A flat-head screwdriver works to get in between the vent cover and the dash. You usually won’t hurt anything by doing this, but if you give it a little nudge and it doesn’t seem to move, consult your car’s manual to see if there’s some trick to taking them out. If the vent cover is molded to the dash, this could limit your options somewhat since you won’t have open access to the duct. Just open the vents as much as you can.
Be careful not to bang against the sides of the duct as you come up—you might break the magnetic hold. The stronger the magnet you use, the less your chances of this happening. For a little more stability, try a magnetic pickup tool—they’re designed to solve just these sorts of problems. [4] X Research source
If you’re good with chopsticks, you might be able to use them to grab the object the same way you would use hemostat forceps. If you weren’t able to get the vent covers off, you might need to twist your forceps or adjust the grip to pull your object through the slats. You could also switch to tweezers to get the job done. Just remember—it fell down in there, so it’ll come back through!
For a Shop-Vac, use a filter with a general household filtration level. [5] X Research source If you’ve taken the vent covers off and you have a small enough hose or attachment, send it straight down the duct. It’ll be more likely to suck up the object if there’s less distance between the object and the end of the hose.
If you can’t see the object, you’ll probably have to do a little blind poking around with your tool until you’re able to grab the object and pull it out. It can take some patience, but it’s worth it if you’re able to retrieve the object on your own.
Set the edge of your credit card or other sweeper firmly on the bottom of the duct and pull it up slowly. You might have to stop and reset it a few times to get the object close enough that you can grab it.
There’s no real way to know for sure if the object has fallen this far without pulling out the filter. Fortunately, they’re typically pretty simple to remove. Look at the condition of the air filter while you’re at it. If it looks pretty dirty, you might want to go ahead and replace it. Your local auto parts store can help you find the right filter for your vehicle’s make, model, and year.
Find out what the mechanic thinks they’ll need to do to get to your object and how long it will take. Ask for an estimate before they start work—that object might not be worth it!
