Rodent entry points?

[Bugman Jeff]

Being that I live where it snows half the year, my cars tend to spend a lot of time in storage. I also live out in the country. History has shown that I have around a 30% chance of having mice move into my cars, and I don't want that to happen to my Viper. I take the best precautions I can, and there is always fresh D-Con (http://www.d-conproducts.com/) liberally used in the garage. In order to try and keep the mice out, I'd like try seal the cabin as best I can. The HVAC intake has the hood grill over it, and I plan on blocking the hatch side vents. Where else are likely mouse entry points on a '97 GTS? Thanks for the help.

[ViperGTS]

a bubble. or a bag...1411...might help.
besides [a] cat(s) :D

[Hiss Highness]

had a nest in my side pipes on my gts and in the sills last spring, good thing I took them off for a look or "flame on", on my highway tractor there was a squirrel nest in the intake and they had chewed through the filter so again good thing I checked or that crud would have sucked into the turbo or worse

[ViperTony]

A friend of mine found nests inside the HVAC ducts inside the viper. Imagine his surprise when corn kernels fell onto his feet from crotch duct as he was cruising on the highway. I have heard that moth balls help keep out rodents.

[herbbone]

Other than having a completly sealed garage, a bag may be the way to go. I have the same problem in the winter with my garage (detached). A follow Viper owner is kind enough to let me store mine over the winter at his place.

[herbbone]

Something like this, maybe.
http://www.carbag.com/products/carjacket

[HyperViper]

Had 3 little babies (dead) inside the convertible top area on my Gen 4. Momma must have climbed up the car cover and then able to slip in from the outside by the trunk. Not to much damage just a little nibbling on the fringe of the top. :eek:

[jwolf]

I car capsule mine,

[viperr]

I know this is about Vipers, but my 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 SST had an interesting encounter with the furry little buggers. I park the pickup outside under a carport. I don't drive it every day, but it does get some use. While I was doing some maintenance under the hood I noticed that the hood pad, which is held on by plastic clips, had a bulge. I removed the clips and I found a large nest of maple leaves between the hood pad and the under side of the hood. I slid it off onto a piece of cardboard and noticed 2 big fat mice. I took it out behind the garage to let them go to the woods and when I came back a minute later they were gone. What I had forgotten was that a feral cat lives out there and apparently had a nice fresh meal of the mice. There were only a few pieces left when I got there. OOPS! I was being nice, but I guess it wasn't in the cards for them.

After cleaning and re-installing the hood pad I decided to check out my K&N filter. When I removed the intake house leading to the filter I found that it was full of leaves also (no mice). Fortunately the leaves couldn't get past the filter, so I was able to improve the airflow by pulling out a couple of handfuls of leaves. I installed a mesh on the intake tube where it draws air in from the fender-well, so it should be safe now.

As far as Gen II Vipers go I think that another place to check might be the NACA inlet and the air filters as the same thing could happen to them as on the pickup. Good luck with your mouse roundup and elimination of entry points.

[uvbnbit]

Dryer sheets here. I lay them across the wheels, front fascia, exhaust tips. I don't know why I do it, but seems to keep the mice away from the car and into the peanut butter on the traps http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy112.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

[Leslie]

I live on the river, my neighbor always has mice in her garage during the winter,
I never have.

I put moth balls on the motor, in the interior, in the exhaust tips wrapped inside bounce sheets) and a few just laying around my car.

Yeh, my garage smells like cedar moth balls haha!