Surprise Checking Oil

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2018 CX5 GT, Metallic Machine Gray and 2018 MX5 RF GT, Soul Red
The CX5 doesn't get driven a lot in the summer months. Most of my trips I generally use the MX5. Anyway, getting ready for a trip this weekend and I was planning to take the CX5. Went to check the oil and found a surprise under the engine cover near the oil cap. See the attached photos. The CX5 sits outside under some cedar trees away from the house and the MX5 gets the last slot in the garage. I guess I will have to keep a closer look out for local rodents where I park the CX5.
 

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Better check as much wiring that you can see under the hood. They love wiring insulation as well and can cause major problems or even fires that way
Yea, I have done a check and couldn't see any damaged wiring. No caution lights coming on after a short 1/2 hr. drive and all the lights works so hopefully, the mice brought in take out meals :) vs. feasting on the car's electrical.
 
Put some moth balls in a bowl under your hood. That might help them move elsewhere
 
These little buggers are everywhere now. I live in the built up suburbs, close to shopping malls and the like, so it's not out in the boonies. We have mice everywhere around here.
I set traps on a regular basis in and around my garage, and have killed six of them in the past five days. I also had mice set up house under the hood of my cars over the years. It never ends.
 
The CX5 doesn't get driven a lot in the summer months. Most of my trips I generally use the MX5. Anyway, getting ready for a trip this weekend and I was planning to take the CX5. Went to check the oil and found a surprise under the engine cover near the oil cap. See the attached photos. The CX5 sits outside under some cedar trees away from the house and the MX5 gets the last slot in the garage. I guess I will have to keep a closer look out for local rodents where I park the CX5.

Did you pull that engine cover off to see what's what underneath?
 
Yes, pulled the cover off to remove the white material. The cover just pulls off… easy removal. On the underside of the cover is a fibrous matting material. Perhaps part of the engine sound proofing. This is the material the mouse had used (chewed apart) to create the nest In the cavity behind the oil cap.
 
I was going to say, I hope that material wasn't chewed out from one of the seats for her little nest. Speaking of mouse damage, this is an interesting video. He ends up fixing it all up and shows the progress in videos.

 
Yes, pulled the cover off to remove the white material. The cover just pulls off… easy removal. On the underside of the cover is a fibrous matting material. Perhaps part of the engine sound proofing. This is the material the mouse had used (chewed apart) to create the nest In the cavity behind the oil cap.

When you have the cover off apply a bit of grease (Vaseline works too) to the connectors that hold the cover on. It makes it MUCH easier to remove the cover next time.
 
When I changed the air filter on my wife's Subaru in the spring I found a mouse nest in the cavity in front of the filter. Must have crawled in through the snorkel. Really surprising, since she drives the car every day.

Mark
 
A mouse somehow got inside my mother in laws CX-5 and died about a month ago. Thank god it was able to be found though. It was sticking up between the floor carpet and firewall behind the gas pedal. Aired the car out and used Febreeze disinfecting spray to be on the safe side and we’re good as new.
 
A dead mouse is a real stinker. Once I was smelling something awful in my kitchen, at first I thought it was the garbage. When it kept stinking, I searched around and I found that a mouse had been caught in a mouse trap for who knows how long.
 
The key to keeping those little critters out is sealing all possible points of entry. Steel wool is supposed to be ok for a temporary fix. They can gnaw through a lot of materials but not steel.

Around where I live they want inside when it starts getting cold outside.
 
Mouse doesn't really do much damage, but if you have rat's nest there, you've got a real problem. Ask me how I know.
 
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