Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

2005 Civic Hybrid.
I smelled a dusty, musty odor in the cabin today. Opened the glovebox, and saw a few pieces of leaves.
Took out the cabin filters behind the glovebox, and found a mouse had started building a nest atop the filters.
Filters were last replaced this June.
After some cleaning, I tried finding where the fresh air comes into the cabin; i.e., a duct.
I hope to be able to screen the opening to prevent further intrusions.
After some searching online, I know some fresh air comes in at the cowl panel at the windshield base.
Opening the wheelwell panels, I was able to feel around for clogs at the drainage points below the cowl panel, and ran some water to see if anything came out.
All was clear.
Looked online for Honda parts websites to check where these ducts might be which lead to the cabin filters, but found nothing.
Can someone point me in the right direction?

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

should be bottom of windshield. Water is drained from the system (not supposed to go inside the car)

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

Here is a good thread to read: https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...t-nesting.html

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

might want to check your engine filter as well, if you remove the passenger half of the windshield cowl you'll be able to see the cabin filters. maybe secure some steel mesh over that opening

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

First thing I did after buying the car was to cut and secure piece of gutter guard over the small engine air intake opening, as a mouse had climbed into one in another Honda and built a nest under the engine air filter.
I live right next to some woods, and starting around the end of every October I put mousetraps in the engine bays of all my cars, and I hadn't caught one yet. After I cleaned up this mess, I re-baited them with peanut butter and a bit of bacon or sausage. They can't resist.
This time, I left the filters out, glovebox open, and another mousetrap in the passenger front floorboard.
The problem with my cowl panel is it looks like I have to remove the wiper arms, which I'm reluctant to do, unless there's a mark to show exactly where they're aligned. Tried that on an old Prelude and never got it right, even when I did mark it.

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

just mark them with tape, it's easy enough to remove and reinstall the wipers if it takes a couple tries to get it right.
or make a mark on the stub and arm with a sharpie/paint marker
if the windshield is dirty that actually helps because you can see where the wipers stop

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

Update....

After checking some Honda parts sites, the cowl panel is actually 2 pieces, and both wipers are on the driver's side. It popped right out.

I removed the cowl piece and was greeted by the nest in the pic below. He's been busy. The arrow points to the place where it likely got in: a small rubber flap to let water out of the drainage channel. Also note the top highlighted area: you'd see the tops of the cabin filters if they were installed, but you can see the blower motor blades.

The other pic is my solution: a spare piece of gutter guard, trimmed and bent to fit over the cabin opening lip. I got some LiquidNails adhesive and glued it on there, then set another trap lest the mouse returns before reattaching the cowl piece.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.civ...618f7401ce.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.civ...b61373304b.jpg

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

Thanks for the photos...

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

hopefully that works :tup:

Re: Where's the cabin air intake? Mice problem!
 

The Liquidnails I used to attach the screen over the intake duct didn't hold, so after many skinned knuckles and failed tactics I used HVAC metal tape. It stays stuck in temp extremes and mice won't eat it (hopefully). Can't use longer than about an inch as the tape will curl as soon as backing is removed.

Next pic is where I put the trap...on a plastic lid behind the motor. I use a piece of fishing line on a carabiner key chain clipped to any part to make trap retrieval easy in case it flips and gets stuck somewhere. Trust me, you don't want to have to reach down behind the motor to dig out a trap with a dead mouse on it.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.civ...b3220986f6.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.civ...ede4e77241.jpg