I've got a 93 Loyale 4x4 wagon that's used as a spare car. Mice got into the dashboard and were living in the ductwork. I think the mice have been dispatched now, but they've obviously built a nest in the ducts because the temperature selector levers for hot and cold will only move an inch or so, and the driver's side VENT - A/C slider lever is stuck too. Also, not much air comes out the dashboard vents. I've taken the fan out, and it's clear, as are the ducts immediately behind the dashboard. The problem is obviously deeper in. Anyone have suggestions for how and where to open up the dashboard to clean out the nest? How can I keep mice from getting in the ductwork in the future?

 

Thanks.

To keep them out in the future put some screens inside the vent.Make sure they are metal.

 

-Or the other alternative is to have a smokebomb on hand and let it fumigate them out.Although your car would stink and fumigate you out as well.

You can use mothballs - they do keep out the mice.

Jerry, what vents do you think should have screens? I'm pretty sure the mice didn't get in from the interior of the car.

 

I'd rather not use mothballs or other stuff that will worsen the aroma. Mothballs have got highly toxic chemicals in them like formaldehyde and napthalene, so they're pretty toxic to humans too. I'd rather not breathe that for the next year. I've sprayed Lysol into the vents for now, which should dissipate soon.

 

Now I've just got to figure out how to get rid of the nest.

Now I've just got to figure out how to get rid of the nest.

 

Last summer I got a car that had sitten for roughly 6 years... in other words, huge stinky nest in the heating ducts

 

Had to pull the entire dash out, pull out the heater core/AC core boxes, clean them (several times), then put it all back together. Now that I've done it once, I really don't think it would be too hard to do again.

 

Also, my friend (who now has the car) says he hasn't smelled anything bad since doing it.

 

I believe in the USRM is a guide to replacing the heater core, that has a pretty good outline of what to do to remove the dash.

Thanks hoozie, I referred to the USRM post to help figure out how to get the dash out. I found one nest in the A/C evaporator. Most of the dashboard ducts were completely clogged with either backing from the carpet or some kind of insulation from behind the dash. Haven't opened the heater box up yet to figure out why the temp selector isn't sliding.

 

While I have everything opened up, I'll replace all the dash light bulbs.

 

I'm guessing the mice are getting in from the intakes along the bottom of the windsheid. Subaru made the openings there awfully big.