AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Mighty 258 => General Service and Diagnosis => Topic started by: CadillakJak on January 17, 2010, 08:20:35 PM

Title: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 17, 2010, 08:20:35 PM
Just got my SX/4 but every time I blow the heat it smells like Mice horribly. Anyone have any good way of getting rid of that?
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: dustyeagle on January 17, 2010, 08:48:38 PM
Not sure where to get it but there is a foam you can inject by drilling a small hole in heater box. It will get rid of most odors
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: amc78concord on January 17, 2010, 08:49:42 PM
My SX/4 smells the same way!  After driving it for a month and a half now it seems to be getting better though
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system
Post by: Screamin'Eagle on January 17, 2010, 09:28:57 PM
BG Frigi-Fresh will do the trick.  You can do a search on Google for it and some of the procedures for using it.

The Best way is to crack open the heater box to really get in there and hose her down.

Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 17, 2010, 10:23:11 PM
Sweet, just bought some. When it gets here I will try and figure out how and where to best get it in the heater box. You guys are great, thanks!
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: eaglesx4 on January 18, 2010, 03:18:37 AM
GM dealers also have a very good foam, spray at the intake of the system and let it blow through.  They also have the stuff where you drill a small hole in the heater to inject it directly inside the heater.  I worked at Chrysler dealers but would use this stuff for ac and heater cores to remove odors from cars/truks.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system
Post by: Screamin'Eagle on January 18, 2010, 08:31:37 AM
That's the same thing.  Gm dealers sell it at a markup.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: 68AMXGOPAC on January 18, 2010, 08:46:55 AM
Yes, I used some, I got at either Lowes or Home depot , it's just a refrigerant coil cleaner , wxcept I had to remove the fan and most of the heater box, as said mouse got distributed through the box and up against the coil via trying to out run the fan like and exersize wheel. It worked great , but I also had to snorkel vaccumm out some "parts" . Not a fun thing after a few nice hot summer days.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: iAMCheap on January 18, 2010, 08:00:06 PM
That's not mice, that's "New Car Smell"
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: Jurjen on January 19, 2010, 07:01:30 AM
A clothes peg is pretty effective.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 21, 2010, 09:14:43 PM
I have some of the frigi-freeze stuff coming but I am going to try something else someone in the know offered up. They had a similar issue come up and they poured 2 5 gallon bucket fulls of a blend of Lysol hot water and soap? I think down the vents in front of the windshield. Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: jim on January 21, 2010, 10:15:02 PM
You're talking about pouring 10 gallons of liquid down the defroster vents, right?
I've had a heater core out, but I don't know enough about the ducts to know where that liquid will go or how it will
get back out.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 21, 2010, 10:20:46 PM
No, not the heater vents on the dash. The valance in front of the windshield. Between it and the hood.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: jim on January 21, 2010, 10:26:40 PM
That's a relief.  Sorry for my confusion. 
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 21, 2010, 10:43:56 PM
No sweat, a good friend who owns a shop locally said he has done that in the past and it drastically deminishes the overall stench. That and the frigi-freeze should hopefully do the trick...
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 26, 2010, 08:52:21 PM
Am tempted to drill a hole now that I have the frigi-freeze but wonder if it would be better to take the fan off the firewall and spray in there. Don't really know where else to spray, any other intake areas?
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: dustyeagle on January 26, 2010, 10:37:15 PM
Well if you do take the fan out if you havent already, you may find a source to the smell and it would be an injection point. Also drilling the hole is a good idea too that way you can get that stuff on the other have of the heater box easier. In my full time job we do that exact thing we deoderize both halfs of the box. Drilling holes is the easiest way.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: Canoe on January 26, 2010, 11:08:02 PM
Kitty Litter?

Actually, acids are pretty good a breaking down the proteins that smell. Vinegar is safe. Vinegar is cheap.

To be effective, you'd have to take it apart and ensure you've removed all left-over mouse parts and any foreign material (grass, leaves, dirt, mud, etc.) that may have absorbed the smell. Then wash down with vinegar. Vinegar is cheap enough you could even soak the heater core and duck work in it.

There are bags of crystals you can buy that will absorb odors (but not remove their source, of course). When saturated, you simply bake the crystals to "recharge" them (heat releases the previously absorbed odor). Do it in the sun, not your indoor oven (unless you want your oven & house smelling like mouse).
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: CadillakJak on January 26, 2010, 11:37:53 PM
Well I took the four screws out that cover the air box under the passenger side dash. Got a decent size bit and drilled just over a pencil end sized hole through the double plated left side when looking in from the seat. Couldn't feel any air when I covered the opening but sprayed some of the FF inside. Think I may see how hard it will be to take that fan out on the firewall side to get a better spray point. No other real inlet area that is not blowing out.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: redneckjames on December 08, 2010, 11:02:43 PM
take the mouse out... duh hahaha
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: priya on December 09, 2010, 11:56:01 AM
A guy I know used to keep his aftershave in the car and every now and then he'd pour a glug down the defroster vent.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: doneagle on January 28, 2011, 09:17:32 PM
     Hi i have taken the box out of many of cars to get rid of the smell .I found that masengail Duse it gets rid all the mouse smells.i useed it to get sunk smell off the dog it workers real good. it works for me        don.   :o  ::)
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: benamcfan on February 25, 2011, 01:49:19 PM
Yes, gm/ motorcraft make good products for odor. Lets take this a little further. Gravity is at play so lets start at the top.Are the vents obstructed if so remove any debris,check for cracking,loose or missaligned fit rodents can fit through the smallest areas. Check the blower motor for proper seal and fit.
Removal of heater core/evaporator, may be necessary, gm and after market types of odor control work well also.Drilling holes to apply these chemicals is often used { i prefer proper disassembly }, so if you drill seal the holes, holes are leaks. If the vehicle has been left out side or stored in an unsealed building, i recommend complete removal of all duct work including any portion of dashboard components. The duct should be cleaned of all rodent/ insect debris and cleaned with a bleach solution or other product. Be careful upon reassembly of the duct work an dash.  Do not forget the directional dash/floor outlets.

Thanks. Benamcfan.
[email protected]
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: MontanaEagle on February 25, 2011, 01:57:02 PM
I traveled with a kitten in my honda once.  At some point it decided to pee on the dashboard and it leaked down into the vents.  It smelled like cat pee for about 6 months, I just blasted the AC or Heat whenever I was in there, as soon as the pee dried, the smell went away.  Not the best method, but it worked.
Title: Re: Anyone have any hints on how to get the mouse smell out of my heating system?
Post by: eagletuner on May 12, 2011, 06:11:33 PM
shove an air freshner in teh vents  8)