Page 1 of 1

Mouse in the heater

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:23 pm
by healthy
I just dug a mouse nest out of my heater (just above the cabin air filter). I can't see anyplace where the mouse would have been able to enter. Anyone had a similar problem, and a solution?

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:25 am
by joatmon
If the nest was on top of the cabin air filter, it probably came in at the air inlet, which is a screened off area on the passenger side between the windshield and the hood, easier to see if you open the hood. sorry to hear about the mouse problem, but if it got you to find and join us, then it was a good thing Someone else had Vibe mice, Edgar, in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=21497

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:53 am
by ColonelPanic
Howdy, fellow hoosier! My guess is with joatmon's as well, that's really the only place I could see them getting through. BUT it's a very tight fit, so it will be difficult for something to squeeze through there unless thee cowl trim is loose.Here's a pic of it lifted up where you can see the air inlet. I wrote up a little how-to on the removal of the cowl trim that I did on mine so I could spray lysol down in the vents because they were stinkin'. It's here: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=19575I'd say just give it a good cleaning around the area where the nest was and check the air inlet as well... Good luck!

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:53 am
by keithvibe
this happend to my neighbor. Sweet old lady. I agreed to take her to the store in her car... and half way there the car filled with smoke.. I didn't know if the car was on fire or not.. so i quickly pulled over and lifted her out of her seat.. she wasn't too sure y I was doing this but i got her up and away from the car.. turns out after she had it to two different shops.. I had to tear apart her dash to get the mouse that had cozzyed up to her heater core even after I explained to one shop what happend and what they needed to do... The kicker was the two shops couldn't find anything wrong... I am so glad I can do many car maintance issues.

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:42 pm
by kevera
Last week when I pulled my engine cover off,I found a turd next to one of the coils-YUK.So the first thing I checked was if the little critter entered the ducts.Thank god he didn't.Still kind of YUK though.

Re: Mouse in the heater (kevera)

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:07 pm
by Atomicpunk
Before my wife got her 2003 Vibe she had a 2000 Firebird. One day she goes to drive it, the check engine light comes on and it feels like the car is only running on 4 or 5 of the 6 cylinders which it was. So we call the dealer and bring it in for repair. It turns out a critter or critters started eating the wires on the engine, they chewed through the fuel injection wire harness. Because the problem was'nt a factory defect the repairs were not coverd under warranty. Later while changing the oil I found more wires chewed for the lights, they still worked but they could of shorted out and caused a fire. You got to watch those mice in the car.

Re: Mouse in the heater (Atomicpunk)

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:14 pm
by kevera
Does anyone know how to keep them out.Is there a smell or something you can spray to keep the pesky critters away.

Re: Mouse in the heater (kevera)

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:49 pm
by prathman
"Does anyone know how to keep them out."We hired a cat to stay in the garage.A little food and water and he stands guard all night.

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:07 pm
by healthy
First of all, I put a mouse trap on top of the engine when I got home. The car being warm is inviting, and I nailed 3 mice in 3 days. Then, I pulled off the screened grille, and it looks like there are several places that mice could get into the heater area, around different pieces of sheet metal. I started taping up (aluminum-foil tape that I hoped mice wouldn't chew through) all the openings, then realized that they would act as outlets for any rain that goes through the grille. So, I pulled the tape off, put the grille back, and taped up the end of the grille as best I could because it seemed like that would be the most obvious place for a mouse to try. Over all, it doesn't look like mice were a consideration in the design...

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:13 pm
by kevera
That sucks,Maybe find another place to park your car.I was lucky that it only happened once.

Re: Mouse in the heater (healthy)

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:14 pm
by joatmon
Keep setting the trap, maybe several traps, since there are probably more than the three you caught so far.Where do you park the car, is there any way to demouse that space?

Re: Mouse in the heater (joatmon)

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:45 pm
by healthy
I can't park in the garage (no room), and we live in the woods, so there are plenty of mice. Once it really gets cold, I think they hibernate somewhere, so they should stop being a problem soon. But I'm sure they will be back next fall.

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:23 pm
by Yury
few days after i picked up my new vibe 2 years ago, i discovered a pine cone under the hood, wedged in between some parts how on earth did it get there ?