Was driving today and braked and swerved. Rear passenger had cell phone on seat; it slid off, bounced on floor and slid down the return air duct under the driver's seat. The passenger side has a safety grill over the duct opening but I never noticed that the grill was missing on the driver's side.

Anyway, we called the phone and could hear it vibrating in the duct. I rented a bore scope and found the phone using the video camera but it is buried about 10 inches down the duct and inaccessible. Tried a flexible clamshell retrieval tool but no luck. Tried sending a section of garden hose attached to a vacuum cleaner up the duct hoping to grab the phone; no joy.

The duct is approximately rectangular 2 inches high by about 8 inches wide. It has a vertical drop of about 2 inches then leads forward horizontally to who know where and I can't get my hand in more than a few inches.

Any suggestions? Can I remove the duct without removing the driver's seat? Is there a diagram of the duct showing how to remove it?

Appreciate any ideas,

You could try driving up a very steep slope and then call the phone to see if it vibrates and slides back to the opening.
This is the duct layout. The duct is actually a supply duct to the rear.

Metal coat hanger with hook on the end, using 'scope to guide you, drag it back towards opening, then get another hook on it and pull it up and out? Or send similar coat hanger thing with something very soft and sticky on the end and do the same? Or a magnet ? (depends on phone - I guess very few are made of iron!)

Looking at the diagram looks like you could possibly pull the back end of the vent off, but then the phone would likely fall into the under carpet area, and you would have a hell of a job getting it all back together.

Fishing seems the best solution ?

Shame it is not a mouse, these seem easier to retrieve  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
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is there enough metal in a phone for a magnet to bet it?

Otherwise I like your suction idea. But maybe you need to fashion a wide flat hose something-or-other, gaffer tape it to your vacuum hose and try to feed it it. If you were even able to make rubbery end it would help suck and then hold it on the end of the hose using the suction.

Good luck!

. Cheers, Greg
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try a battery reset


seriously though, it does sound like a seat out and strip down.... ... - .- -.




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i like Joe90 idea, coathanger and when you drag it closer use another coat hanger with some glue for mouse catching . nasty and very sticky stuff.

good luck

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Coat hanger with a hook on it. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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@ stan .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Unnecessary quote removed

Thanks for the input "Nice Day". I see that it is a supply duct rather than a return and the diagram is useful for understanding the general arrangement.

I wonder if I can find a 'very steep slope' in Melbourne, Florida - terrain here is pretty flat! That would be a fun exercise and a non-invasive way to recover the phone. Must be a sand dune or ditch somewhere.

Unnecessary quote removed

Thanks Joe. Good ideas. Have tried a hook, no joy so far. Still working on it but a new phone might be necessary as an interim.