Help, dead mouse in heater case!

If you can get access to the correct side, you could duct tape some smaller rubber hose to a shop vac hose and try to suck it out that way.
Thats how I suck all the hard water scale out of my house water heater.
Heater hose fits in the element holes and I just duct tape it to the end of my shop vac's hose.

turbojimmy wrote:

jmckelvy wrote:
You might remove the blower motor which does give you a bit better access.

Sounds like it's on the other side of the evap core?

That sucks. I'd try to hack a hole in the case for access and seal it back up rather than trying to remove it properly. On a lot of vehicles it appears as if they hung the heater box in mid-air and built the vehicle around it.

It will eventually decompose to the point where it won't stink and dry up. Though it could still be interfering with the evap core drain and would continuously make dead-mouse soup.

Speaking of dead-mouse soup, I have an anecdote...I inherited a Caddy from my grandfather that had sat for quite sometime. Once I put it on the road, I noticed that the windshield washer didn't work. I replaced the pump. Still didn't work. Must be clogged in the reservoir. The cap to the reservoir was missing, which didn't really bother me until I took it out and emptied it. There were years of dead mice in various states of decomposition in that tank, and at that point all over my driveway. The stench was like nothing I've ever experienced I still gag thinking about it.

Anyway - good luck.

Thanks for all the replies. Removing the the motor was the first step, wrong side of the evap. A fiend has loaned me a borescope so I can hopefully find him and make a plan.

The truck is parked until the mouse is gone!!!

Don't want to scare you & I cant help from a removal standpoint, but its a bad idea to drive the truck this way , mice are known to spread Hantavirus which can be fatal.

You might try running a proper size drill bit up into the drain. Maybe it will drill into and pull out some of the mouse "chips", probably help with some water flushing through it.

jmckelvy wrote:
You might remove the blower motor which does give you a bit better access.

Sounds like it's on the other side of the evap core?

That sucks. I'd try to hack a hole in the case for access and seal it back up rather than trying to remove it properly. On a lot of vehicles it appears as if they hung the heater box in mid-air and built the vehicle around it.

It will eventually decompose to the point where it won't stink and dry up. Though it could still be interfering with the evap core drain and would continuously make dead-mouse soup.

Speaking of dead-mouse soup, I have an anecdote...I inherited a Caddy from my grandfather that had sat for quite sometime. Once I put it on the road, I noticed that the windshield washer didn't work. I replaced the pump. Still didn't work. Must be clogged in the reservoir. The cap to the reservoir was missing, which didn't really bother me until I took it out and emptied it. There were years of dead mice in various states of decomposition in that tank, and at that point all over my driveway. The stench was like nothing I've ever experienced I still gag thinking about it.

Anyway - good luck.

You might remove the blower motor which does give you a bit better access.

I just went through the "Heater Treater" upgrade as several of my HVAC doors were broken. Although some work, removing the complete dash assembly was easier than I thought it would be. Even if you do that you still have to get access to the internal location of the plenum.

might try one of the small camera,s so you could see better, is it possible to cut open a hole then duck tape it shut? I feel for you, this is not funny.

Suction or air pressure are about your only hope. Before I spent a lot of money at a dealer I would probably try to rent the biggest most powerful vacuum I could find then adapt the hose down to a size that would reach the critter and try to suck him out. Good luck.

I would be concerned about the bacteria from decaying critter that may be getting circulated in the cab with the AC operating, plus whatever 'cooties' mice are known to carry though I have no idea if they survive on a deceased 'host'.

My vote is to have the evaporator case opened, remove the deceased, & disinfection.