dead mice

Yesterday I got a dead animal smell coming out my vents. Today I pulled out three dead mice who had made a nest of tissues and car insulation on top of the cabin air filter behind the glove box. I found chewed acorns in the engine compartment and figured they might also have crawled into the engine air intake. Sure enough, when I opened the air filter box I found a pile of empty acorn shells underneath the engine air filter .

I have a couple of questions.

1. The mice were on the upper side of the cabin air filter. This side is the one that faces the incoming external air. Nevertheless, I know the mice were getting into the cabing because they took tissues from the tissue box to make their nest and left a mouse dropping in the cabin. How were the mice finding a way into the cabin if the air filter blocked them?

2. Above and below the cabin air filter are two interior air recirculation vents whose flaps automatically open and shut in various configurations when the fan or a/c is running. The recirculation vent that is above the air filter does, in fact, provide a path directly into the cabin that bypasses the cabin filter when it is open. If this vent ever remains open when the car is turned off, I have the answer to question #1. However, it appears that both vents close when the car is turned off. Are these vents always closed when car is shut down, or are there situations in which the upper vent remains open? If this recirculation vent isn't the path to the cabin interior, what is?

3. Where is the air intake for the ventilation system? It looks to me like it is located somewhere behind the black plastic panel that covers the windshield wiper motors at the base of the windshield. Although this cover has screen across the front of it (on the car's right), the sides of the cover (next to the hood hinges) are completely open. There is a 4-inch gap at each end next to the hood hinges. This space is irregular and looks impossible to seal. If the air duct behind this cover has no screen of its own, then the ventilation system is vulnerable to entry by critters.

We live in the woods, so mice will no doubt try to set up housekeepng again. The car has gone no more than two or three days without use since we got it in March. I want to keep mice out of the cabin, and I want to block them from getting into the ventilation duct and the engine air intake. I don't understand why the ventilation intake is not properly screened and sealed. My wife's Honda CRV has had rodents visit its engine compartment, but we have had no nests or dead mice in the vents because Honda didn't leave the ventilation intake cover open at the ends. Any ideas for preventing a repeat colonization of my Prius are appreciated.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ May 27 2006, 08:18 AM) [snapback]261732[/snapback]</div>

I found a previous post showing how a screen was placed over the ventilation intake. Now I know which hole to cover.
http://priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=603...7a2a1357718e28f

Can the plastic ventilation cowling on the car's right side be removed if one or both of the right windshield wiper arms are unbolted? It looks difficult to properly glue the screen onto the vent intake through the small access hole that is available when the "FRAME NO" panel is removed.

Another thread from someone with the same problem said that a service technician suggested that the car's ventilation system be put in "recirculate" mode before shutting down the car. I was experimenting with the climate control today, watching the two recirculation vents above and below the cabin air cleaner open and close depending upon the setting. When "recirculate" is on, both vents are open. The open vent above the cabin filter will allow any mice who have made set up house on the cabin filter to have access to the rest of the car interior. What I don't know is whether the exterior air intake is completely shut off whenever this upper vent opens on the cabin side to recirculate. Seems that it should. If it closes the exerior air intake at the same time it opens the cabin air intake, then it should keep mice out. However, if it doesn't close the external intake completely, then it allows mice to come from the outside straight into the cabin.

I found that turning off "AC/Auto" before shutting off the car caused the two recirculation vents to close, sealing off the cabin, but allowing mice access as far as the cabin air filter.

Like the poster listed above, I am disappointed that Toyota does not seal the ventilation compartment. The gap at the hood hinges is poor design. At least there should be a factory installed screen over the air intake.

 

[attachmentid=3627]<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ May 27 2006, 08:18 AM) [snapback]261732[/snapback]</div>

I found a previous post showing how a screen was placed over the ventilation intake. Now I know which hole to cover.
http://priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=603...7a2a1357718e28f

Can the plastic ventilation cowling on the car's right side be removed if one or both of the right windshield wiper arms are unbolted? It looks difficult to properly glue the screen onto the vent intake through the small access hole that is available when the "FRAME NO" panel is removed.

Another thread from someone with the same problem said that a service technician suggested that the car's ventilation system be put in "recirculate" mode before shutting down the car. I was experimenting with the climate control today, watching the two recirculation vents above and below the cabin air cleaner open and close depending upon the setting. When "recirculate" is on, both vents are open. The open vent above the cabin filter will allow any mice who have set up house on the cabin filter to have access to the rest of the car interior. What I don't know is whether the exterior air intake is completely shut off whenever this upper vent is open in the recirculate mode. Seems that it should. If it closes the exerior air intake at the same time it opens the cabin air intake, then it should keep mice out. However, if it doesn't close the external intake completely, then it allows mice to come from the outside straight into the cabin. Anybody know?

I found that turning off "AC/Auto" before shutting off the car caused the two recirculation vents to close, sealing off the cabin, but allowing mice access as far as the cabin air filter.

As a preventive measure, I have put a sticky trap inside the ventillation cowling near the car's right hood hinge. I used three small squares of velcro. I put both loops on the bottom of the sticky trap in a triangle arrangement, then attached the hooks to the loops with their adhesive backing removed. The whole thing was placed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers through the "FRAME NO" cover. The next step is to place mesh over the ventilation intake and the engine air intake.

Like the poster listed above, I am disappointed that Toyota does not seal the ventilation compartment. The gap in the ventilation cowling at the hood hinges is poor design. If Toyota can't close the end gaps, at least there should be a factory installed screen over the ventilation air intake.