Mouse nest

Doesn't cost anything to inquire. I'd definitely be taking my truck apart if nothing else. Just can't lose time or my life over rodent droppings blowing in my face. Good luck with your decision!

 

I read the story too, and came to the same conclusion.

 

This looks like the insulation under the carpet or maybe up by the firewall or rear or the cab?, I'm positive I've seen it somewhere inside my truck before when I pulled the seats for the katskinz install or working on something under the dash.

 

That looks exactly like the insulation under the carpet when I cut it for my underseat storage bin

 

I'll have to check under the rear seats. I called my local Toyota dealer and they are going to disinfect my hvac system for 140 bucks. Before I do that I'm taking the cowl grill off and screening off some access points.

I've also set out poison and traps..

 

Good stuff, cheap insurance can't hurt.

 

Had this happen in my 4Runner. HVAC smelled funny, assumed car was old. Found insulation in engine compartment, assumed it was deteriorating in old vehicle. Finally got into cabin filter area and found nest and it was the same stuff seen in engine compartment. Couldn’t find a source of it in the 4Runner so it seems they brought it in from somewhere else. Probably the same with your truck.

 

Yes, in one 24hr period last spring during a long rain storm, most likely one squirrel varmint cut (no chewing involved, just one clean cut) thru my sequoia's crankshaft position sensor (no more overdrive until repaired) and the very same wire on an older 4runner (not even a start after that). 4runner was an easish self repair, I couldn't undertake the 3ur's, whole intake has to come off for that repair, one day at mechanic's and $500 later all good.

I learned squirrels don't really get affected by mouse noise makers or smelly stuff from soap, oils or other things, except they really don't like fire ant poison's smell, so around the tires in plenty it goes, no problems since, I hope...

 

Shawn474 is correct. That's where i saw it. It is insulation under the carpet. I don't know if its everywhere but it IS under the rear seat. I saw it when I installed the ESP storage bins and put it under the bins once the Styrofoam was cut out. I would assume its under most of the carpet.

 

Any ideas on where to start? Should take my seats out? I see nothing just looking around the cab...

 

I wouldn't worry about it if you cant see anything obvious in the cab. Just do the screen mod like you said you were going to do, and you should be fine.

 

Ironically, I screened my HVAC and 2 other holes under the cowl today. That nest material in the op's pic may have come from the under-hood mat, the one attached to the hood. The sophisticated mice I dealt with were scrounging the felt material between the mat skin and hood. You couldn't tell by looking.
Anyways, I suggest everyone who lives in mouse country take the time to screen these openings. Mice have a direct path from the engine bay to the cab, and they are lured by the various aromas coming from the interior...air fresheners, dropped fries, crumbs, stashed energy bars, etc.. My education started when I noticed several kleenex sheets at the top of the box were shredded. My investigation led to the cab filter which had a large nest on one side, and most of the pleats of the other side were gone, being part of the nest.
I found the cab filter air vent and screened it. There are 2 other holes, 1 next to each hood hinge. The screening I used is sold in 1x2' sheets @ HDepot.

 

Unfortunately I checked and I think the hood mat is a different material. Probably came from under the carpet somewhere or the firewall.