Please Help: Dead Rodent In HVAC!

[PinkFloydEffect]

Hi everyone, I have an XLR with a horrible stench due to what has been determined to be a dead rodent in the HVAC box. After doing some research I came upon this article:

Heater core replacement

I have a 2007 XLR V that I purchased in January of 2022. Shortly after I got it home I discovered that the heater core had been leaking and the pervious owner had bypassed the core and connected the two heater hoses together. He had also covered up the smell of the antifreeze with some very...

www.xlr-net.com

This looks extremely tedious and discouraging. Granted there is nothing wrong with my heater core itself is there any advice on how to remove the rodent without this level of disassembly? Furthermore how in the world did a rodent get into it and how can this be prevented from happening again?! This has never happened in my pickup trucks because the air is required to pass through the hood cowl grille by the windshield.

 

[justdennis]

Not knowing exactly where the rodent is may make it difficult, but I have a few suggestions. I'm guessing you have already shined a light and looked into every opening you can find, and if you haven't put a bore scope into all the vents, you need to do that before you start taking things apart. If you get lucky you may spot the critter close to one of the openings and try sucking it out with a strong shop vac, that will work...probably not. Next I would try the easiest access first, remove the panel above the passengers' feet, from there I think you can remove three screws and drop the blower motor and fan. There is some room to see and get your hand into that part of the box. If you still haven't found the critter you could remove the two vents above the radio but that requires removal of the center stack face plate and to do that you have to loosen the center consul cover plate. Don't forget to check the vents on the sides of the dash that go into the doors. I hope this helps, good luck.

 

[mickeytee]

Id start with the cabin filter removal and indoect that area. Anywhere it got into the hinge post or lower windshield area you are going to get smell inside the car. Thats got to be one of the worst things i think to work on in the car. Ugg.

 

[XLRVIII]

Agree with above suggestions first. Cabin / air filter areas / vent tubes. Use a boroscope. I'm sure there is nesting in there as well, need to clean that out they just pee and crap in there too. Never had to do this on an XLR but had to on older cars, not fun. This is why the nice cars stay wrapped up and mouse proofed in the garage, and the drivers outside get block off screens in the air induction vents