Well, I went out to start my car today for the first time since December. To my surprize, when I pulled back the car cover, the hood was covered in mouse pee and droppings. I pulled back the cover farther to find that the little bastards had been running all over the car, pissing as they went, droppings everywhere, right under the cover.

I opened the driver's door, the smell was overpowering... the interior was damp and reeked of mouse crap, ****, dead mice, etc... I looked around inside, it doesn't look like they actually made it into the interior thank GOD...

So I checked a few things out, hooked up the battery then fired her up. Started like a champ.

Once the coolant warmed up a little the HVAC fan came on. THUD, THUD, RUMBLE RUMBLE THUD, SWISH RUMBLE... I think there's a dead mouse inside the fan wheel, and definitely alot of droppings in there. Looking under the pass side dash, there was a funky black goo oozing out of the heater vent hole. ****.

How/where does the HVAC system come apart? I've got a weekend project ahead of me taking this whole mess apart and cleaning out everything I can get to. I'm going to need to take it in somewhere and get all the fabrics in the interior cleaned to get the smell out. Hopefully it comes out...

Has anyone else gone through this? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated! This is NOT the way I wanted to start my weekend!

 

What a mess! Good luck with getting it cleaned up!

 

That really sucks Sounds like you have your work cut out for you.

 

It happens a lot. Also look under the fuel rail covers, had a small nest there when i bought my car. If you want to get them out and keep them out when you store the car put some moth ***** in nylons or socks. Did it with my car this winter and not a sign of mice. Moth ***** smell for awhile but it comes out...i put some in engine compartment, passenger floor and trunk area... Others use other things you will find but you have to use something.

Sounds like you have a dead mouse in the fan area from what you say, or he got dead when you turned the fan on. Good luck

 

Wear a mask so you dont risk Hanta Virus.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/h...s/outbreak.htm

 

That just means you are wasting away a good vette.

Get out there and drive that toy model

 

You are probably going to have to remove the dash cover. Its not that hard to do. The worst part is the dash pocket itself, the rest is easy. From there, based upon what I saw in mine when I just had it out to replace the HUD, the main portions of the ventilation looked like it was in the middle of the dash behind the radio/hvac controller. There was a large frame assembly around that whole area that looked like it wouldn't be too hard to get out. Don't hold me too that please! I was in there to take that part out so I really don't know.

 

Next year buy a cat.

 

sucks to hear... atleast your interior is fine.

did you get a chance to clean the exterior up... any issues with the pee and your paint?

 

 

I had a mouse nest appear on top of my engine a couple of summers ago. Amazingly, they established their little homestead over a one week period since the car was being driven regulary.

After doing some research and asking a lot of questions, I ended up using Irish Spring soap. I bought a single bar and shaved it into a couple of ziplock bags. Anytime the car isn't being driven regulary, I put one open bag in the engine compartment and another in the driver's side floorboard. The bag on the floorboard serves as a reminder to remove the bag in the engine compartment before driving.

I've had ZERO mice problems since and the car always smells good.

 

Something that smells a little better are those those white sheets you put in the dryer for softness or what ever there used for. Put them all over the engine compartment. It works!

 

We had mice getting in our motorhome when we parked it over the winter. Someone told us to put fresh 'Bounce' fabric softener sheets wherever there was a place for them to get in. They won't get rid of the ones that are already there, you have to exterminate those, but it will keep new ones from moving in. We were desperate so we tried it and it worked for us. Hope it works for you.

 

Man talk about kicking a guy when he is down I guess you have never lived in Canada especially in the winter, their winters are a little different than the ones in San Antonio

Good luck getting your Vette cleaned up, what a @#*% way to start your spring

 

gpracer1, I really think he needs to get a blow gun with poisonous darts to kill the live ones left, don't you think? (sorry, inside joke. Coulnd't resist!)

Seriously though, that has got to be the worst feeling when you pull back the cover on your C5 to find this mess greeting you. If you do a detailed search of posts on the forum, I'm sure you'll come up with some excellent advice on how to clean this putrid mess up and prevent it from happening in the future.

 

i have so many traps around my car I can barley get in it

 

Left mine in a friend's equipment shed while we went to race in Atlanta and the little bastards build in my fan. You are in luck it is fairly easy to remove the fan. Drop the passenger side panel and you will see the bottom of the motor. Take out the three bolts, remove the rubber hose, you may have to move the fan a bit to access the electrical connection. It is really not hard to get out. I found a huge wad of nest the good news was they didn't have time to finish and live in it. Clean and disinfect and you are home free. Also check in hvac ducts while you are at it. Best of luck.

 

I agree with the Bounce fabric softener sheets. Each winter, I put one sheet in each tailpipe, several sheets in the interior and several several around the engine compartment, with the opened box set in there, also. I've never had a problem. Good luck on cleaning al that crap up. It could've been even worse if the little bastiches had started eating wire insulation.
Ed

 

Not sure how it all comes apart, but best of luck getting all the mess and smell out of the car. I don't envy you at all.

 

Poison......if only I had some tree frogs back then, that pigeon would have only needed one dart. Brilliant!!!
Dont hurt the mice, that one fool might call the ASPCA on you, lol.