Air inlet and rodents

[mellobob]

I'm having a bit of a mouse problem. One little creature got into the engine air filter and made a nice nest. I assume this was via the air inlet on top of the radiator. I "customized" my engine with some rodent mesh screen across the front of that ...

Something also managed to get into the cabin air inlet and a nest was created on top of the cabin air filter. I can't figure out the airflow on this ... but, I'm assuming that air comes in from the top, though the filter and fan and then to the cabin? But I can't see an inlet which I'm presuming is somewhere in the engine compartment? Anyone tell me where that is ... I will have to put some screening there as well.

I part in an rodent accessible car port. We live in a rural area and this year for some reason has been bad for mice. Killed a few inside the house ... but in my car. Damn. Got some bait stations set up around the car now with tasty treats

Hope someone here can help!

 

[DennisP]

Hi,
I never had rodents in the engine air filter, but I defiintely had a nest on top of the cabin air filter (like you).

If you open the hood, the air intake for the cabin air is from a grill area under the windshield on the passenger side. See the small compartment there? If you line up your head to look "into" the compartment (with a flashlight) you can see an opening where the air comes in. Maybe run the fan on high to listen for the air.

In my case, there was rat droppings in that "compartment". I used a hose to flush out the droppings and any urine and debris in there. Before I did that, I removed the cabin air filter and put a bath towel there, just in the water doesn't drop into the vent system down below the fan behind the glove box.

As for that "grill", there's no easy way to remove it unless you remove the windshield wipers (and possibly the windshield itself?). It's out of my scope at home.

As for how the rodent got there... I'm not 100% sure. But if you look closely where the firewall is, there's a couple of small metal pipes that go into a small opening. Maybe the rodents got to the cabin air filter from there? I'm not sure.

I don't have any pictures handy. I have a 2018, so if you want a photo I can post here hopefully.

 

[mellobob]

Thanks for the reply! I have spent a bunch of time cleaning this mess out and I think I might be nearing the end of the battle ... but the war will continue. In the meantime, not only have they pissed all over the engine (a good wash seems to have cleaned that up), but they have also torn out some of the insulation in the engine compartment. Guess that is one more problem for Gorilla Tape to solve.

I've now got feed (poison) stations in the carport along with with spring traps. Of course, no mouse activity! I think they might be re-grouping and preparing a full out offence

 

[greendwarf]

No mouser available? - I'd lend you my friend Loki (who regularly brings me "presents") but he hates the trip to the vet, so doubt if he would agree to a transatlantic one.

Dick Whittington taught us Lundunas the value of cats to deal with this sort of problem!

 

[mellobob]

Dick Whittington and his cat. Yes, great story.

Completely off topic, but we saw this documentary the other day about cats and the great cat burnings of 1th 11th century by Pope Gregory IX and how that probably caused the Black Death.

But, yes having a fluffy mouse killer around would probably be helpful

 

[littlescrote]

Just to add that a cabin air intake should never be from the engine compartment or you'd risk poisoning the occupants with CO etc.