Dead animal in my Taco cab or air system

Hello all.

Two days ago, my wife and I were running errands in my Tacoma. After our *3rd* stop, when my wife got in the front passenger seat, she noticed a tiny baby animal, likely a squirrel, on her floor mat. It was moving, still alive, but not more than maybe a couple days old. It was *not* there when we left home, or left either our first, or second stop, where we both exited the truck, licked all doors, all windows rolled up.

The next day, we got in the Taco to go out again, this time when I hit the A/C, immediate smell of death. Shut off A/C (fan), no smell. Been like this fir 3 days now. I removed the cabin air filter, and found an obvious nest of some sort of fluff, but no animals, no blood, no droppings……

My questions to you all:

Any thoughts on where else I can check for a dead animal or source of smell?

How does air get into the cab air system from outside? Where does it get in? Maybe I can look there….

How the hell can a squirrel/rat/mouse get into the air ducts to build a nest?? Can that entrance point be obstructed with wire mesh or some other thing to still allow air flow, but prevent critters?

many thanks!!

 

I wish I could answer your questions. I have great sympathy for this situation and it makes me Really mad that car designers don't seem to give a damn about animals getting into our vehicles or chewing the wires.

I had to sell a RAV4 last fall because something died in the headliner. It must have crawled up one of the pillars. Smell would not quit even though I left an ozone machine running in it for 2 hours a couple times.

My comprehensive insurance covered about half the value of the car but I never wanted to drive it again. Sold it to a kid at the body shop.

Here's hoping someone will give a detailed explanation of the HVAC dusts/intakes !!!

 

I would check the air filter / box, I would pull the wiper blades and cowl off, pull the glove box out and look around inside the dashboard. Good luck.

 

Had post on TW about rodents getting into cabin: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cabin-air-intake-screen-mod.566441/

 

This^^ cabin air filter area, if the blend door was open then it coulda gone deeper into the ducts.

 

Cabin air filter box makes a great final resting place for mice.

 

Thanks for posting the link to that thread. Excellent information!

 

My mother has a 4runner that mice have gotten into at least 2 times last year and once this year. It does stink and eventually it goes away. Her cat is NOT earning his keep!

 

You've seen some s4+&-$, it sounds like. Lazy cats not doing their job

 

Was that for taste or just habit/ritual? Sorry hope you get it corrected!

 

Rats off to ya!

 

could be anywhere...
theyre living in your engine bay under the intake making a nest...
If you dont stop it in its tracks, you will be on the hook for expensive wire repairs...

Open your hood, look for foot tracks, debris, droppings, etc....
Also where theres mice, theres rats....

 

This thread, big time. All three tacos I've eaten (lol) literally the first day home this is the first thing I do. We have horrible mouse problems where we are at. And also the engine air intake under the right front wheel cover -> OP, I'd recommend doing this too right away as since they found the cabin inlet, the might have found the engine inlet and heading towards your air filter box.

Mrs Arc's Crosstrek had them everywhere, even heard them running around in the headliner while driving. I think we eventually got them all out, but she dropped the headliner and cleaned everywhere. Then blasted the headliner with an enzyme spray daily for like a week to get rid of the stains and smells. It was rough under there but she did a good job and looks like new again.

Always go after them critters full bore once they start -

 

Thanks for all the responses. I did find and follow the thread referenced above. I did have to remove the wind shield wiper arms, as the cowl on my 2017 can't just be lifted up a bit to get to the air intake. Interestingly, my truck had a hard plastic screen over the air intake from the factory. But the mouse was able to get in anyway. This is the one picture I took, you can see the factory screen in place, and the mouses head where it got stuck between wall of the air intake portal, he got his head stuck, ,and died. I cut out the factory screen, and then managed to get the mouse out. No blood, guts, etc.. I went to Lowes and bought the same rain gutter leaf guard screen as the guy in the thread referenced above, so hopefully I won't need to do this shit again....

 

They are able to get into places you'd never believe

 

As I said, look in your engine compartment, there may be more living in there...

 

Rodents are getting in these areas and dying because they simply don't know the dangers.
If Toyota would put some warning signs up in the engine bay that read something like : * Hey rodents, this is a dangerous area and you can get right dead in here, take your family someplace else, stay safe * I'm sure they would be more than happy to move along.

 

Next government study;Are rats sentient beings?

 

They're goverment spy/recon vessels just like birds.

 

Birds aren't real