keep heat levers up or down to keep mice out

[pampadori]

So when the heat levers are down (heat off) the gates are open under the car by the rear wheels. If they are up (heat on) then they are closed off to the outside, correct?

Is that the path that most mice will take to get under the fan shroud and nest on top of your cylinders? Or do they enter thru the alternator fan instead?
Surely someone has spoken to a mouse and asked it how it got there?

[lsf911]

I haven't had any discussions lately with mice but you want to leave your heat levers up so the flaps are close under the car.

A few years ago I took my car out for a spirited ride in the spring. Under hard acceleration a boat load of acorns came flying out of my heat ducts onto my feet.

[Dpmulvan]

You spend an hour trying to figure out how to keep mice out, they spend their entire life figuring out how to get in.

[RDM]

Originally Posted by Dpmulvan

You spend an hour trying to figure out how to keep mice out, they spend their entire life figuring out how to get in.

So the deck is stacked against us....

[betterair]

mothballs under the car

[Steam Driver]

I don’t think it really matters. The persistent little beggars are going to find a way in regardless of anything you (we) can do,

[smadsen]

If you leave the heater levers up, true the mice can't come in through the flapper valve, but now can prance down the piping from the engine. It's a clean shot.

To quote Bill Murray, "to catch a gopher, you have to learn how to think like a gopher."

[LIRS6]

I lift levers up per others above, and as well stick one of my dog's toys in the exhaust pipe. I place Irish Spring soap bars all around under the car (as suggested by others). I can't say that the soap works - in fact, I've seen signs of mice having gnawed the bars - but I've had no issues of late with rodents after many multi-month layovers. I've experienced mice in my heat exchangers after winter storage - cooked mice don't smell very pleasant...

Jason

[bkreigsr]

I've been under the assumption that if I want heat, I pull the lever up thereby opening the flaps to the heat exchanger surrounds.
Lever all the way down, flap is closed to the forced hot air - no?
Bill K

[RWebb]

fill a garden sprayer with oil of peppermint and spray it all over below the car

[911 SLANT]

They also come threw the steering rack and get into the trunk. From there they go back down your brake pedal and clutch mechanism. So if they want in they will find a way.

[pmax]

Haven't had any discussions with them but I believe removing the CAT does not help !

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

I've been under the assumption that if I want heat, I pull the lever up thereby opening the flaps to the heat exchanger surrounds.
Lever all the way down, flap is closed to the forced hot air - no?
Bill K

This is correct. When the levers are down, the hot air is directed out of the open flapper valve. When left in this position the flapper allows ingress of rodents.

[rattlsnak]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

I've been under the assumption that if I want heat, I pull the lever up thereby opening the flaps to the heat exchanger surrounds.
Lever all the way down, flap is closed to the forced hot air - no?
Bill K

Originally Posted by jac1976

This is correct. When the levers are down, the hot air is directed out of the open flapper valve. When left in this position the flapper allows ingress of rodents.

Bill, it's the wording that might be confusing you. When the handles are down, the valves are open and the forced hot air is directed out into the open air through the valves. When you pull the levers up, you are closing the valve and allowing the heat to make its way forward inside the car.

[mepstein]

Adult mice can squeeze through a hole the size of s dime.

[RSBob]

Levers up
Hood up
Frunk up and perlon stored some where in the garage
Glove box door up/open
Arm rest covers/doors up
And forget the car cover unless it is clear plastic

They don’t like light so the more you provide, the less likely they will start a nest.

[blucille]

I leave a local talk radio station playing 24/7, haven’t seen any critters since.

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by blucille

I leave a local talk radio station playing 24/7, haven’t seen any critters since.

This. This is good.

[dyusem]

Originally Posted by RSBob

Levers up
Hood up
Frunk up and perlon stored some where in the garage
Glove box door up/open
Arm rest covers/doors up
And forget the car cover unless it is clear plastic

They don’t like light so the more you provide, the less likely they will start a nest.

^This is the key. I leave the garage lights on and have no problems...

[rokemester]

I heard a while back to scatter dryer sheets throughout the interior, frunk, engine bay. Just don’t forget to remove them in the Spring. Ask me how I know!!