Dead mouse

Melinda · Sep 20, 2022

Hi! I’m trying to figure out the source of a dead rodent smell. I took the cabin air filter out and there’s mice droppings in it, but that’s it. Any suggestions where I can look? The smell is absolutely disgusting 2021 Ram sport 5.7 Thanks

Kickboxer · Sep 20, 2022

You seem to have found it. Mouse **** is bad, very bad.
Replace the filter, and wipe everything you can with strong cleaners.
Do you have a garage ? This time of year they are looking for a
new home. Get out the traps. Smap traps with peanut butter are a
great start.

ramffml · Sep 20, 2022

Kickboxer said:
You seem to have found it. Mouse **** is bad, very bad.
Replace the filter, and wipe everything you can with strong cleaners.
Do you have a garage ? This time of year they are looking for a
new home. Get out the traps. Smap traps with peanut butter are a
great start.

Can confirm peanut butter works great.

You may want to try a "lysol" disenfectant, that seems to work best with neutralizing cat waste and might work OK with mice too.

Dusty · Sep 23, 2022

If your cabin filter was not perforated or otherwise violated, it likely means mice never got past it and into the heater box. More than likely, however, is there is mouse nesting material in the cowl area. Don't have any good suggestions on how to remove it, unfortunately.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 77737 miles

Wallyb4 · Sep 23, 2022

I would remove the fan and see if they got in there also. They might have built a nest in the fan cage. Once you get it all cleaned out get a few cans of Lysol, put the ac on high and make sure it is in recir. Spray the cans in there till it is like a fog. Shut the door and let it go to work.

fratzog · Sep 26, 2022

I have had good luck with this to keep rodents out of my vehicles. Put multiple bags in the interior. And one or two under the hood.

https://www.amazon.com/Victor-M805-Scent-Away-Natural-Repeller/dp/B00SVHTDZM/ref=sr_1_5_mod_primary_new?crid=G4PVQDIY8KC5&keywords=victor+peppermint+oil+mouse+repellent&qid=1664206820&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjQzIiwicXNhIjoiMy44NyIsInFzcCI6IjMuNTIifQ%3D%3D&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=victor+pepp%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-5

Elkman · Sep 26, 2022

I had a mouse that had built a nest inside the engine bay but found it very difficult to remove the odor in the cab. What finally worked was using a spray bottle of Febreze. I sprayed the entire dash and floor and doors of the truck and it completely fixed the odor problem. Zero odor even after days with the cab in the sun and heating up inside.

Knuckgush · Sep 26, 2022

Did you find the dead mouse? You have to find it and get rid of it. I left my Ram 1500 parked for a few weeks, and found the ENTIRE air filter box FILLED with mouse nesting material! Totally filled! I don’t know how the truck even ran with that. I replaced the air filter box with a K&N torpedo filter. Truck ran better tha ever!!! Get ridda the critter.

Cash22 · Sep 26, 2022

Melinda said:
Hi! I’m trying to figure out the source of a dead rodent smell. I took the cabin air filter out and there’s mice droppings in it, but that’s it. Any suggestions where I can look? The smell is absolutely disgusting 2021 Ram sport 5.7 Thanks

Set up a couple of mouse traps under you hood and bait with a slim Jim.

lighthawk · Sep 26, 2022

Elkman said:
I had a mouse that had built a nest inside the engine bay but found it very difficult to remove the odor in the cab. What finally worked was using a spray bottle of Febreze. I sprayed the entire dash and floor and doors of the truck and it completely fixed the odor problem. Zero odor even after days with the cab in the sun and heating up inside.

I found rodent footprints all over my engine compartment after camping in a meadow located in a remote part of Nevada. I shudder to think what would have happened if they had chewed our wires. It was near where the Stolpa's nearly died one winter, if you remember the story. A buddy worked that area for BLM and says the rodents are notorious for chewing on vehicle wiring. We were lucky.

The most recent issue is my wife's cat. I found her fur on top of the engine cowling, and it's clear she's climbed up there assumedly by hopping up on a tire. I had a bunch of dried thai dragon chilis from our garden, so I put them in the food processor and put the pulverized chilis into cheese cloth and ******* sachets. I waved it in front of the cat's nose and she bolted. lol I was careful to wash my hands and not touch my eyes after making these up.

I've placed one bag taped to the top of my cowling, and made up four other bags with small weights (machine nut) tied to them. I can put those on top of our wheels when we're out camping in the boonies, or on my driveway to keep the cat out. I put weights on them to keep them from blowing away. I keep them in a ziplock in exterior storage on my camper.

68PowerWagon · Sep 26, 2022

This was in my, at the time, brand new Durango. Popped the hood when I got home & saw this. Asked the dealer "did I have to pay extra for this?"

RickH · Sep 26, 2022

In response to post #8, I had a similar problem but solved it by inserting a piece of quarter inch galvanized screen over the air inlet tube at the wheel well junction. I just folded it over the end of the tube on the engine side and not one of those little monsters has gotten into my airbox since, and it's been at least 7 years!

huntergreen · Sep 27, 2022

fratzog said:
I have had good luck with this to keep rodents out of my vehicles. Put multiple bags in the interior. And one or two under the hood.

https://www.amazon.com/Victor-M805-Scent-Away-Natural-Repeller/dp/B00SVHTDZM/ref=sr_1_5_mod_primary_new?crid=G4PVQDIY8KC5&keywords=victor+peppermint+oil+mouse+repellent&qid=1664206820&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjQzIiwicXNhIjoiMy44NyIsInFzcCI6IjMuNTIifQ%3D%3D&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=victor+pepp%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-5

Where under the hood ? Thanks

GTyankee · Sep 28, 2022

When you raise the hood, look just above the air cleaner & that plastic cover on the top of the engine.

There will be a black plastic piece that goes from one hood hinge to the other, i believe it is suppose to be fastened to the sheet metal piece above it

as you can see, there several places for rodents to nest.
There is nothing much to stop a rodent from squeezing between the black plastic & the sheet metal.
( Normally there is another covering hiding the windshield wiper. )
Once in there, there is a large opening on the passenger side, where they can get inside the HVAC Box & down to the Cabin Air Filter, the Recirculation Door is always open by DEFAULT, when the ignition is in the OFF position

1 MEAN66 · Oct 1, 2022

Wallyb4 said:
I would remove the fan and see if they got in there also. They might have built a nest in the fan cage. Once you get it all cleaned out get a few cans of Lysol, put the ac on high and make sure it is in recir. Spray the cans in there till it is like a fog. Shut the door and let it go to work.

I had one of the fellas get as far as the fan in one of my vehicles. But he did not survive the "merry-go-round". He was easily located as when fan got turned on there was a large vibration in the dash. Agree pull the filter and the motor see if jimmy and/or karen, are at home never to answer the door bell again. Other wise you might have to pull the heater box, to disassemble and clean.

JJRR · Oct 3, 2022

I have had mice inside my vehicle, how they get in I don't know. I do know they hate the smell of peppermint oil, so got some from Walmart. Went to the hunting Dept. and bought some scent wicks and placed them under the hood after I soaked them in peppermint oil. Seems to work, or Tractor Supply has an aerosol spray for this problem.

dick strough · Feb 19, 2024

My 2001 has inch diameter drain holes in each corner of the wiper compartment under the plastic cow. Once the mice come through the drain holes, they go into the softball size hole in the firewall then right into the fresh air vent, and if your vent door is open they can come into the cab. Once I shop-vacked a football sized nest out of the fresh air area, cleaned both inside and outside areas, I put wire mash in both drain holes. Lets the water from the windshield still drain ok. ****

Dead mouse

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