absolutely no screen or guard on the cabin air intake

had a really bad, gross experience with my GT got in the car and a really road kill smell was overwhelming looked all over the undercarrage and wheel wells , nothing went to the car wash sprayed the entire under side as clean as I could ,, NO help took trunk apart looked under seats ,never leave windows open finally dismantled glove box , nothing in owners manual. as to how, and there were 3 dead baby mice and a small pile of leaves!! on top the cabin air filter element
DUE to the 3 by 7 inch opening for incoming air behind the fuse block with absolutely NO barrier in the engine compartment, you can stick your hand almost down to the cabin filter element
Really Gross oversight on design
Did my car miss getting a screen or is this going to happen to many more owners??
So I've had my Stinger to the dealer for 3 oil changes and they supposedly did all required maintenance, but when I realized yesterday that the cabin air filter was never checked or replaced (24k miles) I went to change it myself and discovered a house of horrors! The box was stuffed with desicated mouse carcasses and leftover balls of rat poison! Two years ago I set out rat poison in the garage due to a mouse infestation. Little did I know they went into the air filter box and died! I'm actually surprised it didn't smell bad, the only thing I've noticed was decreased air flow. I am super-miffed that the dealership didn't do what they were supposed to do and could've caught it much sooner. It was a massive nest, yuck!
 
that is gross. you killed them and they died inside your ride. you didn't smell them because long covid has compromised your sense of smell. just a guess.
 
______________________________
My stepson (lives in another state) is using my '18 Optima and didn't get it serviced for like 20K miles (very unhappy about that), and when I when he visited us last year I took the car to have it serviced, the service guy showed me the engine air filter which had all kinds of mouse nesting material and debris in it, nasty.
 
had a really bad, gross experience with my GT got in the car and a really road kill smell was overwhelming looked all over the undercarrage and wheel wells , nothing went to the car wash sprayed the entire under side as clean as I could ,, NO help took trunk apart looked under seats ,never leave windows open finally dismantled glove box , nothing in owners manual. as to how, and there were 3 dead baby mice and a small pile of leaves!! on top the cabin air filter element
DUE to the 3 by 7 inch opening for incoming air behind the fuse block with absolutely NO barrier in the engine compartment, you can stick your hand almost down to the cabin filter element
Really Gross oversight on design
Did my car miss getting a screen or is this going to happen to many more owners??
Even better on my 2022 stinger, mouse got into cabin air filter then went into the blower. Noticed a fan noise for a few seconds coming back from a road trip and 2 days later the smell started. Inside the the car and blower motor is an effective blender. Now trying to figure out how to clean the inside vents past the blower motor.
Found the mouse, at least part of it. spent 8 hours looking under the fuse panel, engine, and panels. plan to add some chicken wire in front of the intake.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20230809_130206286.webp
    PXL_20230809_130206286.webp
    223.3 KB · Views: 25
Last edited:
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
...git yer spoon and start eating! ....or send a ferret in there to clean er out...lol
 
Well when my car starts to smell like hay like from a horse and I live in the city. I don't know where that smell is coming from. It's always time to change the cabin air filter. And all the debris that's stuck to it
 
This is getting scary.
I live in the suburbs, but we still have a mouse problem out here in Wal Mart land.
I routinely set traps around the house and in the garage and kill my share of them.
This just ads another thing I'll have to start checking on my new car.
Thanks, sort of..
 
______________________________
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Got a surprise as well
 

Attachments

  • 20250615_161843.webp
    20250615_161843.webp
    265.2 KB · Views: 11
I use a K&N washable reusable cabin filter... no issues here in my car but we found this under our fridge !!

20240509_142813.webp

31352360472031(1).webp
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Man no midnight snacks at the refrigerator Wow
 
______________________________
I was drinking beers the night before and I swear I felt something on my leg... the rest is history :/

If it hadn't shit on the floor we would not have known it was even there?

No idea how long it was even there for??

I'm only home 1 week a month.
 
So I've had my Stinger to the dealer for 3 oil changes and they supposedly did all required maintenance, but when I realized yesterday that the cabin air filter was never checked or replaced (24k miles) I went to change it myself and discovered a house of horrors! The box was stuffed with desicated mouse carcasses and leftover balls of rat poison! Two years ago I set out rat poison in the garage due to a mouse infestation. Little did I know they went into the air filter box and died! I'm actually surprised it didn't smell bad, the only thing I've noticed was decreased air flow. I am super-miffed that the dealership didn't do what they were supposed to do and could've caught it much sooner. It was a massive nest, yuck!
That is a bit of a surprise re: dealership.
As an aside, I took my 2016 Lexus RX350 (my daily driver) for an oil change today at a Toyota dealership near me.
They laid on the whole song and dance: need a transmission flush, a brake fluid flush, and new engine air filter and cabin filter.
I said hell no to everything. When I got home, I checked the air filter and the cabin filter myself.
Absolutely clean. No dirt or debris in either one. They are a long way from needing replacements.
It's one or the other it seems. Either they are neglectful, or they try to rip you off.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Back
Top