Logo

PriusOnline.com

Forum for Prius Owners

sponsored link
It is currently Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:36 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 36 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: OMG...cabin filter mouse disaster!!!
PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 5:57 pm 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:01 pm
Posts: 634
I took my car in for it's 15,000 mile service the other day and they planned to change the ICE air filter and the air conditioning filter. To save money, I told them I'd do that. Well, I just did and.............I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS MESS!!!!! :x

I posted here at a thread about 8 months ago where the mice problem was discussed. I even had some insulation fly out of the dash vents when using the AC around that time, before I stopped using it for the winter. Since that thread, I have been remembering most of the time to engage the recirc. when parked. Anyway, THANK GOD I didn't use the AC today despite the 80 degree weather (I am very close to a 55 MPG tankful and didn't want to use it)!

There's quite a bit of insulation mixed in with the leaves. I will have to call service about this for any suggestions. Maybe I gotta keep a cat in the car permanently!!!

Has this happened to anyone else this bad?


Attachments:
filter1.jpg
filter1.jpg [ 355.97 KiB | Viewed 645 times ]
filter2.jpg
filter2.jpg [ 440.73 KiB | Viewed 696 times ]
Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 6:10 pm 
Offline
250+ Posts
250+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 4:42 pm
Posts: 420
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Well, umm, congratulations on your great tank?!? :shock:

_________________
--Mark
'05 Seaside AM


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 7:21 pm 
Offline
25+ Posts
25+ Posts

Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:12 pm
Posts: 27
Location: San Diego, CA
Holy cow! Looks like the mice were using the air filter as a nest!

Funny, I had a rabbit problem once with an old Honda Accord. A bunny would crawl up into the warm engine overnight during the winter. One day, I couldn't start my car. I found that the bunny had chewed right through the spark plug wires, which were colored a bright orange!

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 7:26 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts
1000+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:32 pm
Posts: 1662
Location: Southern NJ
Those aren't mice... Those are PTERYDACTYLS!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! :shock:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 8:35 pm 
Offline
250+ Posts
250+ Posts

Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 7:41 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Tennessee
That is so weird. I had exactly the same problem last week. I took Phoebe in for servicing and they showed me my filters and I about died. They looked just like those. I never thought about making sure the AC is on recirc. when I shut it off. That should help quite a bit. Thanks for posting!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 8:14 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts
1000+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:34 am
Posts: 1434
Location: MO
Ok, I needed an incentive to check the cabin air filter...that'll do it. Thanks!

What a mess, bet your FE gets a boost!

_________________
Evan Fusco, MD
'04 BC/Seaside
Nixa, MO Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Cabin Filter...
PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 8:17 am 
Offline
100+ Posts
100+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 11:11 am
Posts: 133
Location: CA Bay Area
Yeah, mine just turned 30K miles so I replaced the air filter and cabin filter. I was shocked when I pulled the cabin filter out and saw it covered with leaves and other debris -no mice though. Took me all of 30 seconds to replace it and the air filter. Cost was $24 parts.

_________________
Cairo94507
2005 Tideland Pearl-package 6
2003 Honda Accord EX, V-6 Coupe w/Navi


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 8:33 am 
Offline
50+ Posts
50+  Posts
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:13 pm
Posts: 95
Location: Jacksonville, NC
Just checked mine...After 5000 miles (service appointment is today!) there were some small leaves, dust and dried seeds from the trees in my front yard.

No mice, though! :)

_________________
My Website BrockNet.net

My Blog.

Proud driver of The Silver Rhinoceros (2006, Classic Silver Metallic, Package 1/GY)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 2:00 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:42 pm
Posts: 20
The mice have destroyed one cabin filter, and have enlarged a hole into the glove compartment. All winter I have been trapping them in the car; I caught one each day for four days in a row last month. I was getting desparate and started leaving out poison; one mouse expired in the glove compartment, which was a good place, because it was easy to find.
The poison seems to have exterminated them.
Scott


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 4:01 pm 
Offline
500+ Posts
500+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:06 pm
Posts: 922
Location: Illinois
I'm going in Monday for an oil change. Maybe I should have them check the cabin filter too? Mice don't freak me out, but not in my Prius, please!

_________________
Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Evander (immortal guinea pig)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:38 am 
Offline
100+ Posts
100+ Posts

Joined: Sun May 30, 2004 8:31 am
Posts: 209
Location: New Jersey
Hmm, perhaps the Prius was actually someone's attempt to build a better mousetrap! We live near a wildlife refuge, so we have, well, lots of wildlife in and around the house. My favorite thing is how mice eat the bait off the spring traps and never get caught in them. Maybe I'll put a little peanutbutter or cheese on the cabin filter and see if that works better than our expensive annual contract with Terminix. Better than trying to catch them in the pantry, I guess.

Susan
04 silver BC
50.2 mpg this tank
37000 miles


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 11:11 am 
Offline
500+ Posts
500+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:06 pm
Posts: 922
Location: Illinois
Susan5s wrote:
Hmm, perhaps the Prius was actually someone's attempt to build a better mousetrap! We live near a wildlife refuge, so we have, well, lots of wildlife in and around the house. My favorite thing is how mice eat the bait off the spring traps and never get caught in them. Maybe I'll put a little peanutbutter or cheese on the cabin filter and see if that works better than our expensive annual contract with Terminix. Better than trying to catch them in the pantry, I guess.

Susan
04 silver BC
50.2 mpg this tank
37000 miles


We've had more than one clever mouse who's eaten the peanut butter and gone on its merry way. Eventually we get him ( :cry: ), but sometimes it's not easy. My husband, the vegetarian, tries to catch the mice in live traps and drive them a mile away to let them loose again.

_________________
Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Evander (immortal guinea pig)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 12:45 pm 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:01 pm
Posts: 634
As an update, yesterday I checked the new cabin filter I installed on Thursday. There is already evidence of mice again--despite engaging the recirc. button. There was one piece of a leaf, one mouse turd and a bit of black fabric. I'll be out of town for a few days but I'll call the Toyota dealer. This is a rural area and I'm sure they've encountered a lot of this...perhaps they'll have some suggestions. Maybe I'll have to resort to poison...they are destroying the car! In the meantime, I'm parking in another part of the driveway, but I doubt that'll make a difference.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 12:57 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts
1000+ Posts
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:34 am
Posts: 1434
Location: MO
wayneswhirld wrote:
As an update, yesterday I checked the new cabin filter I installed on Thursday. There is already evidence of mice again--despite engaging the recirc. button. There was one piece of a leaf, one mouse turd and a bit of black fabric. I'll be out of town for a few days but I'll call the Toyota dealer. This is a rural area and I'm sure they've encountered a lot of this...perhaps they'll have some suggestions. Maybe I'll have to resort to poison...they are destroying the car! In the meantime, I'm parking in another part of the driveway, but I doubt that'll make a difference.


I bet one of those sticky traps would fit pretty well into that slot...bait it with a little peanut butter and you can catch your nemesis.

_________________
Evan Fusco, MD
'04 BC/Seaside
Nixa, MO Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 1:04 pm 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:01 pm
Posts: 634
efusco wrote:
I bet one of those sticky traps would fit pretty well into that slot...bait it with a little peanut butter and you can catch your nemesis.


Thanks for the suggestion, Doc. I just can't do that. My mother has a mice problem in her apt. and her housekeeper brought in sticky traps. Sure enough, it worked...unfortunately the mouse was still alive 24 hours later. Ok, so I could kill it, but it'd just be a never ending parade.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 36 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Yandex [Bot] and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group