andy535xi

On the same note, my neighbours went away for 3 weeks (they have a Mazda 3) a squirrel found its way and nested in the engine compartment (I don't exactly know where) and caused $1,200 in damage.

DarrenP

My little girl is available for hire where rodents are concerned.

luigi524td

Ohhhh boy! We discovered a similar situation when we retrieved a Toyota from a deceased relative's garage. It had been sitting unattended for more than 3 years. I towed it home and discovered that field mice had occupied or nested in every nook and cranny in the car.

Check every opening - no matter how small! The air breather and filter are first choices. Next the HVAC ducting. With any luck they didn't nest, reproduce, and DIE in the car [That was the worse] heating duct system . The fan blower cage was packed with UGH!! Dead Mice !

The best were the live ones that flew out of the exhaust system when we fired up the car for the first time

Get your shop vac + air compressor and suck and blow everywhere.

Next time you store your car out of doors for any length of time seal every opening - no matter how small. As for mothballs ... I don't think these really work but what the heck ... at least that smell is easier to take than decaying mice! The advice about cats is 200% correct. Even one that just wanders around your yard will reduce the rodent population! Just keep it hungry or they won't look for fresh food.

Ricracing

Sorry to say but no solutions from here.

My brand new '99 320Ci did have a "old" mice nest under the plastic motor cover above the engine block.

The new BMW's are pretty much covered from underneath with plastic covers, but a mice can in anywhere.

r9ndy

the same happened to my car chewed up the insulation

C5driver

How about trying one of those ultrasonic mice/rat repellers? You can get those at any home and garden shop. Save the receipt

flyingpuck

I live in the hills where the mice abound, and the method I use, (aside from wrist shots into the wall), is to plant Mint around the yard. Mice don't like the smell of mint and so they will go to your neighbors car instead!

Al T.

...Though we had a mouse problem with our old '64 MB 220SE 4 Dr (The car had suffered through a number of midwest winters and had "some" rust so we finally stopped using the car in winter and parked it outside. We did, however, use the trunk to store seed we used in our bird feeders. In mid winter I went to the car to access the seed and found an empty 50 lb. bag. I never found where the seed had gone until spring when I removed the rear seat to install a pair of speakers in the parcel shelf; lo and behold, there was a large pile of sunflower seed). But, I digress. More recent problems have been with chipmunks to the tune of $800.00+ damage to the fuel pump and headlight wiring on our '86 MB 300E--acorns in every nook and cranny including the rear sub-frame. Stuffing mothballs in all those places in early fall and the car has had no further critter problems. At a MB Car Club tech meeting, I related the issue to a factory rep. and was told the problem was common with '80 and '90s European cars where a compound used in the wiring was particularly toothsome to marmots and other rodents. When our '03 Saab 95 ended up in Anchorage with our daughter and she took it to the dealer to install a recalled fuel line clip, the technician asked where outside of Alaska the car had originated because the rear- sub frame was stuffed with acorns and there are no maples in Anchorage area. Fortunately, there was no sign of any damage but, our northern Wisconsin chipmunks had struck again! Our '07 M61 is now in its second year here at our cottage and, from time to time, I see our resident chipmunks hopping up on the front tires to check out the engine compartment. However, I have yet to find a stash of acorns or any (knock on wood) damage. Could it be that the lack of a dip-stick keeps the little dip-s**ts away?
Al T.

melimel

this is a disturbing topic.. never knew moth balls would stear away mice.. i heard that about cats pooping in your yard..lololololol... and im not sure id want that smell in my car.. PU.. like someone else said. what about some kind of sonar emitting device..lol.. or fogging the car.. being that she only drives it twice a year tops you said.. i would also try the mint like puck said.. at least her car will smell nice then

bimmerlust

What do you do in the winter when the mint dies? Maybe I could buy some mint concentrate and soak a rag in it and put it in the floorboard and lay one on the engine???