Does anyone know a good product to use to lubricate the four dash vents in a w123? I tried silicone spray and cleaning them, somehow i made it worse...

A dab of vasoline?

Any lubricant will be a dirt/grit collector and make things worse.

Maybe the Gleitpaste spec'd for sunroof sliders.

Sixto
83 300SD

I ended up spending a while moving the vents and wiping off any silicone that was there (it kept transferring from the felt to the plastic sphere). Eventually the vent started moving freely. Apparently even spray silicone is too thick and causes the tolerance between the felt and sphere to get too tight.

I do think taking the time to exercise the vent and cleaning it thoroughly from the front and back is the best bet.

Was doing the same thing today and silicone worked great once it worked into the moving parts.. Whatever you do dont push too hard because the vent is a pita to work back in once it pops out in the dash.. Spent some real quality time fighting that vent today after moving the vent for better access to the expansion valve...