Of mice and men. But mainly mice.

[humbucker]

Can anyone tell me where a mouse might be able to work its way into the cabin of a Mk3 Cavalier? Both of my Turbos are outside atm while the garage is taken up with MV6 bits and half of my living room (don't ask!), and both seem to be making ideal homes for mice (ah, the joy of rural life!). I've put traps in both cars, but the long term solution is to find out where the li'l critters are getting in. I should point out that my other cars remain rodent free, leading me to think that this is a Cavalier-specific issue.

Any ideas? Is there a factory hole/recess in the bulkhead that might be acting as an entry point?

[Cavalier342]

I wouldn't have thought there is any entry point large enough for a rodent to fit into, spiders yes, not rodents. If it was in the trunk, I'd say the square breather vent on the offside, under the wing, but in the cabin? Only thing that comes to mind is somehow through the heater fan housing and into the floor heater ducts, but it's got a mission to get through the scuttle panel. Unless you've left the cars open at some stage to air out or work on, etc and some little rodent made his way inside, otherwise that's the oddest thing I've heard on here.

[James McGrath]

Can't say I've had this problem before, despite living in a fairly rural village myself.

Check to see if there are any holes gnawed into the sound deadening on the bulkhead. There are holes there for the steering column of course.

[Lowrider Dave]

The buggers only need the smallest of holes to get in - i found that out when trying to trap two that had discovered they could get into the fabric of the house via an air vent!

[humbucker]

I can't see any obvious openings, and I'll wager that mice are getting in at the front of the car because the height there is low enough for the bastards to take advantage of. The rear of the car seems too far up in the air with no clear access.

There aren't any holes in the floors etc. leading me to think that my furry friends must be penetrating the bulkheads. I might be wrong, but it has to be a something common to the Mk3 for BOTH cars to be suffering the same problem when my other motors remain pest free.

[humbucker]

I wouldn't have thought there is any entry point large enough for a rodent to fit into

You'd be surprised. On an auto there is a bung in the bulkhead where the clutch cable usually travels. If this rubber stopper is removed or drops out, a mouse will easily make its way into the car's cabin.

[Cavalier342]

I'd have thought you checked that one already. Just check all the wiring bungs where they join the bulkhead to make sure nothing has been chewed through.

[humbucker]

I'd have thought you checked that one already. Just check all the wiring bungs where they join the bulkhead to make sure nothing has been chewed through.

I don't have an automatic transmission, but I see what you're saying. Yes, I've checked the bulkhead, but nothing obvious. It's a bit of a mystery tbh.

[Cavalier342]

You're telling me! lol. Gerbils in a Cavalier, who'd have thought? They must have got in from having the doors opened, they can jump but not very high, probably enough to jump into an open car though.

[humbucker]

Definitely not through having the doors open. They're getting in through a factory opening somewhere.

[Cavalier342]

I'd get my head in every nook and cranny with a flash light and check at this point. A Turbo is a top-spec model so should have the most possible sound-deadening and sound-proofing insulation in place. Which makes it more difficult for stuff to get in. I know it sounds obvious but as this isn't 1st of April, I know it's not a joke.

[James McGrath]

They could easily scamper up the sides of the tyres, along the suspension components and up to the bulkhead.

One idea might be to put flour or talcum powder down on the floor and around any areas you think they might be getting in by, wait a day or two and then look for footprints.

Might give you an idea of how they are getting in.

[Cavalier342]

One idea might be to put flour or coke down on the floor and around any areas you think they might be getting in by, wait a day or two and then look for footprints and watch them get off their face

[Lowrider Dave]

They tend to chew their way through things, so look for turn up bits of foam, paper, etc. Also droppings are a give away.

[Envoy CDX]

When my cav went into "storage" common places I found they got in where anywhere there is a gaitor / boot. So ECU loom areas, gear selector, Down the scuttle drains and in through the wings (suspect anyhow as they'd chewed all the foam padding in the a pillars).

[humbucker]

Maracus and I were having a butchers and came to the conclusion that the heater motor in the scuttle actually has quite a large aperture on its side. Mousetrap gingerly placed inside scuttle to see if that's where the buggers are getting in. My fingers nearly taken off, Maracus lived to see another day. So far, so good.

[Cavalier342]

That's where I mentioned in my original reply to this thread, but I can't see how a mouse would get through that, it's a cylindrical fan with limited clearance between the fan blades and the plastic housing. But that was the only obvious thing that came to mind.

[humbucker]

After much in the way of deliberation, I have confidence in my ability to be able to identify the cause of the mouse-themed mayhem.

Both Cavaliers had been left with their centre dash vent set to the 'open' position. This appears to have provided a direct route from the scuttle/heater motor into the car's cockpit where chaos ensued. After a period of head-scratching and laying traps, I closed the centre vent flaps of both cars. Huzzah! No more meeces!

[humbucker]

[Cavalier342]

LOL. So simple, but so over-looked.

[Robsey]

Should have asked George..

He would have known

[sribobby]

U should of set a couple of mouse traps under the front of the car or put a cat inside it at night lol

[Robsey]

And a litter tray?

One lump or two?

[humbucker]

U should of set a couple of mouse traps under the front of the car or put a cat inside it at night lol

I set traps inside the car, and I do have a cat, but we live in a very rural area (surrounded by farmland). Rodent City!

Never mind. I'm hoping to start the build of a new workshop this year. Either that or look into renting premises that I can use for my business (a unit big enough to house a few motors, hehe!).