I hate meeces to pieces - 2018 Tundra

So I discovered that under the lid of my console, a mouse had made a home. Then shortly after, I started smelling something dead in my vehicle. Seems mostly coming from when I turn on the A/C.

I decided to remove the cabin air filter and much to my surprise, not only was it dirty, there were bones on top of it. Now, I don't mean the bones of a mouse, I mean sizable bones that the thing had obviously picked up from somewhere else and brought in (see photo).

I checked to make sure nothing was in the blower ring below the filter and then took my phone and snapped a picture of what was above the filter. Is that two glowing eyes I see? Can't be sure, can't get far enough up in there to see. See photo.

I'm thinking if I remove my glovebox, I may be able to get my hand up in there. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

Yes. Do this.

 

My first chore is to find the dead rodent to rid the cab of the smell, I think it may be just up above where the filter is based on those pics but I can't get my hand up there.

I watched a few videos to the point to where a person took out the glovebox, after removing the airbag and it still was hard to see up in there.

In your pics, the first one, I think there is a plastic grate in front of all that, correct? Then you glued on wire mesh.

In your second pic, where is the hole you are trying to cover up? The firewall on the drivers side?

Thanks!

lw

 

Yes, the plastic grate can be a problem figuring out how to compress the clips holding it on. After you overcome the problem of getting the wiper arms off. The clips need to be compressed side to side using needle nose pliers pointing straight back towards the rear of the truck and with a trim tool pry up on the grate at the same time. For the big hole I put a layer of hardware cloth inside and outside and used thin stainless wire to tie the two together. Didn't want to do any drilling. The other two smaller holes I cut and bent the screen to fit and dabbed a wad of silicone on there to hold it. I'll link the puller I used for the wiper arms....

BRB

Edit: the second pic is behind the wiper monkey motion. Just like the one on the pax side to the left of the big hole.

Here's the one I used

$11 HFS(R Wiper Arm Puller and Battery Terminal Removal Tools

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08QHD4YR6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

Wife has two felines and feeds a stray that some military guy left behind when he PCSd. No meeces here.

 

Bastages! Retired... has the ticket. I did the same and used the same puller on the wipers, loosely following the info in this link. Man, if it's not stinking rodents it's cat converter thieves.

 

The first step was to get one of those camera scopes from Auto Zone for the evening. I now believe those things that I though were shining eyes are actually wires the mouse chewed through, so it was time to go deeper.

I took the panels and airbag off and then took the glovebox out. Scoped it again. Nothing. Didn't see any loose wires.

Anyway, I put a new Fabreeze cabin air filter in and will just have to wait until the rodent turns in to dust I guess. Lots of riding with the windows open and the air going.

Next I'll follow retireds advice and work on blocking the entry. For all I know it may even be down in there.

Thanks!

 

The only thing I would be concerned about is the feces being blown around the cabin.

I thought we had a member here who had a terrible reaction to it.

 

True, but I'm not going to spend $1000 having someone tear my dash apart. I ride around with the windows open a lot anyway so I'll just keep the air flowing with the windows down and take my chances. Who knows what kind of stuff blows out of vents anyway that we don't even know is there?

 

Maybe these or similar, could help with the odor:
https://ductaid.com/
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...tKdzRYEDumE_5IuufcxoCILwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

If the smell is coming from the ac vents it would definitely be worth looking into. If he gets caught in a blend door and breaks it that's gonna be expensive.

A mice chewed my shifter wires 2 years ago, so I had to depress the button to be able to remove it from park. The center console piece comes off pretty easy, I'd check there too. Only take a few minutes to pop it off.

 

What is the 'blend door'?

 

Never mind, looked it up. So, if it just happens to be in the blend door I guess to test it, the air or heat won't turn on/off when you try to change the mode?

 

It controls which way the air flows in the dash. Floor, dash vents etc.