I've both sucked up debris/leaves/pine needles/oak helicopters and blown air at the cold air intake to get the stuff out. Blowing air in seems to help dislodge stuff sometimes more than vacuuming it out - a hint from my adviser.

I'm good at dismantling but not at mantling so that's my DIY non-numbered list. : )

 

Great idea....

 

Hmmm. Dang nab it. You've given me something else to work on! Ha-ha. Good idea. Since I am a fabricator I think I will use your idea. Except on the top side I will make a frame to capture the wire mesh. I'm all about the fit and finish. I can rivnut the frame to the plastic and use machine screws for easy removal. Or I can just pop rivet it in place. A spring time project, or prowject as they say in Canada.

 

.... make a frame to capture the wire mesh. I'm all about the fit and finish......

Looking forward to seeing it. All the frame ideas I came up with risked a crack or lip to grab those leaves again so I forfeited a bit of 'form' for a lot of function ;-)

IMHO the best 'trick' would be a tool to extrude the glue-bead to a very flat and thin but 'finished' shape for a more pleasing look. RTV rather than hot melt glue lends to that, but it takes a long time to 'set' which makes it hard to keep the screen taut 'till it does.

 

For me, my Shop-vac easily (and quickly) removes all debris trapped in those areas

 

Lucky you - I didn't have the same experience with Elm leaves, my first pic is after the Shop-vac cleaning with the 'high-velocity cranny tool' but before the hassle with a toothpick to chase out the remaining bits (my pre-mod SOP). I never tried bjeans' method using blown air.

.... How about just adding the top layer of mesh?

Quick and easy with no pulling of the cowl.....

Two thoughts on that:

• There's always something that'll get through the first screen layer - didn't want those bits trapped between the two
• Its surprising how much air-flow is reduced by a layer of screen, didn't want to double that effect

But hey, its not a critical item ... give it a try and if ya don't like the result just continue the steps to rip off the bottom layer (or remove the top layer ;-)

 

*clap* *clap* *clap*

GOOD IDEA!! I'm going to do this myself. Really good idea. These vents trap leaves better than a kid with a rake trying to buy a new bike.

 

Great idea and thanks for sharing.

How about just adding the top layer of mesh?

Quick and easy with no pulling of the cowl.

Again, thank you.

Vin

 

I picked mine up new at the dealership and a couple days later I was looking under the hood and noticed that the vents were almost plugged solid with leaves and dust/lint. I used the shop vac and scrubbed the area dry with a tooth brush and vac again and washed down with windex looks brand new now. Was not happy with the dealership that they would sell/deliver it like it was.

 

Excellent Idea!

I've had the same trouble with birch tree seed pods getting stuck in there. Really had to work at it to get them cleaned out.

I may have to try the "Centex Vent Screen Mod"

 

Thanks. Leaves still collect in the cowl 'tray' but I've not seen one even sitting on the screens since the mod ;-)

 

Looks like Ford followed advise from our smart experienced members!
2016 has this built in already

Leaves can still get stuck between the plastic and the screen

 

Hmm, that looks the same as the OEM '13-'15 to me (see post 1, first pic), the screen is below the plastic vent grille so the leaves can get trapped between the two.

The mod, as shown in the second pic in post 1, moves the screen to above the grilles with no lip or frame on top of the screen, so there's nothing above the screens for the leaves to get trapped-under.

Mine stay perfectly clean .... without the grille over the screen leaves don't even collect there, they migrate to the corners of the cowl tray where they're easy to sweep, blow or vacuum out.

 

My bad!
I misunderstood and thought some older ones didn't have proper screens, but now I see it's under the cross pieces rather than over. Too bad

 

^^^ no worries !

Yep, they've all got the 'leaf catcher' screens, but the fix is easy

 

I saw a guy with a late model Ford pickup that has a similar cowl-leaf-catcher as our Escapes. He had bought an after market grill that fits pretty even with the hood and extends to the windshield. That blocks leaves from getting in there.

I can't find one for our vehicles!! Any ideas?

peace, T

 

That the streetscene? Looks great but the only thing I would worry about is that the only for fresh air to get in would be over and through the engine...

 

I used an air compressor with a blowgun to blow the helicopter seeds out of mine. They were almost totally clogged.

 

Does anyone see a problem of cleaning the OEM screen and then adding an additional screen on top as described? There would be two layers of screen {possibly} impeding air flow but the screen on top should keep leaves and debri from accumulating.

 

Does anyone see a problem of cleaning the OEM screen and then adding an additional screen on top as described?

See Post #10 for Centex's answer: http://www.fordescape.org/forum/421314-post10.html

Vintre:
.... How about just adding the top layer of mesh? Quick and easy with no pulling of the cowl.....

Centex:
Two thoughts on that:

• There's always something that'll get through the first screen layer - didn't want those bits trapped between the two

• Its surprising how much air-flow is reduced by a layer of screen, didn't want to double that effect

 

Multmin, if the factory mesh layer is completely covered by leaves then there won't be much air getting through anyway!

(I had to vacuum mine off within the first week of ownership. I was pleased to see they'd put something in to stop them entering and blocking the water drain, but I also don't want to have to clean it off every week or two. If the top layer mesh stops leaves accumulating directly on the air inlet then it surely has to be better.)

 

I use my shop vac to clean out the accumulated leaves. It works great and is better than picking them out by hand,

 

I had a 1985 Dodge Ramcharger, the front end being identical to the Dodge pickup of that year. There were similar slots at the bottom of the windshield to let fresh air in. Dodge in that year did not believe any screen was necessary to keep leaves out, so they collected in the air box in front of the evaporator core. I ended up doing what Ford has done and glued screen to the underside of the metal panel.

de

 

Debris within my hood

Every time I open the hood to my 2017 escape, I hear leaves and other debris slide within my hood. Leaves appear to get in through the holes highlighted in the picture and are trapped in the gap in the hood. I have searched the forums and have not found another discussion about it. I was hoping someone had a solution to this other than dismantling the hood. I was considering putting up mesh over the holes highlighted in the attached pictures. Initially I can see leaves leaking out of these holes before the slide down the the base.

 

Every time I open the hood to my 2017 escape, I hear leaves and other debris slide within my hood. Leaves appear to get in through the holes highlighted in the picture and are trapped in the gap in the hood. I have searched the forums and have not found another discussion about it. I was hoping someone had a solution to this other than dismantling the hood. I was considering putting up mesh over the holes highlighted in the attached pictures. Initially I can see leaves leaking out of these holes before the slide down the the base.

I merged your thread with this thread that discusses solutions to this annoyance.

 

Try thinking the other way around. Instead of vacuuming use compressed air and a long flexible nozzle to get way down in there. Cover all the holes except one large exit hole and blow away, moving your nozzle around.

 

Great fix! I needed this.
Two questions:
1. Where does this air exit? Do we need to clean there also?
2. Could we cut and remove the existing screen as it is without removing the cowl, and glue the screen on top?

 

Welcome to the forum !

Two questions:
1. Where does this air exit? Do we need to clean there also?
2. Could we cut and remove the existing screen as it is without removing the cowl, and glue the screen on top?

1. Into the HVAC fresh air intake, among other leaky places like the water-drain openings on each end of the cowl covered by a 1-way flap; IMHO if you see stuff in the cowl no reason not to remove it, too.
2. I suppose you could, I didn't try that.

 

Wow screen mod is pure genius!,, love it!

 

Another Central Texan here, I just got done shop-vacing out my vents after I replaced the cabin air filter. What I ended up doing is using a flat blade screw driver and very carefully lifting up in the plastic cross hatches near where a leftover leaf was to make a larger and less restrictive hole for it, and then went back and forth over it until suction jogged it out. Took about 10 minutes total. I'm too lazy to do the hot glue thing, but damn if that's not a smart idea.

I had the exact same problem. Didn’t see this thread when I looked around and should of posted here. It’s actually the 2 large lightening holes up towards the windshield that are the problem. They reside within the upper cowl area outside of the hood gasket. With the hood closed, if you reach your hand under the hood by the wiper arms you will feel the holes. This is where the leaves are entering. My solution below and haven’t had a problem since implementation of my solution.

View attachment 75396 View attachment 75397

This is also a very smart idea. I need to test the magnetism of the sides of my hood because it wouldn't even have occurred to me that they'd have used 2 metals for the hood. Drilling some holes and pop-riveting something like that in place is an easy fix.

 

I need to test the magnetism of the sides of my hood because it wouldn't even have occurred to me that they'd have used 2 metals for the hood.

Yeah, the entire hood is aluminum.

 

I have seen this done on a video, and it does work. However a much quicker and easier way is to cut nylon screen material to fit over each opening and use electrical (or any other waterproof tape) over the edges to keep it in place.