Rear exterior vent actually serves a purpose?

[Brian894X4]

I hope this doesn’t sound too dumb, but was out and about in my 80 yesterday and did a lot of parking and getting out with the engine running and AC on. I happen to be standing next to the rear quarter panel of my rig when I felt this rush of constant hot air coming from the rear external vent just behind the rear quarter window. (see pic) I put my hand up there and hot air was blowing out fairly hard. I could also feel hot air escaping from around the door handles, but it was really coming out of that vent.

I was shocked, because I always assumed those vents were just for decoration. But they actually appear to serve a purpose. So, my question is, what exactly is the purpose? Is it that the LC is just so well sealed and the AC so powerful that the vents are needed to keep the door seals from blowing? Or is it some kind of dust preventative thing?

On top of that, sometimes when I opened and closed by rear hatch, there was a large rush of air coming from those same vents with a loud poof sound.

Looking at pictures of other Land Cruisers, including, the 70, 90 and 100, I also notice rear vents of one sort or another, but I don’t know if they work the same way.

I’m just wondering if all rigs have this, or if it’s just a Toyota or Land Cruiser thing and what the specific reasoning is for venting that much air to the outside. And while I'm asking, how can that much air come out those vents, without water getting inside the rig through those same vents?

 

[Clutchee]

Yes they are there for the air trapped in the cabin when closing the doors to escape......same as the square vents on the back of pick up cabs.

 

[96r50]

This isn't unique to Toyota. Our old Nissan Pathfinder has these vents too

 

[knorrena]

Jump in your truck and turn the fan on high, then go outside and stand near one of those vents and observe, they pass a surprising amount of air.

Karl

 

[Grench]

Behind the plastic cover, there are a serries of little flapper valves. They are like a rubber version of the reed valves in a 2 cycle motor. They let air out, but not in.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense and is a nifty design feature.

I just wish that they'd used metal instead of plastic for the covers. The covers have a nut embeded in the plastic and they bolt on from the inside behind the rear pillar. The nut has a nasty tendancy of breaking the plastic. Don't fiddle with them.

 

[cary]

All cars have them.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Haven't noticed on my 80, but on the 60 if you got too enthusiastic with a pressure washer around that vent you'd get some water inside.

 

[Tools R Us]

IIRC it's a law that all cars must have flow through ventilation, it's to prevent the build up of gases like carbon monoxide, it started in the 70's maybe? The fresh air vent in the A/C system has a leak, a little air always flows in there and out the back vent when the truck is moving.

 

[FirstToy]

yeah cary is right, ALL vehicles have them. The newer Toyota suv's hide the registers behind the rear sides of the plastic bumpers and are much bigger than the 80's register vents.

The 80's vents are really good at sucking in trail dust too

 

[Callahan Offroad]

I believe they also service to keep the windows from breaking from the pressure differences in the cab when you slam the back gate and doors closed, I know that all cars have them, most passenger cars hide them behind the back bumper. So to answer your question they do many things!

 

[darwink1]

My door handles seem to serve the same purpose... When I start it w the remote and the heater is on high I can feel air escaping through the door handles. I still have the oe plastic behind the door panels.

D

 

[Mark W]

You know the air bubble in the sinking car that the movie hero is always trapped in until he breaks the window and swims out? Yeah, these vents prevent that air bubble from existing as your rig sinks to the bottom. And, just so you know, punching out a rear window while you are sucking in water instead of air... ain't as easy as the movie hero makes it look. BTDT. Worse day of my life.


Mark...