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Toyota claims not aware of mouse problem

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by BubbleDogs, Aug 14, 2012.

  1. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    My roof vents have no grills or screens. My hot water heater exhaust pipe has a grill, but the dryer vent doesn't have anything. And I have a good 1inch or so hole into my furnace room that I use to run cables into the outside world. A mouse could easily get in there.

    The mountain lion that lives at the end of my driveway must do a good job of catching them lol :)
     
  2. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    All my roof vents came already screened. After a chipmunk got in to my dryer it now has a grill. Leaving a one inch hole is your choice, why not seal it?
     
  3. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    OMG, someone in USA lied and did not volunteer liability!
    Better call the attorney general and inform him ASAP.
    Sorry, couldn't resist here, but have to vent on the total breakdown of ethic in our society.
     
  4. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    1970's house, didn't come with screens :)

    I leave the hole open for now because I am still pulling wires in and out. Last summer I put a bunch of CAT5 through it to power some PoE cameras. The other problem is that all the darn rabbits love the blue coloured ethernet cables... They don't touch the black, red, grey, white, or yellow ones. But if I leave a blue one out in the open, it is chewed to pieces within a week.
     
  5. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    Wedged in stainless steel wool works well and is removable.
     
  6. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    The problem is nothing new. Our 2004 Prius had the same issue, with mice building nests.

    Even w/ the damper left in recirc, the mice will chew off the corners so that they can pass into the filter area.

    A coarse mesh is an ideal solution. It's a shame that Toyota didn't make that integral.
     
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  7. The green contractor

    The green contractor Junior Member

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    On the models we own, removing the grill and/or cowling at the windshield wipers and afixing an appropriately shaped piece of 1/4" hardware cloth snugly over the more interior air intake solves this problem.
    2010 prius mouse screen.jpg
     
  8. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    Nice work on the front end just make sure you take care of the hatch area too.
     
  9. lynxville

    lynxville New Member

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    Found mouse poop in the back cargo area on mine too. Never in my entire life have I had mice inside a new or used car.
     
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  10. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    Welcome to the Toyota mouse Heltel.
    Time to do some screening.
     
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  11. lester williams

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    Hhmmm,,, G/F had her 2012 ''v'' serviced this summer and dealer found a mouse nest in her air cleaner. I kind of thought they were hosing her,,,, guess not. Oh yeah--- it took a new filter to clean it up....
     
  12. Fiddler1

    Fiddler1 New Member

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    I took less than two months for the mouse to find the tasty cabin air filter in my 2014 Prius V. It gnawed on the plastic a bit too. I park the car in the same garage where my Subaru has spent the past four years, with no rodent problems.

    I told the dealer about the entry hole under the hood and the wire mesh fix and their response was that there is nothing they could do, the mice will always get in. Thanks a lot.

    I called Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331, which I strongly encourage others with this problem to do. The guy I spoke to said he does get calls about this and that I was, in his words, “not just an outlier.” He put me on hold to see if there is anything available that would address this. After a few minutes he returned to say that they might put out a Technical Service Bulletin in the future, but they would have to wait for more information to come in. Which means, CALL THEM so that they have your information and have to do something about this!

    This problem has been around for several years and is caused by a design flaw (a large, unprotected point of entry to the cabin). Many posters here have described a cheap, apparently effective fix (the wire mesh covers.) I would like Toyota to offer this or a similar fix for free and change the design of the air intake hole in the future.

    Could I fix this myself? Probably. It looks like it would take me the better part of a Saturday. Hopefully I wouldn’t bust the windshield like one poster here did. But I bought a new Toyota expecting several years of hassle-free reliability. I did not expect to be patching up a design flaw with the potential to make a giant and costly mess, before I’ve even had my first oil change.
     
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  13. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    Welcome to Prius Chat!
    Sorry you had to deal with this, but what a great first post.
    Thanks for making the call and encouraging others to do the same. Hopefully Toyota will end this disaster.

    Why they let this serious health hazard go on escapes me, it's such an inexpensive fix. Maybe it takes a few Hantavirus cases first.

    I am due for a new car and hope to buy the next generation Prius, however this problem needs to be fixed first.

    Also please do not forget about the openings over the rear wheel wells. The row of flaps are like the doors at an arena.

    I have screened my last Prius, three at last count. And yes one broken windshield.

    Regards,

    Dan




     
  14. jvierra

    jvierra Junior Member

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  15. lester williams

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    I went to the dealer to get my second ''free'' oil change recently------ there was a mouse nest built on top of my motor.. And,, I have a heck of a ''mouser'' cat that stays outside mostly. Girlfriend Elsie [ member here ] had a mouse nest found inside her air cleaner at a service last summer---- that I was dubious about--- thought there possibly could have been a little ''shucking and jiving'' surrounding that....... Now,, I have changed my mind. Wonder why there never was none of this going on in other autos???
     
  16. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Sorry Lester, it does go on in other autos (from a long long history of reading another brand's forums).

    The critters like to gnaw on wires. They like warmth. They like shelter from the wind. They like enclosed spaces. They like vehicles that are parked for a while.

    Be glad they didn't gnaw through the main wiring harness. I've seen people with $1,500 receipts for the wiring harness and that doesn't include the labor.
     
  17. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    You folks should try living in the high country where they have 10 lb marmots who will chew hoses and tires. I've seen buildings felled by marmots, and the radio and microwave tower installations have to be made marmot-proof.
     
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    cheese!:p
     
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  19. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    So having said it was a problem I had seen before on other forums and with other cars, guess what I came across today "We are talking about an '03 base Boxster - last week the car started suddenly running really poorly, MIL light flashing, etc etc. P0327 code thrown (along with P0300, P0301 and P0306). I found that the mice had eaten the insulation off both wires going to Knock Sensor 1 and had chewed up a fair amount of the wire as well."
     
  20. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I've had good luck with stainless-steel wool placed in any potential point of entry. Not required so far in my Prius however.