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Today, while driving my Cayman, I noticed some tiny black debris around the HVAC vent at the base of the windshield. It was one of those "H-m-m-m-m-m" moments, but I went on to my destination, parked and locked my car. Was in the store probably 10 minutes and came out to flashing lights and the alarm going off in an otherwise empty parking lot.
I shut the alarm off, walked around the car and seeing no damage, got in and drove off. A couple of minutes later, I was sitting in slow traffic with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the console when I felt something on my hand....Looked down and there was a mouse sitting on my hand. Of course, in the subsequent spasmodic freak-out, I jerked my hand and the mouse fell on the floor and scurried under the seat.
When I got home, I examined the black debris on the dash. It was tiny pieces of black plastic that had apparently been blown out of the ducts when I turned on the defrost/defogger to clear the windshield. I then went into the frunk and removed the cover over the battery. The area under the battery was filled with seeds and house insulation, probably a pound or so. Clearly the little bastard had set up house keeping in there and then gnawed his way into the car (Hence the black plastic bits blowing out of the ducts).
I've vacuumed and blown most of the seed/insulation crud out from under the battery area, but I can't get it all out without some major disassembly. More concerning is that there is apparently a mouse-sized hole somewhere under the dash or ducts. I've found no plastic bits under the dash and none under where the car is parked.
Any advice on where/how I should be looking for damage?
My concern would be the little critter munching on the wiring. Rodents love wiring! I'd go to the dealer or independent shop and have them take a look.
firstly, i had a rodent chew some wires on an Audi and cost my insurance company $4 for a new harness. Them rodents love wire as the wire shrouds are make from a soy base. after that incident i now sprinkle cayenne pepper powder around the engine compartment. so far so good. Also, even if you car is garaged make sure all ingress is sealed with no food, like dog food, stored in the garage.
If you have a garage there are small plug in ultrasonic devices that supposedly repell rodents. I have four of them arranged in various wall outlets. I also lay down sticky traps near the garage doors during winter storage just in case any of the little rascals decide to come inside.
I've used this stuff called "Victor Scent Away" from Home Depot for ~$8. Seemed to work well.
They're small mint scented packets (trying to post a pic..)
Oh I feel for you!!! Those little bastards are EVIL....I have had them in all my daily drivers except my Porsches which are in a varmint proof garage (so far)
Barncat. We have one in the block where the car garage is. I do have to scoop up remains left outside a door from time to time. I know which cat it is and give it a treat when I see it.
If you do use bait put it outside in a place where only mice can get to get, you do not want to train mice to come inside to eat.
If you have a garage there are small plug in ultrasonic devices that supposedly repell rodents. I have four of them arranged in various wall outlets. I also lay down sticky traps near the garage doors during winter storage just in case any of the little rascals decide to come inside.
Yep...I've ordered some from Amazon....
Originally Posted by Cayman-S Crush
I've used this stuff called "Victor Scent Away" from Home Depot for ~$8. Seemed to work well.
They're small mint scented packets (trying to post a pic..)
Thanks for that info....I'll pick up a few packs and place them in the area around the battery....Got to smell better than moth *****!
Originally Posted by Opus1
Yep even Mickey likes Porsches :>}
Did you Find da little varmint or is he still ridin shotgun ?
I'm reasonably sure that he bailed when I got back to the house, but just in case, I've got traps set in both footwells and outside at the tires, I'll know more tomorrow I suppose....
Originally Posted by Oski981
Were you able to determine how the mouse got into the frunk to begin with? And once in the frunk, did the critter eat his way through the cabin air pre-filter to enter the hvac ducts to get into the cabin? Just put my 981 into winter hibernation for the first time...thinking about preventive measures.....any advice welcome.
Best I can tell, up the right front tire/suspension, in around the right front fruck strut, then under the cover via the small openings on both sides. Once in there, it set up house with seeds and house insulation (From the attic above). I checked the filter and fan and both are intact, but the black plastic bits on my dash surely indicates that it gnawed its way into the cabin...I just have no idea where...Its been in there for some time because the seed debris was a solid block in places and I had to break it up before I could vacuum it out.
I wish I could advise you on preventative measures, but we've been parking cars in our garage for 25+ years and have never had a problem with mice. This is all new to me....
Here’s my photo of mouse damage. Fortunately he only chewed the cabin filter, and besides a bit of a mess in the battery area and on top of the engine itself there was no lasting damage.
Newer cars have soy and other plant based plastic coatings on wires which become a food source for mice, unfortunately it means we need to be more diligent with our pest management. I make a point to walk around the garage regularly in search of mice droppings and other hints of rodents.
11-23-2018, 07:31 PM
Rodent problem
I'd go to the dealer or independent shop and have them take a look.
