Help Mice attack Heater / A/C fresh air intake

[litefoot]

I need some help can some tell me were the Heater / A/C fresh air intake is the engine compartment.I thought it was the grill by the wind shield wipers. Here is my problem an NO LAUGHING too hard.I have mice in my heater and A/C ducts for a second time. This time they chewed their way passed the air filter for the heat and A/C and they did some wire chewing damage. I can’t figure out how they are getting in. Last time the dealer didn’t seal the access cover under the back seat to the gas tank. The dealer has no idea how they are getting in now. And to answer you question, I took it a GMC / Buick dealer who was a Pontiac dealer. Any ideas on how they are getting in? And no they don’t have a key

[star_deceiver]

Well they don't need a big hole, they can get into some pretty small spaces.Are they in the heating ducts or running loose throughout the car? There should be an exit vent underneath the rear bumper drivers side below the taillight.

[scherry2]

the top plenum under the plastic piece where the wipers are is where the A/C air intake is. there should be some drain holes on each side of it most likely by the hood hinges , i'll bet thats where they are getting in at. i'm guessing because at work thats where its located on the gm trucks and they have side drain holes with rubber flaps over them to stop hot engine temp air and rodents from entering

[litefoot]

Both, I found pieces of acorns and stuff on my passenger side floor. I had the car check at the dealer because the A/C was not cold and the fan sounded bad. It seems the mice got into the air intake and chewed their way passed the A/C and heater filter. And were living inside the car and ducts. The killer is I never saw them in the car. They also were in the air cleaner box. Today I placed a screen over the tube that goes into the air box. I’m hoping it will stop them from getting in, and not affect the air flow into the air box. The vent by the rear bumper driver side below the taillight does it go into the cabin? Can you believe the dealer said to put mothballs in the engine compartment?I thought mothballs are toxic.

[litefoot]

I found that plastic cover where the wipers are in the engine compartment. On the drivers side I found a gap by the hinge I could get three fingers in there, no rubber cover. So I put some steel wool in the hole with a screwdriver I hope that stops them

[TONY TAT2]

Thay unfortunately will chew thru the steel wool. DECON THEM !!!I got a skunk liven somewhere in my yard,Ithink its under 1 of my 4 storage sheads.Ya wana trade?

[djkeev]

Steel wool will RUST!!!! Take it out of there now. IF you must, put in stainless steel wool. They can fit in a small spot for sure. Any loose plastic piece or broken grille will allow access.Maybe get a car cat?Dave

[DiveNut]

Get a cat.

[litefoot]

The good thing is they are gone now. I don’t want them back. I havehad my own dealing with skunks. I normally use have a heart cages. Then fill the hole and add critter ridder around my sheds, Critter ridder contains oil of black pepper, piperine and capsaicin, keeps them away for a couple of months.

[litefoot]

I’ll have to check to see if I used stainless steel wool. Most likely not, but I will track some down this week. And replace what I used.I’m allergic to cats.

[litefoot]

I thought of that, but I’m highly allergic to cats. Does Riddex Electronic Pest Repeller make a car version?

[Herb]

Quote, originally posted by litefoot »I thought of that, but I’m highly allergic to cats. Does Riddex Electronic Pest Repeller make a car version? All mice need is enough space to put a pencil through to get in. Copper mesh is better than steel woolAs for the sonic chasers, mice will eventually figure out there's no danger to the sound and ignore them over time.

[litefoot]

How would you use Copper mesh? I had to use a screwdriver to getthe steel wool in gap.The space I’m talking about is on the driver side next to the hood hinge. Are you saying use a screw driver and push the mesh in the gap? I did not see an easy way to remove the plastic grill cover by the wipers.

[Herb]

Quote, originally posted by litefoot »How would you use Copper mesh? I had to use a screwdriver to getthe steel wool in gap.The space I’m talking about is on the driver side next to the hood hinge. Are you saying use a screw driver and push the mesh in the gap? I did not see an easy way to remove the plastic grill cover by the wipers. You can use copper mesh the same way you use steel wool. As djkeev mentioned stainless would be best if you can find it.I suppose you could use a small tool to push it in, however even with that you're guessing if it's the only place it can get in from.The best way would be to removed the cowling and take a close look at the intake and use some kind of a fine metal grate and silicone it to keep out rodents. Anyone have an exploded diagram of the plastic cowling area we're talking about?

[litefoot]

I found a diagram of the cowl but not a clear one. If you look at the arrow from the number 2 that is where I found a gap where I think the Mice are getting in. I haven’t figured out how to get the cowl grille offeasily yet.

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[Cougar Vibe]

I used to service claims for Safeco/Liberty Mutual and every once in awhile I'd have to work on a comprehensive claim for rodent damage. It's pretty insane what they'll do to an engine compartment...especially on cars that sit throughout the winter (I seem to recall that Corvettes disproportionately had this problem). People would find condensation in the floor board and think that the heater core went bad; in reality, mice had chewed on insulation/sound deadener and built nests under the cowl (causing moisture build-up). Of course, some shops went so far as to yank apart the dash and begin the work of replacing the heater core before realizing what had happened; naturally, that wasn't covered by the owner's comprehensive coverage.Don't miss that job one bit.

[litefoot]

Cougar Vibe, I could see mice getting in my car if I left the car a lonefor a couple of weeks. The car is outside, but it only sits over night and maybe over the weekend (2 days). Funny thing, there was an exterminator parked in front of my neighbors as I pulled into my driveway Tuesday night. Found out that my neighbor has mice in their garage. Their garage is 20 feet from where I park my car. The exterminators recommended getting a couple boxes of Real-Kill rat killer (like D-Con but smaller pellets) and place the poison in my shed. My shed is close to my car and 10 ft for my neighbor garage. Needless to say I ran out Tuesday night and got some. And put it out like he recommended. Can you believe, I put out about two shot glasses worth of real-kill and it was gone when I got home from work tonight.Herb, I’m following you advise and ordered a roll of copper mesh. As soon as I get it I’ll pull out the steel wool and replace it with the copper mesh couldn’t find stainless steel wool. Star_deceiver, you said there an exit vent underneath the rear bumper drivers side below the taillight. Where does it come into the cabin? I’d like to cover that vent with copper mesh too, if there is not a grill of some kind on it already. I may be doing over kill, but I’ve already spent over $500.00 inmouse repairs.

[Herb]

I should have asked you where you parked your Vibe earlier. Bait stations are not a bad idea. They will help with reducing the population in the area. Just remember to check the bait stations and re-bait every few weeks.It's not a bad idea to get bait that has a dye in it, that way you can tell if the mice had fed on it, because it will show up in the droppings.In general, I use a bait that has a low concentration of the active ingredient as mice can stop feeding on stronger doses before getting a fatal dose because they may sense that something's wrongI'm not a big fan of the pellets, or meals due to the fact they can get scattered if the bait station gets kicked and end up being picked up by other animals. Bait that' comes in a block form can be secured properly in a bait stationLiquid baits are more effective against rats as they need water daily. Mice on other hand are very water efficient and can extract their daily water needs from eating grain alone

[litefoot]

Herb, The exterminator gave me a couple things I could use made by real-kill.I could only find the pellets on Tuesday night. I found what you call the block form on Wednesday night. To me it is more like a green piece of wax. I put both out to see which works best. Looks like they don’t like the block form, I’ve refilled the pellets twice since I put out one block. I agree with you about not being a big fan of pellets, or meals due to the fact they can get scattered. I took one of those Glad disposable containers with a lid, cut a 1 inch hole about a ½ inch from the bottomon one the short sides. Put in one of real-kill packages, they come eight little packages to a box in the container about a shot glass full. Put the cover on and place it in the shed. So if you accidentally kick it nothing comes out unless you send it across the shed. I could put out more at a time, but I only want to take out the mice. Just wish I knew if it is working. But as of last night I had no acorns in my air filter. The test will be over the long weekend.

[Herb]

Well I decided to try to remove the cowling and see what's going onNot really a how to, but hopefully you get the ideaFirst off, pop out the plastic pegs on either side with your finger

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[Herb]

Next, release the clips under the gasket with a pair of needle nose pliers

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[Herb]

Then pop off the caps at the base of the wiper arm and take off the nuts and then pull off the arms. (Sorry no photo on this step)Next push the cowling up and shift if back and forth till it clears. There are 2 pieces to the cowling. And from here you can see the intake to the interior of the cabin.

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[Herb]

Passenger side drain

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[Herb]

A shot up towards the drivers side

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[Herb]

Wiper motor removed

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[Herb]

Driver side drain

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[Herb]

As you can see from the photos, there are many opportunities for a mouse to get through. I don't see it to be feasible to cover the drains and gaps, so I figure putting up some hardware cloth right up on the open area to the vent would be your best bet.I'll see what I can do and take another shot when I'm done

[litefoot]

The copper mesh arrived Thursday. Thanks for the removal of thecowling guide. If the weather is good here in NJ this weekend I will give it a try. I already placed a screen across the intake tube inside the air filter box. It has been on for a week, nothing got into the box over the 4 of July weekend. From the pictures 1705 and 1710, it looks like if I screen the two holes in the firewall I think I got a shot to keep them on the outside. And I would only have to take off the left half the cowl and not the wipers. The picture 1710 looks like there may be a gap between the front and rear wall at the bottom.

[Herb]

Yes, there are too many gaps along what I'm calling a "trough". Best bet is to screen the opening on the firewall itself, trouble is that one of the two holes is partially obstructed by the trough which means you'll have to find a way to adhere it onto the firewall.Just remember to clean off the dirt and dust so the silicone can stick on better.The only concern I'm wondering about now is that if we put on a screen that it will eventually plug up, which probably would mean that it would need to be cleaned on some kind of scheduled basis. As a plus though, there shouldn't be any more maple seeds etc making it's way to the cabin filter.I've given up on it for today, and maybe will tackle it on Sunday as I'm busy tomorrow.

[litefoot]

I followed your guide and got the cowling off. I checked out theopenings, had an idea, so I removed the glove box and was trying to figure out if there is an easy way to remove the intake vent.If you could remove the intake vent and put a screen between the vent and the firewall that would solve the problem. But it looked like a major job, so I’m back to looking into putting a screen on the engine compartment side. Just have to figure away to glue the screen to firewall. And it looks like the dealer broke the clips off the filter door,it is covered with black tape.

[vibedrivermatt]

ohhhh I've had a bad problem with this as well. darn mice were eating my 300zx sports car. boy does that suck. I feel your pain. I keep that car over at my parents and its an area surrounded by some farmland. I have to take extra measures to protect that car now because of the area having an abundance of small animals. hey you might wanna take a good look at your e-brake boot. I found, on that car it was one of the ways they were getting in. They had chewed a hole through it. I was able to kill the mice for good by putting poison blocks on the floor and some spring loaded traps. I put traps in the car because I knew I had still nests had nests somewhere, it worked. Also if I put poison inside the car, anything that makes it past the outer defenses will still be exterminated. I dunno if you've done it already but, you might wanna look really thoroughly around to make sure there aren't any nests still in the car somewhere. Have you checked your trunk area and spare tire compartment? I forget if it was said already in the thread.

[Herb]

Here's a close up shot on one side of the intake which is going to be a pain to screen off.

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[Herb]

I decided to use aluminum screening as the material of choice as I figured would be easier to work with considering the awkwardness of access to the actual vent openings

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[Herb]

I really hate working with silicone. As you can see in the photo, I got some on areas of the screen I didn't intend to. I used a Popsicle stick to try to spread the silicone around the areas I couldn't reach. Not pretty, but hopefully will work. Not that I've had mice in my Vibe yet, but I know they get in the garage, dispite the traps and bait I have liberally placed throughout

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[litefoot]

Right now my car is clean of mice. I have taken the fight to them with a couple different poisons. I didn’t use Decon I used Real-Kill it is smaller pellets. I haven’t checked spare tire compartment.But I will check it in the morning before work

[litefoot]

Herb,You put it on the inside wall? It looks like you did by the picture 1720. What kind of silicone did you use? What tools did you use otherthen Popsicle stick? How did you get your hand in there? Just need tofind a set of smaller hands, It was hard getting mine in there. I think that may work.

[Herb]

Yes, I put it on the firewall. I couldn't put them on the openings of the trough because there are too many gaps a mouse could still get around.I applied a bead of clear silicone on the screen, curled it so I can slip it behind the trough and used the popsicle stick to smear the silicone and press the screen down. The opening on the left (refer to 1719) was the most difficult as it extends further down from the opening on the trough.

[litefoot]

I picked up a tube of liquid nails clear small projects silicone adhesive (LN-207) this morning on my way to work. The local hardware store didn’t have aluminum screening. He only carries a cloth screening,I didn’t think that was a good idea. I’ll have to try Home Depot or Lowes on the way home from work tonight. See what they have in screening. Then I have to wait till the weekend, to try it.

[kkane]

litefoot:I'd like to know how this worked out for you.I have a similar problem. This weekend I noticed sounds like marbles rolling around inside my dash. Each day the number of marbles sounded like it was growing. I've had mice in my garage and even had one build a nest on top of my engine block during the winter a couple of years ago. I investigated by taking off the cowling (before I had read these posts and found to my surprise no screen into the air intake at the firewall. I couldn't get my hands inside to see if they were indeed nuts as I suspected so I tried from inside. After taking out the glove compartment I found the filter tabs and removed the filter. At that point about 15 acorns fell into the fan unit and now the fan is unbalanced. I found this article http://www.matrixowners.com/lo....html and think I will try the heavy mesh and sheet metal screw approach to block the intake, then get my fan cleaned out. Glad I caught it before the nest building began.

[litefoot]

Kkane,Yes and no, I did it like Herb’s example, it did work for about two months then my screens came off.I think I didn’t leave the car sit long enough for the sealant to really cure. I’m going to try to again,At the end of October when I can let my car sit for three days in a friend’s warm garage. I had ordered some of the copper screening that some folks talked about and stuck it in the two spaces on either side of the cowl. I also got a piece of gutter screening and made a screen cover for my intake that I was able to screw into the air tubeinside the airbox. So far no mice, But fall is coming fast here in Jersey, so if they are coming back I’ll know soon as the night are getting cold and the mice look for warm places. If you’re going to try it make sure you get aluminum screening and a friend with small hands can be VERY HELPFUL. And you have to attach it to the inner hole there is and outer and inner hole. If you do the outer they can get around it see Herb’s pictures. Good luck