Check your air box…

[Shortstuff116]

Within a week of getting my new 21 Ranger Lariat I popped the hood and found that something made a nest right on top of my battery. I didn't think much of it but over the months since I was seeing what looked like wet spray marks all throughout the interior. A couple months ago I installed the factory trailer brake controller which wired all the way back into the 3rd brake light and noticed what looked like mouse poop as far back as the bottom of the C pillar. Last week I put a couple mouse traps on my back floorboard (see pics) and have already caught 3 of them. In the pics below you'll also see a clump of material I found in my air cleaner today so I covered the intake with wire mesh.

In other posts, I've read and seen pics about the air intake for the heating/cooling system down through the cabin filter, but no picture shows me clear enough exactly where the air intake(s) are for the interior. Is it underneath the plastic cowl by the wipers? Can anyone please tell me where and how to get to these intake(s) so I can also block them with wire mesh.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sponsored

 

[Dgc333]

Mice got into my Barracuda in the garage and ate a hole in the headliner and built a nest up there. I got one of those ultra sonic & strobing LED deterrent and haven't seen any signs since.

The unit I got senses battery voltage changes so it turns off when you start the vehicle and turns on when you shut it off. Also has a low battery monitor so it will shut off before the battery is dead. Wasn't expensive, as I recall it was about $40.

Looks like you may need two, one under the hood and one under the dash.

 

[NotBudule]

love these , caught 8 in one day ... that mesh you used is a little big though , mickey might squeeze in there if he wants it bad enough..

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Steve,

Many threads on mice!

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/google-search/?q=mice

Best ,
Phil

 

[Joeiconic]

love these , caught 8 in one day ... that mesh you used is a little big though , mickey might squeeze in there if he wants it bad enough..

Agreed, that mesh is too big to stop a mouse.

 

[Kyp317]

Every time I see these threads it makes me paranoid lol. I love on a farm so LOTS of field mice. Have not seen any indications they are messing with my Ranger. Would your auto insurance cover damage they do to peoples vehicles?

 

[Shortstuff116]

Well, I spent a good part of a day putting a (size 6) stainless steel mesh over the two air ports that allow air into the cabin air system. It was a fairly easy fix as you can see in the pics. I ended up molding the mesh so that as one piece it would cover both openings. I ended up using JB Weld Steel Stick. I cut and mixed a batch of it and stuck strips above and below each opening and then pressed the mesh into them. I then molded the putty tight into the mesh as you can see in the pic. Within an hour the putty was rock hard and provided a nice tight fit for the mesh.

 

[Metal Geezer]

Well, I spent a good part of a day putting a (size 6) stainless steel mesh over the two air ports that allow air into the cabin air system. It was a fairly easy fix as you can see in the pics. I ended up molding the mesh so that as one piece it would cover both openings. I ended up using JB Weld Steel Stick. I cut and mixed a batch of it and stuck strips above and below each opening and then pressed the mesh into them. I then molded the putty tight into the mesh as you can see in the pic. Within an hour the putty was rock hard and provided a nice tight fit for the mesh.

That’s the solve right there.

 

[Racket]

That’s the solve right there.

Get this to Ford Engineering stat!

 

[gfitzge2]

No worries here it's to darn hot. My garage will be well over 110 in the summer and no mouse is dumb enough to climb into my air box in that heat. If they did they'd fry in minutes. Bet they taste like chicken? ?

Let us know when you try that. I am going to pass.

 

[AzScorpion]

Let us know when you try that. I am going to pass.

Greg, it's been almost a year and I haven't brought myself to try it yet. I was hoping someone from the Friday Night Drunk post would try it. ?

 

[Metal Geezer]

Greg, it's been almost a year and I haven't brought myself to try it yet. I was hoping someone from the Friday Night Drunk post would try it. ?

Challenge accepted!

 

[Trigganometry]

Challenge accepted!

 

[Ronbo]

In other posts, I've read and seen pics about the air intake for the heating/cooling system down through the cabin filter, but no picture shows me clear enough exactly where the air intake(s) are for the interior. Is it underneath the plastic cowl by the wipers? Can anyone please tell me where and how to get to these intake(s) so I can also block them with wire mesh.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I went with an old window screen.

 

[2020FX4]

I've been pretty good about keeping an eye out and checking under the hood every few weeks for any activity, but with all the rain we have been having for the last month, I slacked off and the dammm rats finally got me.
I went to change my cabin filter last week and found some doo-doo and someones been chew-chewing on it which means they have found their way into the heater box.
I popped the hood to investigate and found more poo...... AND they have been eating my engine cover and tasting some of my wiring. ( luckily nothing major ). I hate rats. ?

Sponsored