Help! Dropped engagement ring into 2024 CX-5 Defroster vent

[stayz]

Hey all,

So my wife left her ring on the dash, and on a turn the ring fell into the defroster vents at the top/behind the infotainment system on the dashboard.

I have the 2024 CX5, and worst case I might have to take out the entire dash to look for it. I've already checked the passenger air filters but no luck there.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips or if they've run into this before, and how they got it out?

Thank you

 

[paris1]

Might be easier to just buy her a new ring!

 

[hsdejong]

Might be easier to just buy her a new ring!

Or a new wife...

 

[Antoine]

Very funny guys…Now let’s try to help!

I never tried these personally but some ideas to try at your own risk…

- Inspection camera to locate?
- Flexible grabber tool to retrieve?
- Coat hanger?
- Shop vacuum?
- If magnetic, extension rod or on a string?

Beyond that perhaps a car audio shop could help (probably not free) with their interior disassembly experience.

 

[stayz]

Very funny guys…Now let’s try to help!

I never tried these personally but some ideas to try at your own risk…

- Inspection camera to locate?
- Flexible grabber tool to retrieve?
- Coat hanger?
- Shop vacuum?
- If magnetic, extension rod or on a string?

Beyond that perhaps a car audio shop could help (probably not free) with their interior disassembly experience.

@paris1 the ring was rather expensive so I think it might be cheaper to get the dashboard taken apart by a shop than to get a new ring hahaha

lol thank you @Antoine for the serious answer!

Yeah, we've purchased an inspection camera that should be coming tonight or tomorrow. If we can't find it using the camera we will try to cycle climate control to see if it might pop out from under the floor vents (heard this happens sometimes). The ring is platinum and diamond so im not sure if a magnet will work, but will try once we have an idea of how it looks in there with the camera.

If all that fails, then we will bring it to an auto shop and try our luck there.

Will update the thread in case this happens to anyone else in the future

 

[wlong01]

Turn the defrost blower to MAX, maybe you can blow it out. Not likely but you never know.

 

[AL Cx5]

Try taking out the glove box and cabin filter. You might get lucky and can see it. Or run the endoscope in from this point.

Drive over some RR tracks or bumps to bounce it down and out.

Cut a coat hanger and bend a short hook on one end. With the new endoscope you might hook it. My endoscope has a small hook that attaches to it. These are $12 on Amazon. Just download a phone app.

Ring is not magnetic, no ferrous material in it.

Good Luck!!

 

[HyFlyer]

How bout a wad of tape on the end of something kinda long and flexible? Pipe cleaner, a piece of small tubing?

 

[AL Cx5]

How bout a wad of tape on the end of something kinda long and flexible? Pipe cleaner, a piece of small tubing?

Or the end of a coat hanger.

I've fished a lot of small parts out of tight places with a coat hanger. A hook works best most of the time on washers or engagement rings!

 

[stayz]

Thank you for the advice everyone! Will try tomorrow and update

 

[cz5gt]

Get an endoscope with a hook and led in front. Plenty on amazon. Get the smallest (endo) one available so it may go through the vents.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Good luck to the OP!

Let us know how it goes.

IF you can spot the ring, and that's a BIG If. perhaps if you have a shop vac, or similar, you can fashion a small tube attached to the vac and use the tube to grab the ring by suction and get it out of the ductwork that way?

 

[Busch]

If someone has a dashboard diagram, it may show where the defroster vent hose comes from. That may have a better access point than from the vent above.

 

[jadmt]

Blower Motor & Fan for 2023 Mazda CX-5 | Mazda Swag

www.mazdaswag.com

 

[Cometstorm]

Maybe:

Close all vents.

Find someone with a whole house vacuum with main unit (canister) in the garage.

Try sucking it out through various access points (defroster vents, cabin filter box, etc).

I once used our house vac to suck a piece of pencil out of #1 spark plug hole on a 1970 Dodge Challenger,

Don’t ask!

 

[cz5gt]

 

[jonnymopar]

First off OP, be glad you know generally where it is! I guarantee you know someone who wishes they knew where their original engagement ring or wedding band is. If you didn't before, well... you know me now.

Looking at the diagram cz5gt posted, it looks like the large piece #1 is where it might be contained. The good part is that likely narrows it down. The bad part is the shape of that piece probably doesn't lend itself to being able to suck it out of any other opening in the system. Again, be glad it's in there and not in the ocean or a storm drain or something.

I once used our house vac to suck a piece of pencil out of #1 spark plug hole on a 1970 Dodge Challenger

Dammit top dead center, where are you??!!

 

[Silly Wabbit]

It'll be tough.
I think #1 can be seen at 10:30 which is a bit tucked away. But it does seem to me that there's a way to pop the bottom open and that maybe your saving grace

 

[stickerbush]

If the ring is sitting in duct #3, a shop vac might be used to get it out. Hopefully the cabin air filter kept it from falling into the bowels of #1.

 

[AL Cx5]

It'll be tough.
I think #1 can be seen at 10:30 which is a bit tucked away. But it does seem to me that there's a way to pop the bottom open and that maybe your saving grace

Good video!

I've pulled dashes apart on domestic and imports. They all were like the Mazda and snap together. This first time is always a little scary. Will it break and then what. Finding the screws is important.

I broke a piece on a truck. EBay had an inexpensive replacement that looks better. Stuff looks worn after 19 years and 270k mi. So don't stress to much.

I go slow and smoothly and watch the videos several times.

Endoscope and a combo of hooks should retrieve the ring after opening up the dash.