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mice & screening off cabin air intake

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by Coyotefred, May 24, 2016.

  1. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    I know this topic has been addressed elsewhere, but I can't seem to find a thread specifically addressing it.

    After seeing evidence of mice throughout the cabin, I removed the glove compartment and air filter and found a nest. Although my understanding is that there may be a number of "entry points" through the Prius, I'd like to start by tackling where they appear to be coming in at this cabin air intake. Is there a reasonable way to screen off this entry from the engine compartment side?

    'Any advice appreciated...
     
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  2. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    Start with the fresh air intakes in front of the windshield. Use some wide opening (like 1/4" or less) steel or aluminum stiff screen to put over those areas. You have to remove the wipers I believe and the drain grates. But once those are screened off you'll have much less problems with critters.


    For instance I used screening for gutters. Extremely stiff and thick but not too fine that it clogs up.

    Unsupervised!
     
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  3. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    Hey thanks,

    I'm including a picture here where you can see the chewing/damage they've done to that insulation/firewall material just below what I think you are talking about. I was thinking they were coming in at this point, and wondering how I could screen in behind there. But you're saying I need to go in from the top by removing the wipers/drain gates since that where the actually air intake is? That makes more sense...

    [​IMG]

     
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  4. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    one way to stop the infiltration is covering the air intake with a scrubbing metal sponge, like coarse steel wool but NOT made out of steel, in the supermarkets they usually have it in the cleaning supply isles
     
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  5. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    Where, specifically, are you talking about when you say "covering the air intake"?

     
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  6. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    Inside of the cowl/rain collector in the front driver's side, there is the fresh air intake.
     
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  7. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    OK, you were right on target as far as needing to look under/inside that cowl/rain collector...a comfy nest for mr. mouse was right there.

    I'm still unclear about the air intake location. I've marked with a green arrow on the driver's side pic what seems to be the air intake...is that what you are talking about? The reason I ask is that as I look at it, it appears like is is just one of several openings (red arrows) that would allow a mouse to get in "behind" that area...it doesn't seem as if that opening is the end of a "tube" or hose for example that if you seal off that opening you've blocked the only entryway. But maybe I just can't see well enough what is behind that opening.

    I've also included a picture of the passenger's side. There is a similarly-shaped opening on that side, but with a rubber "flap"/door over it secured with a screw (red arrow). Is that the opening to the cabin air intake that should also be sealed off?

    Thanks again for the help.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

     
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  8. KLD_Prius_PI_Synergy

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    This is no joke !! my 'previously owned" 2012 Prius PI was found to have a nest in the cabin air filter 'area' !! The car was originally from Oregon and transferred to Modesto, CA. I guess the car sat for about a month. My local Toyota service center found "the nest and droppings"... Ugh!! Calgon isn't going to make THIS go away !! Hopefully, Carmax will fix this and make it right !! Thanks for listening !!
     
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  9. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    On the passenger side, that one is the fresh air intake, I'm unsure about the driver's side.
     
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  10. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    Just posting back for future reference of others encountering this problem. The cabin air intake is not one of the openings identified in my earlier pics, but the huge opening (around 8" x 11") at the TOP of the passenger side cavity that is exposed when you remove the rain cover. Other threads talk about the wisdom of making sure your ventilation system is set to "recirculate" before shutting the car off and you can see why. Leaving it set to "outside air coming in" basically results in an unobstructed 8" x 11" passageway from the engine compartment directly into the vehicle via the air cabin entry/filter area. Leaving it in "recirculate" at least closes a plastic door that prevents easy entry, although any determined rodent could easily chew through that door.

    I attached a section of metal screening with self-drilling sheet metal screws. Unfortunately those screws don't go in too easily around the rounded edges of the intake, leaving gaps. I stuffed some more screening into those areas. Not a "rodent proof" fix to be sure, but perhaps enough to discourage easy entry into the cabin.

    PS Note the position of your wipers before removing them, since there is no obvious guide/fit pattern when you reinstall them...and if you don't get the position right your wipers won't "wipe" a full coverage pattern or will "overshoot" the edge of the windshield (drivers wiper).

    Not a pleasant DIY project at all. For those having mice entering the cabin I'd first make a habit of keeping that plastic door "shut" by ensuring that recirculate option is lit before shutting down. If you are still getting entry, then this more drastic step might be worth it.

    B.JPG A.JPG
     
  11. KLD_Prius_PI_Synergy

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    Thank You, CoyoteFred for sharing that...it really makes me aware of the situation!! where did You buy the metal screen ??
     
  12. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    What I used was the just common window screening material you can buy at any home improvement store; this is a heavy-duty *metal* screening however...if you get the plastic/nylon stuff the mice will chew right through it. Better yet (but not as easy to bend/work with/install) would be galvanized mesh "hardware cloth" with 1/4" spacing between the wires, also widely available at home improvement and farm/ranch supply stores...

     
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  13. MrMischief

    MrMischief Active Member

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    In the 2016 manual I saw mention that if left in recirculate when you turn the car off it will open the air intake to prevent a build up of unpleasant odor. Another one of my vehicles does this as well. After you shut it off if you sit for 30 seconds or so you can hear it opening the outside vents and moving it to the dash vents rather than the floor or where ever it was pointed. I would be surprised if the Gen 1 isn't doing this as well.
     
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  14. Coyotefred

    Coyotefred Member

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    I'm not sure I'm following what you're saying. But I experimented a little during this project while I had the glove compartment removed so that I could physically see the plastic hinged "door" that is controlled by the ventilation controls. Selecting the "recirculate" option closes that door as you would expect. If you shut the car off while in "recirculate" that door will remain closed. Conversely, if the "outside air" control is selected, then this door is--again as you'd expect--"open" to allow the outside air to be pulled in. If you shut off the vehicle with the "outside air" control on, that door will remain "open"....in effect you've left an 8"x11" open hole into your car's cabin for anything that might want to get in.

    Bearing this in mind I'm surprised I haven't had more rodent activity in my car over the years since I've lived in several ag/rural areas where mice are common and persistent. Particularly if you have kids or if you eat/snack in your car where you might leave some bits of food here and there...watch out. I don't do this often, but I snack on mixed nuts "on the road" now and then and I'm sure a few of those "escaped" down between seats, etc. Or if you're active and you've stashed some 'snacks' in a backpack, etc. Mice and rats have a very keen sense of smell and can easily detect small amounts of food in a vehicle...particularly if you've left that 8x11 opening "open" for odors to escape. And once one has made entry the problem is compounded because they leave a 'scent trail' that others will use for future reference.

    Other threads have folks screening off all sorts of other possible entry points into the Prius, this appears to be just the largest and perhaps easiest to access. I'm hoping this will stop the access, along with several others things I will do to make getting into the vehicle less attractive in the first place. First, I plan to give mine a thorough cleaning (remove the old scent trails, droppings, etc.) Second, be much more vigilent about food in the vehicle. Third, in my case another issue was storage of wildlife/bird food in the garage. It is stored in a metal rodent-proof container, but you'll inevitably be spilling some as you fill feeders, empty new bags into the containers, etc. I've moved my seed storage container OUT of the garage to another location to keep the garage more "food free". The problem is that where mice find close food, they'll seek out attractive nesting opportunities in the immediate vicinity, which puts nearby vehicles at risk.

    But certainly the advice I saw in a couple of other threads (not necessarily related to Prius) from mechanics recommending that car owners shut off their vehicle in "recirculate" mode to close that air intake door makes sense. It would be nice if manufacturers had the system default to closing this door when the vehicle is shut down, but then you'd likely have consumers complaining that the car didn't "remember" what they selected when they shut it down etc. etc.

     
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  15. KLD_Prius_PI_Synergy

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    So much great and helpful advice !! i think i need to go to the hardware store, today, for some of that metal screen !!
     
  16. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Will try to get the wipers and plastic rain collector off soon to screen off that rodent doorway. Trapped some mice in the car cabin and under the hood this past Spring, cleaned and sanitized the interior of car, bought and installed a new cabin filter, had the A/C "cleaned" (what ever the dealership meant by that) at oil change service and took a trip to Florida end of April through May. No smells or mice. Shut the car off in recirc. All was fine until yesterday when I noticed the old Mouse intrusion odor again. So keeping that plastic door shut probably doesn't work. Mice/rodents will chew through plastic quite easily.

    Found some evidence of mice damage, pieces of black foam and some thin rubber bits on cabin air filter and some debris under the spare tire. Took everything out to clean/sanitize the interior again, and set mouse traps under hood and inside the car, just in case one of the little critters is still holed up in the car someplace.

    My Insight sits right beside the Prius. No mice in the Honda. No mice in my old 1998 Nissan Frontier truck. The truck has always been outside and is only used when needed, which is not that often. I bought it new at the end of 1998 and it only has 89,000 miles on it. So it definitely does sit quite a bit.

    The Prius gets almost daily use. The Insight can sit as long as 3 or 4 days between uses. We don't bring food into the cars, and they are kept vacuumed and wiped down. Not quite sure what the attraction is for mice to get inside that giant unprotected air intake. In any case, it's not good.
     
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  17. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    Bummer!!!!:rolleyes:
     
  18. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Bummer is right! Trapped a mouse under the hood overnight. None in the cabin. Will hunt for some strong metal screen to try to block pathways into this car's ventilation run. What a pain.
     
  19. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    We have two mousetraps (model 1.0). One with tabby and one with tuxedo option.

    :)
     
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  20. tbears99

    tbears99 Junior Member

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    I am at the dealership now having the air filter replaced and other stuff cleaned out because of a mouse nest. This is the second time in less than 4 years this has happened and I know they have gotten into the cabin more than that in the past. I drive the Prius almost every day while my Dodge Caravan sits right next to it sometimes for months at a time. No mice in that vehicle. What is it about these Prius' that the mice like?