a solution without becoming ill due to cold airflows coming to my face. In all my previous cars, I could close the driver flows and open the others outlets. I am very sad about this situation and it appears you are the only one with a solution. Cheers
 
Hello, is there anyway to have your solution shipped to Belgium? I cannot find a solution without becoming ill due to cold airflows coming to my face. In all my previous cars, I could close the driver flows and open the others outlets. I am very sad about this situation and it appears you are the only one with a solution. Cheers
split the air vent and it won't blow directly on you at least.
 
If it's good enough for Apollo 13, it's good enough for the Tesla Model 3:

View attachment 541150
This should be posted on the Quality delivery issue thread. Seemingly this is what Elon and Tesla considers acceptable solutions to things.

But seriously, my wife is the same way, even I don't like cold air blasting right on my arms body, but like the cool air, in FL, we run the A/C 24/7 this time of year...wife doesn't want it blowing right on her.

Like the idea of something that looks OEM that is like 6-12" long or something, or multiple shorter ones you can arrange to do what airvents normally are designed and used for.