Need to know how to get to Air Vents..

Everythng pretty much pulls apart.

This should help.

PriusDashRemoval.pdf

 

I've taken my dash apart a couple of times to install Coastal Electronics stuff. Coastal Dave's got great color installation instructions that include the dash dismantle process.

It's not difficult.

Maybe someone has access to the instructions which could be scanned into a PDF. If not, I'll try to find the documentation and post it here for you.

You know - that mouse will stop smelling at some point if you just leave it alone.

=========

edit -

Ok I posted a little late - the instructions above are pretty much the same as Dave's - maybe a bit more comprehensive. I'd use those.

 

Are you sure it's a dead mouse? If not positive, before you start tearing things apart you may want to try other methods to get rid of the smell. i.e. spraying lysol (or some other mold killer) in the air intake.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sheila'sprius @ Sep 20 2006, 09:15 PM) [snapback]322596[/snapback]</div>

However it did get in it must have been a one way street. :blink:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jburns @ Sep 20 2006, 09:08 PM) [snapback]322624[/snapback]</div>

Or a dead end.


Sorry, couldn't resist.
Shawn

 

As colder weather approaches, so does the mice...found one this morning lying in the cabin filter, stinking up the car after eating my poison in the garage...it was trying to make a nest on the filter...so we tossed him and had to get a new cabin filter...so if your cabin stinks ,look at the cabin filter a i bet it will be there...

 

They come right in through the intake opening under the cowl, which
is easily accessible [by a small critter] up through the fenders and
then into the area behind the cowl. Same path water takes to get
out. Then they can hop right into the A/C intake, slide down and
land either on the filter, or if they eat their way through that,
into the fan. That's pretty much the end of the line, since the
fan blades are fairly fine-pitch and the space around them is small.
.
I've heard that making sure to go into "recirc" mode before shutdown
will close the flap against outside access, but I haven't completely
checked out the topology. I think some outside air can *still* come
in in recirc mode, just not sure how [or if it's mouse-sized].
.
The other thing to be aware of is the engine air filter -- it's warm
after you arrive, even in a Prius that's EVed its way in the last
half mile. I installed a little piece of 1/4" mesh over the airbox
inlet, as I've done in two previous cars too out of necessity. If
you find bits of acorns and junk in the bottom of your airbox, it's
time to do something. They can find the stock intake opening and
waltz right through the resonator and feed pipe, and love that long,
dark, *warm* cave.
.
_H*

 

Thanks for all this info. I'm having a recurring problem with mice and it's starting to worry me -- not only is the smell gross, but they carry the hantavirus, which is transmitted to humans by inhaling atomized mouse droppings and urine. What could be better for spreading such a disease than the ventilation system of a car?

According to the web pages I read, the virus can lead to a pulmonary syndrome in humans that was first recognized in the early 90's. At that time it had an 80% fatality rate, partly because nobody knew quite what it was. With good treatment there's now about a 70% chance of survival. But that means there's a 30% chance of buying the farm just from inhaling some mouse dust. I see a big potential liability here for car manufacturers who fail to take reasonable steps to mouse-proof their products. There haven't been many cases of this syndrome yet in the U.S. -- a few hundred I think -- but it would be pretty damned easy for Toyota to put screens over the entry points people are describing.

Meanwhile, the less mechanically inclined among us (such as me) would appreciate more advice on how to retro-mouseproof. Hobbit, how did you attach the mesh (and what kind of mesh did you use)?