Unique experience

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Tonight I decided to check the oil level and wiper fluid in the 14.5 Camry since it had been a while. Everything checked out fine, but the car now has 30K on it and is due for a new air filter. I already had ordered the air filter and was just waiting on a good time to do it. I then decided to change the filter and began to open the housing. To my surprise, the entire housing was filled with dog food. No joke. All of the food had to be scooped out by hand with the little amount of room that they allow. Fortunately, this was a recent event since it was a newer dog food we switched to. The intake port on this car is just behind the opening for the hood, and is large enough to allow for critters to enter it. Another major factor here is that the dog food is directly in front of the car. I guess it pays off to be a little OCD about things. I went to take a picture of it, and my phone died in the process.
 
Wow! Be sure to check the cabin air filter as well. The intake the HVAC fan is the windshield cowl area.
 
That's not unique. The same happened to my mother's '77 Impala's air cleaner, circa 1979.
 
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Mice. Keep your dog food in a sealed container, you wouldn't want the mice peeing & pooping in the dog food. One time I found a boot in the back of a closet stuffed with dog food.
 
A similar thing happened with my F-150, except chipmunks filled my intake and air filter housing with acorns. They also got between the hood and its insulation and began to fill that area too lol. It was quite a project getting it all cleaned out.
 
At least we only have to look out for things trying to kill us...

Stealing stuff and stuffing them in things reminds me of an old Huey, Dewey, and Louie comic I had prolly 40 years ago...packrats stealing their gold and replacing them with goobers.
 
Originally Posted By: Dorian
Tonight I decided to check the oil level and wiper fluid in the 14.5 Camry since it had been a while. Everything checked out fine, but the car now has 30K on it and is due for a new air filter. I already had ordered the air filter and was just waiting on a good time to do it. I then decided to change the filter and began to open the housing. To my surprise, the entire housing was filled with dog food. No joke. All of the food had to be scooped out by hand with the little amount of room that they allow. Fortunately, this was a recent event since it was a newer dog food we switched to. The intake port on this car is just behind the opening for the hood, and is large enough to allow for critters to enter it. Another major factor here is that the dog food is directly in front of the car. I guess it pays off to be a little OCD about things. I went to take a picture of it, and my phone died in the process.


Easy solution>>>>> quit feeding the dog.
 
I live a good half mile from my nearest neighbor, and my house is surrounded by soybean or corn fields, so I know about rodents. My yellow lab and border collie bring them to my front door almost on a weekly basis, obviously proud of their work. Anyway, I store my dog food in a 55-gallon drum with a tight lid so the rodents can't get to it.
 
Everyone living in the SW has had experience with rodents under the hood it seems. Minor is hoarding and nest building, major is chewing wires and hoses to make their new home more cozy. A buddy recently spent $900 getting ground squirrel damage fixed in his older Tundra, the mechanic highly recommended this LED flashing light thing to keep them away. Might not work in the OP's case since they might not see the flashing light. http://www.rid-a-rat.com/

Shannow mentioned pack rats. Being from the East we didn't know what they were, turns out they may be the worst for under-hood damage. Out in the desert they build impressive little mounds out of sticks and anything they can drag and actually do like shiny things.
 
I sucked about 2-3lb of sunflower hulls out before.. more annoying than dog food.
 
Weird--hadn't seen that. I have had to remove pounds and pounds of acorns out of one airbox though.
 
Nobody has mentioned the easiest solution here....

Trade that dog for a cat or three.
 
Originally Posted By: 04SE
Nobody has mentioned the easiest solution here....

Trade that dog for a cat or three.


You ever step in cat do-do? Let me rephrase that....
You ever step in cat do-do and then get into your car and get cat do-do in the carpet of your car?
I don't know how long it takes for the stench to leave.
 
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