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Removing white blower housing behind the glove box to change The foam filter not the cabin filter.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by kmsbanr, Feb 9, 2020.

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  1. kmsbanr

    kmsbanr Junior Member

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    Need help! 07 Prius mouse attack
    Decided to clean my interior cabin filter today because I hadn't done it since fall. Found a huge mouse nest all the way down into the fan. I need to clean it and trying to take it out by hand or even vacuum it is not working because the area is too small to allow the vacuum hose to go in or any attachment. Its in pieces.:mad:
    The mice also chewed the black/ gray foam in front of the fan housing, which I think is an environmental filter to block fumes from what I read while searching on PC. I want to clean it well and deodorize but this area has me stymied.
    Does anyone know how to access the blower housing interior? Or how to replace that foam. I have a KN cabin filter which is soaking in disinfectant right now.
    I have been on a mouse rampage since fall of 07 when air filter change allowed maple seeds left by the obnoxious tenant to fall into the air intake! $400 later after it stalled on a busy highway I have trapped and stopped feeding birds to cut out the risk. It has been fairly successful until this fall for some reason. I'm setting traps tonight inside my engine and car! My baby and me thank you for any help on this. Internet has been a bust!
     
    #1 kmsbanr, Feb 9, 2020
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    No two ways about it, the blower housing is hard to remove. Effectively, the dash comes out:

    [​IMG]

    In Gen 1, there was a shortcut: a plastic bar that was part of the dash, running under the glove box, was cuttable (it was even marked where to cut it), so then you could get the blower housing out without doing the whole dash. The dealer sold a little replacement metal piece to screw in replacing the cut-out plastic piece (the places for the screw holes were already in the original dash).

    I don't know whether Gen 2 had a similar shortcut.

    I'm not sure the gray foam around the recirc intake is really a filter of any kind; I think it just helps the intake-select door seal off that opening when you want fresh and not recirc.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Feb 9, 2020
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    #3 bisco, Feb 9, 2020
  4. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    Not sure what you are asking about, really. but I claim to be the queen of Prius mice housing units.

    If you are talking about cleaning out the housing BELOW where the cabin filter sits, there are a couple of solutions.

    One, the "doors" that face you are on some sort of spring system. So, I took a cap from a spray can, put a hole through the center and then took a ballpoint pen tube and put it through that cap.

    Cap was put over end of my household vacuum hose and I pushed in the spring loaded doors, stuck the pen body through the grates and turned on the vac.

    That was my early days.

    Since then I have screened off everything and the meeces no longer set up housekeeping (I hope).

    Since then, I have purchased a VaccUFlex | Vacuum Attachment

    I managed to get it from Ebay for about $18 USD. Overpriced, but it works great for cleaning out dryer vents, reaching into spaces between car seats, etc.

    Might work for you. Better than removing the dash.

    kris
     
    #4 cyberpriusII, Feb 9, 2020
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