Hi! Because of Covid I haven’t been driving as much and in addition to a dead 12V battery it looks like I’ve suffered a rat or mouse incursion in my ‘09 Prius, which I park on the street. I don’t see any evidence inside the car (thank god!) but I did see a bunch of what looks like sawdust and rat droppings on top of the engine air filter cover (the side closest to the windshield, where the hinges are — not the side with the clamps.) I found a few random droppings stuck in the folds of the cabin air filter but none of the nests or big infestations I’ve seen here. I want to set some traps but where the most likely place they’re accessing this area — from underneath the car? The wheel wells? Where the wipers are? I’ve found lots of posts about mouse proofing the car, but not much about a nest on the engine air filter cover. many thanks in advance! john
Once it’s cleaned up consider putting 1/4” mesh over the entrance of the intake air snorkel. Mouse problem | PriusChat
It’ll be a largish plastic tube leading away from the air box. Not the one that heads to the throttle body, the other one, that lets the air in. I’m not really familiar with 2nd gen, but there’ll be some sort of air inlet going on. it’s also a good idea to take off the wipers and cowl, and put similar mesh over the cabin air intake. That’s a little more wrenching for sure. Lastly, extra agile rodents can STILL get in to the cabin, through vents at back/rear corners, just below hatch deck. On third gen at least it’s a bit awkward to mesh those; I’ve yet to get to it, but should.
Hmm. I’ll take a look. Thanks! The issue is they’re not getting in the car (I don’t think?). I just see the evidence of them on top of the plastic cover of the engine air filter
i had one last spring when we returned from florida. thought i was okay, but then the car started to smell after some time. first time we've had a problem in 16 years, but the mice are multiplying
Open the hatch take out the stuff to get to the spare tire look around in there under the spare tire and with a flashlight look in the battery well for standing water. The g2 has vents down there in the hatch so when you slam the hatch air is Released. One on each side. Mice seem to know where they are. They do a lot of damage lots other car forums report mice eating wires in addition to Toyota’s.
As mentioned, cabin air filter, engine air filter and spare tire well are where you will find the majority of nests. Unless you keep a messy rig, with lots of food for them inside, they have to leave the car to find food. I have had my best luck placing traps at all four wheels. Rodents seem to use the tires as ladders to gain access, so makes sense. I have also had luck with traps on floor of car in front of the front passenger seat. Traps in the engine compartment are problematic -- they can slip down into places tough to reach.
I keep a trap near the front of the car, passenger side about 2 feet from the front wheel. I catch about 3 a week average in winter. I would also check the air cleaner box, they seem to go there 1st, then the cabin filter. No issues for the last 2 years, but there are a lot fewer mice in the world
Its quite a maze of piping to get into the air cleaner box on top of the engine. They have to traverse through the steinholz box and lots of pipes before they reach it but somehow they do. Many posts of mice nests in the air cleaner box. Must be quite exciting for them when you start the engine!
The Helmholtz resonators simply open into the side of the air passage, the same way you put a flute's opening below your lip ... you don't blow through the flute, and the mice walk right past the resonator opening, with only a passing "hmm, wonder what's in there" flitting through their little mouse minds.
