Where can mice enter the cabin on a Leaf

[jjeff]

I've successfully used that aluminum foil tape for ductwork to tape over holes, they don't like chewing metal

On the same thought steel wool also works good, I like the rougher or thicker wire wool but either would probably help.

 

[goldbrick]

+1 on steel wool but I'd splurge and use stainless steel wool or similar since regular steel wool rusts pretty quickly.

 

[jjeff]

+1 on steel wool but I'd splurge and use stainless steel wool or similar since regular steel wool rusts pretty quickly.

Agree, I didn't even realize stainless steel wool was a thing, is it commonly available in big-box retailers like Home Depot and if so would it be in hardware next to sandpaper or some other area? Truthfully I haven't bough steel wool in years, my bags probably have a price sticker on them, they are that old :lol:

 

[goldbrick]

HomeDepot probably has it. My local grocery store sells Scotch-Brite brand stainless steel scrubbing pads so I assume it's readily available. Bronze wool is also common although I don't know if that would just corrode into green slime or not....and of course, it is available through Bezo's evil empire.

 

[91040]

For those old enough to remember: Rocky and Bullwinkle had to contend with metal munching moon mice in one of their adventures!

 

[Ixliam]

I have pigs and chickens and have fought mice and rats for years, even had them get into two vehicles and tear up the wiring pretty bad, along with some of the HVAC ducts under our house. While you can get plastic boxes that only they can fit in and put poison in them, which works ok, the best thing I've found is cats.

Where I'm at, and might be in your area too if you have the property, is certain rescue groups will bring out feral cats that have been fixed to your property. They stay in a large cage for a month so they get used to the sights, smells of things, while you feed, water and clean out the litter box in the big cage. After about a month, you cut them loose. We've gotten 4 of them, two are pretty friendly, and two were totally feral/wild. One wild one we never saw again once he was released, the other wild one we only see at night or sometimes about evening on the edges of woods. Sometimes he may not come up for a week to eat, but we have no mice/rats and no chipmunks anymore. Just have to provide them food, water, and shelter, and if they will let you pet them some love. They will take care of your rat/mice issues.

 

[semipro]

I think I found the entry point on my Leaf.
Something got in and filled our blower wheel up with duct insulation and leaves and such.
I cleaned it all out, cleaned the cabin filter, blew out the ductwork with a yard blower, and put everything back together.
Two days later the blower motor was noisy again. Where before everything was packed in like a nest, this time it looks like the fan just sucked in some loose insulation.
I then started looking for an entry point and found the gaping hole below in the cowl area behind the windshield wiper mechanism. The hole is approximately 3 x 9 inches.
I found some metal mesh in my junk pile and made a screen that has magnets epoxied to it. I installed this over the hole. We'll see how it works.
BTW, I'm fairly convinced that it was chipmunks who did the deed. We have no rats but sometimes mice and plenty of chipmunks. Multiple mouse traps (that don't allow larger rodents to get trapped) placed around the car have remained empty for over a week.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9jWpwfXxVcRVwyn56

https://photos.app.goo.gl/V79aoa8tytGA1dPp8

I guess I'm not allowed to attach images yet so I've tried to share them otherwise at the links above.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The images can be viewed: right click on them and select 'Open in new tab'. If you select 'view image' you won't have a way back to the post. Some images just do that - I don't know why.

 

[jjeff]

I think I found the entry point on my Leaf.
Something got in and filled our blower wheel up with duct insulation and leaves and such.
I cleaned it all out, cleaned the cabin filter, blew out the ductwork with a yard blower, and put everything back together.
Two days later the blower motor was noisy again. Where before everything was packed in like a nest, this time it looks like the fan just sucked in some loose insulation.
I then started looking for an entry point and found the gaping hole below in the cowl area behind the windshield wiper mechanism. The hole is approximately 3 x 9 inches.
I found some metal mesh in my junk pile and made a screen that has magnets epoxied to it. I installed this over the hole. We'll see how it works.
BTW, I'm fairly convinced that it was chipmunks who did the deed. We have no rats but sometimes mice and plenty of chipmunks. Multiple mouse traps (that don't allow larger rodents to get trapped) placed around the car have remained empty for over a week.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9jWpwfXxVcRVwyn56

https://photos.app.goo.gl/V79aoa8tytGA1dPp8

I guess I'm not allowed to attach images yet so I've tried to share them otherwise at the links above.

Nice, thanks for the photos and post. It's hard to tell from the photos but I'm sure when I look at them in front of the car it will make sense and I'll get my bearings. Was it hard to remove whatever covered the cowl? hard to believe how Nissan didn't didn't put mesh over it like you did, seems like an accident waiting to happen.
I also had what I believe was squirrels pack mine full last year and it hasn't happened since but it would be nice to know the source and secure it, it was a pain to clean out all the walnuts, leaves and debris and I wouldn't want it to happen again if avoidable.

 

[semipro]

Removing the cowl panel was fairly easy. You have to remove a few clips and the windshield wipers. A 14 mm wrench is used to remove the nuts securing the wiper arms and then the nuts can be placed on the stud to protect the threads as you tap gently with a hammer to loosen the arms.
Good luck!