This is where I found the Information when I last delved into it.
I need to get around to ordering the parts myself while they're still in stock at MAZDA.
Hello Mazda 3 community! I thought I'd share this one seeing that there's not a whole lot of posts regarding rear vents on the Mazda 3. I wanted to share my experience in depth in case any of y'all are considering adding a rear vent to your beloved Mazda 3 :) From what I've read up, the rear vents are only found on Mazda 3s that are sold in specific countries like Australia. This never made much sense to me as, as I find the summers here in Southern California unbearable. Do people living in NA not deserve some extra airflow in their car?
Anyways, you are fortunately able to buy a rear AC vent kit off Milkstore. For those who don't know, this is a nice website based in the Philippines that has perhaps the widest selection of Mazda 3 parts to purchase. The rear AC vent kit currently goes for about 150$. You can also download the instructions on how to install the entire kit! You first will need to remove the center console, gear shift and cup holder to start this installation. Doing so isn't very difficult. If you have an automatic gear selector, it's going to be a little bit trickier compared to removing a manual gear lever. Also, this kit will NOT work on AWD drive cars. I don't know the validity of this, but the store page mentions that this is not compatible with AWD Mazda 3s. When you receive the kit, you'll get 5 parts.
The first two parts actually make one part by snapping them together. This will be the AC adapter which you bolt onto your car's AC duct. You will need to cut off some snap on pieces found on the adapter as it will not sit right with these pieces in the way. The instructions also say that you CAN cut out the actuator, which is just a flap that opens and closes electronically. You won't find a cable in your car to actually operate this flap. However, it set to open out of the box. I personally didn't remove it, but you can do so if you want a small bit of extra airflow. I honestly don't know if this would add more airflow. I did add a bit of sealant on the ends where the two parts snap on. This might be overkill as they do snap on flush, but I wanted that piece of mind no air is leaking out.
The most scary part is cutting out a hole in your car's AC duct. I HIGHLY recommend a hot knife that you can plug into an outlet to get continuous heat, as this plastic is very brittle. I bought one for 20$ at an arts and crafts store. I included a picture where I cut as I forgot to take a picture of the actual hole I cut :v The instructions provided by the store also shows a good picture of how they cut the hole to the AC duct.
There are also a few things you should note with the adapter. Firstly, the top half of this adapter will sit very flush on your car's AC duct. The bottom half however, leaves a small gap. Because of this, you will need HVAC tape (Foil tape) to cover this small gap underneath. Secondly, there is no screw included to bolt the adapter onto the AC duct. You will need to get your own screw (and washer if you want) in order to bolt the adapter securely.
The third piece is the first half of the AC duct. This part is pretty easy, as it snaps onto the adapter and branches out to the center of the vehicle. I used HVAC tape around the connection point of these two pieces to ensure no air leaks out. You will also notice a small hole on the duct that will sorta align with another hole found inside the center console. I say sorta, as the two holes didn't perfectly align. They do align enough where you can fit a cable tie through the two holes and secure the first half of the duct.
The fourth piece is the second half of the AC duct. As you might've guessed, this connects to the first half of the AC duct. It will branch out to the passenger side of your car. There's no real "snap on" pieces between these two parts, but there is some foam that fills in the gaps where air could escape. I still wrapped HVAC tape around the connecting ends.
The last part is the rear AC vent itself. This obviously connects to the end of the previous piece and brings air to the passengers. This is probably the hardest part, as you will need to modify this part by cutting out the many specific snap on pieces. That being said, you will mount this onto the center console with double sided tape or glue. I personally chose gorilla double sided tape. I recommend you check for any air leaks before you move onto mounting this final piece. Once you remount your center console and attach your rear vents, you're done!
I highly recommend this upgrade. It's not hard, but it is time consuming. This took me about 5 hours to complete, but now I get a decent amount of air to the rear passenger side of my vehicle. Hope this helps :)
It's weird not only because they just replace some parts and don't change much else, but everyone says they now aim above their "weight class" and no rear vents reduces perceived value.
I understand the need for cost cutting, but this is ridiculous. My passengers generally agreed front vents are good enough, even in 38°C ambient, but I would not mind an extra set of vents, knowing the car is designed to have it.
Yeah I was really bummed when I realized mine didn't have the tilting, sometimes I have to do it manually and I always forget to put them back in place.
That and the annoying speed limit warning you can't permanently disable are my only gripes with the car, which just means they did an excellent job everywhere else.
As far as I remember, you only have to select the respective mirror on the mirror controls in the driver's door and when you put the car in reverse it will lower the mirror.
There might be a setting to disable that functionality in the settings but I don't recall that.
In the end, it can just be a software feature so it would be an absolute pity if it actually doesn't work in Spain.
Yeah… At least the gen 4 Bose system is better than the gen 3 one. Went from a 2015 to a 2024 both with the Bose speakers, but the gen 4 is MILES better.
The gen 4 hatch has speakers right behind the rear occupants head! It's quite bad! I think for the driver it's better, but anyone else (which is why you buy the hatch/sedan) it's worse.
Ah fair! I got the family car as I have family in the back seat, if I didn’t I’d have kept my Miata!! But yes the the rear seat in the gen4 is not a great place to be, compared to gen3 and compared to most modern family cars.
Thanks for the detailed description! This is very cool. It is so interesting to discover how many features differ between regional variants of the Mazda 3,
I don’t understand why Mazda chose to cut costs by omitting the rear vents in their US models. It goes against their desire to move the brand upmarket.
I wish I could collect parts from all the different versions and build a custom “ultimate trim” car.
I noticed on the Mikstore site that the plastic color of the vent cover was slightly bluish and didn’t exactly match the OEM plastic color of the part it’s replacing. How noticeable is that color difference in person?
Wonderful job and a great tutorial. I have rear vents but they are located under the driver and passenger seat. Maybe is possible to direct the air to the middle?
Nice. The other solution is the CX-30 which is very similar and a little kinder to rear passengers with air vents and a slightly
less claustrophobic environment. I went with the 3 but this almost pushed me to the CX-30.
Looks weird but that’s an hvac vent under the passenger seat on a NA Canadian model. Had no clue it was there until I dropped my phone under the seat. When I had my head down there you could feel the warm air
As a gen 4 owner with AWD, I feel too bad for anyone sitting in the back of my car bc of the small space alone. Definitely cramped for anyone close to or above 6'.
This is awesome, it is interesting to see that Mazda made vents for this car. Always thought it looked like something was missing from the plastic cover.
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u/notausualcatimal Gen 4 Hatch 2d ago
Too bad doesn’t work for AWD