I am trying to help a friend out, it is a little comical of the blind leading the blind, at least he is quick to buy the beer though !!!

His 4 year old D-Max Highlander stinks. Rats or Mice gave birth in his Air System.

First we didn't know what it was, I pulled 3 screws out supporting the fan, inside passenger side, below to the left of the 'glove box'.

It was full of crap and also 4 rat bodies cut in half, new born with their eyes closed. I can't easily see how to get access to the rest of it with out pulling the dash apart, which is way out of my abilities.

I spose, let let nature do it's work, smell should go soon enough.

QUESTION:

I am asking, there are two air intakes I presume, one inside the car for recycled air, and one out side for direct vent, any tips where I will find the Direct outside one, where I presume the mum gained entry to the system to give birth ?

I had the same problem. Had it removed by the dealer, and make sure the air inlet is closed when I park the car now.

It's located underneath the trucks cowling in front of the windshield, if you're not mechanically ept I'd do as Stevenl suggested... and or use a vacuum cleaner to clean it out if you have one for the purpose..

Edited March 12, 201214 yr by WarpSpeed

Exactly the same in my DMax. The nest was built in the A/C fan housing whilst I was away for 4 weeks, the car was parked near a rice storage shed. Managed to clean it out but couldn't find the dead one. Stank for months but finally went away. 2 years later the cooling radiator under the dash let go and that's where technician found some small bones and fur. Obviously the decaying body in conjunction with condensation caused the radiator to rot away.

In hind sight it would have been best to get the system cleaned out by a professional at the time.

Hind sight? You mean stinking for months was not a good enough reason?

We had similar problem in Vigo....rats piss smell when aircon on or air vent opened.

Toyota fixed it for 200b.

Closing the airvent when parked.....does that actually stop them getting in ??

Also rats piss/feces has a rather nasty disease associated with it, so best to remove quickly.

Closing the airvent when parked.....does that actually stop them getting in ??

It was the advice I was given, and did not have any problems since.

QUESTION:

I am asking, there are two air intakes I presume, one inside the car for recycled air, and one out side for direct vent, any tips where I will find the Direct outside one, where I presume the mum gained entry to the system to give birth ?

The one on the left with car and sign something like this is shut.

ac.bmp

We had similar problem in Vigo....rats piss smell when aircon on or air vent opened.

Toyota fixed it for 200b.

Closing the airvent when parked.....does that actually stop them getting in ??

Also rats piss/feces has a rather nasty disease associated with it, so best to remove quickly.

He means setting the control to internal air recycle, this closes the external air intake.

I don't know if it's good or bad (??),but I always have the AC settings on recycle(don't want to sack in the fumes from outside)...just every so often crack the window a little to get some fresh air as desire...

I never open the vent.

Wow, thanks for the reply's, I am reluctant topull it apart anymore as it's not my car, and I don't want their to be issues. Told him to take it to the dealer.

Just curious though, is there a filter in these blowers? Or is the best filter to just use recycle? I am just thinking of all the smoke up north?

Wow, thanks for the reply's, I am reluctant topull it apart anymore as it's not my car, and I don't want their to be issues. Told him to take it to the dealer.

Just curious though, is there a filter in these blowers? Or is the best filter to just use recycle? I am just thinking of all the smoke up north?

AFAIK no filter there. And even if there were, recycle would be best.

Some have filters, some don't. I know my '99 Sierra had a great filter, not sure about the Isuzu I'm driving now.

same my problem with a 2010 vigo always have the recycle setting on only occasional the outside inlet but i always shift it back to recycle ,this because i smoke in the car and hile driving have the window open for a good centimeter and still get rats inside the ac its like they put em in at the service in the toyota garage

Get you a cat.

My Ford Focus was stinking BIG time. There were maggots on the passenger side floor. The dealer tore everything apart and cleaned it the best they could but the smell remained for a couple of months. There was a plastic screen over the air intake under the hood that mice or rats had chewed through. My wife has now given up her parking spot in the garage and parks under the lean to roof outside. The most amazing part is how the flies managed get in to lay eggs on the dismembered new born mice.

Before that happened, she didn't want me to poison the pests but now she says nothing about me feeding them.