Past couple weeks I have noticed that the car was smelling weird but just thought I ran over something. Past couple days it smells like something died so I started looking everywhere. Turns out, directly on top of my cabin filter the foam black covering is all chewed away and there is a nest of foam, fibers/fur, and anything else (poop) it could make a little nest out of.

This material is also all the way down into each fold of cloth in the filter. So I ripped it out and cleaned the area the best I could and put in a new Mann filter with charcoal. Sprayed area with some febreeze new car smell which helped, but the odor is still somewhat strong. Need to do a bit more cleaning and put something inside my car as well as something directly over the cabin filter for a while and keep my windows cracked at night.

Anyone have a favorite product? This is very frustrating, but I don't want my car to smell like flowers or cleaner either.

Any other tips would be great.

Bye, car is always parked at night in my garage but it appears that area of our car isn't that hard to access for a small critter. Just the worst place for smell.

 

I use Griot's Interior Scent Spray "Fine Leather" (they make another one also which I don't care for). This is probably the least-offensive car scent I have ever found. However I never tried spraying it into the cabin filter or a/c intake or vents, just a few spritzes under the seats as the directions say.

 

Ha!.. Despite a lot of effort I've had this happen numerous times to my S4 Wagon and Cayman. I know exactly the smell you're describing. In general getting rid of the nest and putting in new airfilter seems to work. It may take a few days. I have also used a limited amount of Wurth AC and Heating System Conditioner and sprayed it down the intake of the vent system. Very neutral smelling and seems to knock down some of the mouse funk.

 

We had rodents eat our wiring on my wife's car (not a p-car) last year. Luckily, we didn't have much of a smell from them, so can't help you there.

However, the dealership mentioned to us that if you tie a few dryer sheets inside the engine compartment, it will prevent rodents from nesting inside the car, because they can't stand the smell. I've done that to her car, replacing the sheets every month or two, and so far, no other rodent attacks (her car lives outside, mine are in the garage)

It's too late to help you at this point, but you may consider it for preventive purposes.

 

I recently purchased a used Volvo that someone seemingly spilled a whole cup of coffee with creamer and let it stay in the car. After shampooing the seats and carpets it seemed like on hot days I 'd still get the spoiled milk smell. I went to O'Mallys Auto parts and found in the section with waxes and cleaners an aerosol from Turtle Wax I believe. Short can (perhaps sea breeze scent) and you were supposed to turn the car on with AC full blast (recirculating button pressed) and let it run for 15 minutes. I think the can sprayed inside there for maybe 15 or 20 seconds. I was REALLY skeptical but I worked really well and the smell is not overwhelming at all. I would use it again. That's my $.02

 

I live in rural NC and dead (and live) mice in the car are a normal occurrence. I just remove all traces of "mouseness" and wipe everything in the neighborhood of the problem with Fantastik cleaner. After a little airing out, things return to normal.

 

 

There is a design flaw in many Honda's that allows mice to get in to the car. For me, this means that they end up building a nest somewhere within my CR-V and having babies. When I drive to the airport and park the car, the babies end up dying. The subsequent smell is unbelievably bad. But the good news is it eventually airs out and disappears. So now that you have removed the source of the smell you can at least know that time will help solve the problem.

 

Thankfully I didnt have a smell to deal with on my recent $4000 mouse attack. But they ate the cabin filter as well....good nesting material.

We use Ozium on the plane. I would pull the filter and spray it into the intake while the AC is on full blast.

 

I would call around town to see which detail shop owns a Ozone machine. Have them reclean the affected area, then apply ozone from the outside intake vent and then in the interior. While running in the interior, i'd probably request for them to leave the engine running with the A/C on with recirculation to open while the ozone machine is running. That should disinfect the interior real good.

 

I'm getting a Seinfeld flashback...

 

Problem is that the issue is in the cabin filter, and if you hit recycle, it bypasses that. I have let the car idle and just tried to circulate a lot of air through there.

 

Interesting since we have had several Honda/Acura products as well as my parent and my kids, NEVER had this issue. Our 3rd car is a pilot and it now lives outside and 179k miles later, never a problem. I guess being in south OC, the rodents here prefer to live in a Pcar

 

I hear this is a good product. I took out the new filter again last night to do more cleaning to the area and spray some rubbing alcohol in the fan intake area and ran the fan at the same time so it circulates a bit. Car smelt a bit better last night, but tis AM, still a little stench. I may buy this product as it gets good reviews and then just keep driving it and being patient (which I am not).

 

Don't mask it, use a chlorine bomb to clear it out