Dead mouse on top of cabin air filter!

What the hell is that smell? I couldn't figure it out. I workout almost every day (obsessed a little some would say) and get in my truck a little sweaty, so occasionally I have to give the interior a good cleaning to keep it from smelling like a locker room, but, damn, I don't smell that bad! Then my Tacoma starts to smell up the whole garage! I think, that smells like death, literally. I start cleaning the daylights out if it and decide to check out the cabin "fresh" air fliter, pull it out and BAM!! Out pops a mouse, decaying mouse that is. NASTY! My truck smells like dead mouse!

Anyway, anyone know where, exactly, the fresh air comes into the cab? Isn't there a screen or something to keep this from happening?

 

Not sure where the air comes from, but I think it's from just in front of the windshield if it's like my old F150. We've replaced the ENGINE air filter twice on my wife's car becuase some mice thought it tasted good...

 

i had the exact same happen, 1 dead adult, 4 dead newborns, stunk to high heaven.. can still smell it just thinking about it now... took a long time to get rid of the smell,.. lots of lyson and air fresheners wedged in the cabin filter.. bought some ac duct spray as well.. good luck

 

I wanted to change my cabin air filter, but I thought I read that tacomas do not have one. So much conflicting info on this site...or maybe it's me, who knows!? Where do I access the cabin air filter?

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dude, hinge the glove box door open in, reach in there open the drawer, and pull out the cabin air filter. replace with new one. installation is the reverse of removal.

 

^^ Open the glove box, release the stops by flexing them inward to allow the glove box to drop all the way to the floor mat. That will expose a little door covering the filter. Pop it open, and slide the filter out toward you - and if your '07 has never been changed, be ready for a nasty surprise.

 

Dammit!! I'm going to have look right now as a matter of fact, but I only have 50k on my 07 soooo fingers crossed. I doubt I'll find mice, but probably a couple dried up frogs.

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Thanks I found it and it was dirty but not too bad. Then this cylindrical thing fell out, and the glove box came out in my hands. Not sure where this plastic cylinder goes but got the box back in and cleaned filter for now.





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that plastic cylinder fits on the right side, its the shock absorber for when you just want to let the door swing open.
if you dont put it back the door will fall without cushion

if you put your finger in that little hole and pull you will see what i mean.
its PITA to get back into place also

 

Hmm, not near as bad as I expected.

The round cylinder deal is a damper for the glove box, and they tend to fall off as yours did. On the right side of the glove box and opening, there are two plastic posts - snap it back onto them, then put a small screw into the split of each one to keep it from falling off - if you care to have it on there.

 

I sprayed it down with Lysol. Hoping it with be gone by morning. Crazy the places mice can get!

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/301476-mice-my-taco.html?highlight=intake+screen

 

Had a situation similar to this in my Dad's Excursion, that smell did not go away for months. Use deoderizers and spray everything in the car, the smell will start sticking to the seats and carpet if it heats up in your car with the smell trapped in the truck.

 

Just had the same experience with my Infiniti G35 less the dead mice! Never changed the cabin filter so decided to do it....about a quart of insulation, paper pieces etc piled in there (but no mice or mouse shit luckily). Seems that with most vehicles the critters can access the vents via the wheel wells and such. Most major areas are covered, but those little suckers seem to find the way in. Worth checking every six months or so just in case!

 

Here's the cabin air filter that was in my PreRunner when they sold it to me at the dealer. This is after they said the truck had been completely gone over and serviced, thank you Romano Toyota for the great service. Still taking anti -biotics for the sinus infection before I caught this.

And the air filter also...

 

Just now... 2011 DCLB 50k miles

 

Holy crap man you can make a basket out of that

I really need to check mine and already have the replacement, its been sitting in my garage for about 3 months now

 

The round cylinder deal is a damper for the glove box, and they tend to fall off as yours did. On the right side of the glove box and opening, there are two plastic posts - snap it back onto them, then put a small screw into the split of each one to keep it from falling off - if you care to have it on there.[/QUOTE]

Yep. More quality issues. After the third replace on mine, I glued a small wedge in there (rubber) so I can still slide it off.

 

Them critters get in there to bed, breed and die.

I had a family of squirrels living under my dash and made a nest with the fabric that lines the firewall. I noticed they were getting in through that opening under the plastic where the windshield meets the hood. I applied a few layers of chicken wire. you would probably need a smaller type of netting to keep mice out.

My cat was able to pull a few of the little buggers out, I had to replace the cabin filter as it smelt of rodent urine, and also thoroughly vacumed out the filter housing.

 

Deadmau5?