Disregard..I should have used the search feature instead of being a complete moron. Figured I wasn't the only one on this rock that had an issue with those vents and a Google search proved me right. Poor engineering I think for the fresh air vents to be able to be plugged up so easily. Time to start building a solution to this problem.

 

No worries. You aren't the first person to not search before asking. And you certainly won't be the last (sigh).

You can certainly tell who actually does work on their own vehicle. They soon discover that the vents need constant cleaning. Unless of course you are fortunate enough to have the vehicle garage kept and there is no sign of mother nature near you in the form of leaves, twigs, bugs and pollen. Ah, the price we pay for a bucolic lifestyle.

Wait until you change that cabin filter for the first time. It gets dirty. Info about changing that on here somewhere. Here was mine at 20,000 miles.

 

:agree: Thanks! I've been told I missed my calling as a foot model.

 

I don't call those vents, I call them particulate collectors... Very poor design!

 

http://www.fordescape.org/forum/diy-garage/34058-those-pesky-leaf-catching-cowl-vents.html

Still functioning perfectly but still a sorta kludgy fix.

Post-up pics of your cleaner / fancier solutions, please!