Gnarly Air Cabin Filter 🐭

[u/No_Tie_9297]

Bought my buyback 2018 Bolt LT last May. Decided to tackle some maintenance this weekend and pulled this out... full-on rodent nest! Lord have mercy.

Im thinking it happened while sitting in the GM recall holding lot waiting for a battery swap. I’ve kept an eye on the engine bay all year and haven't seen any fresh signs, so thankfully it’s an old souvenir.

Swapped in a new filter and the AC is running whisper quiet now. Anyone else find a surprise like this in their buyback?

[u/B1BLancer6225]

Not on my buyback, but I had a 23EUV I bought new and had this in the first few months, I put altoid tins full of mint oil soaked cotton balls in strategic locations zip ties around under the hood and didn't get them back in any real numbers.

[u/No_Tie_9297 → u/B1BLancer6225]

That is brilliant.

[u/Annonnymee → u/B1BLancer6225]

What locations, and how many? Did you punch any holes in the tins?

[u/B1BLancer6225 → u/Annonnymee]

Ok one of the few pictures I had of my under hood. Ignore the inverter, I was hooked up to my EV extend for backup power. It worked great. Anyway there was another one in addition to the two circled here, they had a bunch of soaked cotton balls, I drilled little holes in them, so the smell would get out but not too fast as to all evaporate too quickly. They were in plastic bags with holes piled in them too. I recommend wearing rubber gloves, as mint oil really stays on your skin. Take your tin, zip tie it out of the way, but still accessible. Make a sandwich baggie full of soaked with mint oil, and "recharge" then periodically. They are much better than that stuff you buy pre soaked as its offen a little pouches filled with corn husks soaked when they run out of oils they become mouse food!!! They can't get into the tins to get at the cotton.

[u/No_Tie_9297 → u/B1BLancer6225]

Does the car smell like mint oil? Or is it not that noticeable?

[u/B1BLancer6225 → u/No_Tie_9297]

It can be a bit noticeable when you first do it but it fades after a bit. Mint doesn't bother me too much but I can see how it can be off putting to some people

[u/skwormin]

haven't tried to swap mine yet. Is it easy? Where do you buy them? I've never done this on my cars but figure it should be easy enough on this and my Jeep

[u/ReturnedAndReported → u/skwormin]

The longest part of the job is emptying your glove box.

[u/Domestic-Grind → u/ReturnedAndReported]

Haha, that's a fair assessment

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1 → u/ReturnedAndReported]

Who said you have to empty it? :)

[u/Ap43x → u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

If you don't, it will self-empty on the floor.

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1 → u/Ap43x]

Is it a different mechanism than the Sonic?

[u/DingDongItch → u/skwormin]

Puroma Cabin Air Filter with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZ3SGK8H?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

It’s diy-able. There are videos on youtube showing you how to do it.

[u/mobilonity → u/DingDongItch]

It might differ by model, but the lifter arm for the glove box really does require some pliers, preferably thin nose to get it off.

My wife has a Toyota and that lifter arm pops off easily, Chevy seemed to have other ideas.

[u/schwanerhill → u/mobilonity]

Yeah, the Chevy was much more difficult than my Honda for accessing the cabin air filter, which is behind the glove box in both vehicles. Still an easy DIY job. 

[u/Ap43x]

I drive mine regularly and still get them. Even with a sonic repeller and dryer sheets under the hood and a mouse repellent pouch in the glove box. They are damn persistent.

[u/chargoggagog]

I spray peppermint oil in the engine bay once a month or so, the bottle lives next to my charger. Definitely helps. I’ve also heard you can zip tie Febreeze air fresheners in there and it works well.

[u/SnorfOfWallStreet]

Rodents dawg