Chipmunks and Oil

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by YodaBird

All cars are the same in this aspect ? The images you posted don't look like a 2012-2013 Yaris ?

What about laying a steel mesh on-top of the filter when putting in the filter ?

Can you turn on A/C or Heat without a filter, can you use a substitute temporarily ?

Last but not least, who would I get to do this; I don't know how to take apart a car as you do, and how much may someone charge for this, eeks !

My pictures are of a 2nd gen, but the 3rd gen is very similar. I also had the same issue with my Tacoma, which I parked outside and suddenly realized that mice were living above the cabin air filter, when I pulled it and a coffee can full of chewed hickory nuts came pouring out. The fix for it was very similar. A piece of screen mesh on top of the cabin filter would definitely work for now, but blocking it before entry should eventually be your target.

[YodaBird]

I checked the cabin filter it appears as though the metal mesh is working, although it does look like one of two things, either the squirrel / chipmunk is getting it's torn cabin filter from another car parked near our car, or this seems almost impossible unless he's doing a balancing act, he is pulling whatever he can get his hands on of left over filter I didn't clean out beneath the metal mesh and putting it on top of the metal mesh as I found a small wad of filter on top of the metal mesh.

I say it's almost impossible because the metal mesh is near perfect size to the size of the area for the cabin filter, if anything there is a few millimeter space, and the metal is sorta sharp.

I have to get some foam for now on top of the metal mesh because the mesh does bend slightly.

If the rodent is literally ripping another cars cabin filter apart and coming to our car with some cabin filter, that is priceless.

Originally Posted by CTScott

My pictures are of a 2nd gen, but the 3rd gen is very similar. I also had the same issue with my Tacoma, which I parked outside and suddenly realized that mice were living above the cabin air filter, when I pulled it and a coffee can full of chewed hickory nuts came pouring out. The fix for it was very similar. A piece of screen mesh on top of the cabin filter would definitely work for now, but blocking it before entry should eventually be your target.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by YodaBird

I checked the cabin filter it appears as though the metal mesh is working, although it does look like one of two things, either the squirrel / chipmunk is getting it's torn cabin filter from another car parked near our car, or this seems almost impossible unless he's doing a balancing act, he is pulling whatever he can get his hands on of left over filter I didn't clean out beneath the metal mesh and putting it on top of the metal mesh as I found a small wad of filter on top of the metal mesh.

I say it's almost impossible because the metal mesh is near perfect size to the size of the area for the cabin filter, if anything there is a few millimeter space, and the metal is sorta sharp.

I have to get some foam for now on top of the metal mesh because the mesh does bend slightly.

If the rodent is literally ripping another cars cabin filter apart and coming to our car with some cabin filter, that is priceless.

'cabin air filter breath'. Made me think of Johnny Carson and his sidekick Ed.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by CTScott

suddenly realized that mice were living above the cabin air filter, when I pulled it and a coffee can full of chewed hickory nuts came pouring out.

I'm sorry this happened to you, but the image (and your expression of that image) is quite humorous.

[ern-diz]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I'm sorry this happened to you, but the image (and your expression of that image) is quite humorous.

Critters!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

Critters!

....and varmints....There is an old post of mine on some thread where I quote one of the hosts of a local Houston car talk radio show talking about varmints nestling in different areas of vehicles....A mix of the knowledge/experience he obviously possesses and his unique local way of expressing himself....truly a hoot!