Engine Air Filter Mouse Nest & Other areas

So a thank you and contribution attempt from a long time googler of this forum and now new member. I live in a forested mouse friendly environment and did the screen over cabin filter air intake cabin (more on that later) but a couple weeks later I got a check engine light -WHAAAT! Hooked it up and air fuel mix was off, found a huge nest beside engine air filter.

So got a new filter in and a couple weeks later I cleaned out a bit of new debris and put a screen on that entrance to the engine filter. It was easier to do than the cabin air filter screen cause two bolts and a couple clips and it’s out and you can do it all and pop back in. They definitely come up inside that passenger side wheel well to access both filters I will attach a couple photos of my handiwork.

I should also mention that back when I did the cabin air filter screen after finding the typical disaster on top of the air filter, beside the intake air hole we screen I found a hole into the passenger side sidewall area behind the wheel well. I opened the passengers door and lifted up the rubber piece at the bottom below where the door hinges are and the crap inside there was nuts. Wet debris and dirt half rotted, definitely not good long term Re rust etc. it was a process but I used a thin stick and worked at it and got it pretty good, it was too thick and wet for vacc, the area also had some nest material but seemed more like that was just dropped there as it was below the route they took to get to the air intake. Anyway, I am using a zip strip instead of putting plugs back so I can peek under the plastic cover below wipers to make sure they aren’t making a mess on top of screen I put on as I do not want to breathe that again, but so far so good. And same with periodic looks under that rubber door jam cover. I won’t post the handi work of my cabin air intake screen as this forum is where I pulled up how to do it but didn’t see much Re engine air intake and the door jam mess area so here is my attempt! Thanks again! Happy Tacomaing all!

 

Nice job!

Welcome!

 

Thanks!

 

Make sure you keep an eye out under the intake manifold too, they like to get in the valley of the engine and chew the wires off the knock sensors which is a royal pain to fix.

 

Holy hell! Thanks

 

Welcome.

See post #26, damage done by a squirrel.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/squirrel-damage.748683/page-2#post-27543498

 

Whaaaa ok I’m checking another area, thought I was done. My gen Tacoma was an easier removal of the intake hose than this one.

 

The knock sen

The little bastards like to eat the knock sensor wires.
Evidently, those wire taste better than the easy ones to get to.