Easy entrance for mice into any 940

We already know mice are attracted to the 940, but with the genius of hindsight, I finally figured out where those @#$% mice are getting into the back tire compartments of my 945T. It's those two black plastic boxes mounted on the sidewall of the side compartments.

Obviously some kind of ventilation device... since when reaching under them there's a flexible rubber flap that I assume opens up at speed to air out the compartments. Probably more of an exit for the interior air I'd guess... where the cabin air is sucked out to create an inflow from up front. They lead to some air space behind the bumper. Easy as pie for those mice to scurry right in.

I'm cutting some board to rubberband over the openings till the little buggers are exterminated.

Did the mothballs... the Febreze... found a mouse nest in the carport... set the traps, got the D-Con... cleaned everything up.

I HATE MICE!!!!

That would be the outlet for cabin pressure when your airbag(s) goes off.
I wouldn't block this outlet to good. Maybe a mesh?


Happy bricking
Mikael Larsson

Actually, those vents have nothing to do with air bags, since many older cars without airbags have them (ie. my 90 745). One purpose, as you stated, is for air flow-through. The other purpose, just as importantly, is to allow the rapid rush of air to escape when you close your door quickly. I would suggest that you drop some vermin poison pellets in your parking area to take care of the mice, provided that no pets could be put at risk. Good luck!

Do you mean the side compartments on either side of the tire compartment? The ones with the spring-loaded covers?

That's right... the side compartments. Inside, attached to the outside body wall are plastic housings, oval shaped and about 5 inches deep. Underneath these housings, you can feel an opening to the ouside (beneath the bumper). There is also a rubber flap, that must open when vacuum from sufficient speed pulls it open to vent interior air.

Anyhow, I built two little covers out of hardware cloth ( 1/4") that fit over them, so that air can get out and no mice can get in.

Mothballs, bleach spray, Febreze... all help with getting the smell out.
Hopefully I've removed my last dead mouse out of there.

p.s. Turns out it was the wife's damn bird feeder that drew the mice to the carport. When I discovered their hidden nest, it had about 2 pounds of sunflower seeds in it!!!

Then to top the whole day off, I line the 945 with a tarp and load it up with all the junk from the carport... and drive 4 miles accross town to the transfer station (dump)... only to discover when I arrive that I forgot my wallet! Had to drive all the way back again to get it with a car full of junk... and then go back again!

Damn them mice!

2 questions:

Couldn't you just put it in your trash can?

Aren't you glad you weren't stopped by a friendly gendarme and asked
for your credentials (license)?
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

>Couldn't you just put it in your trash can?<

Not in this town! Here in Seattle you pay $5 extra if the lid to your alloted trash can doens't close completely... and $5 for each extra bag or pacel of garbage.

Ain't no one gettin' any favors done here... not like the old days when you could just leave out extra stuff once every six months and they'd pick it up.

After all, they're 'sanitation engineers'....

Sounds to me like it is time to do a referendum on city services!

Around here they pick up pretty much what I put out, and are friendly
and courteous about it. We make it a point to offer them cold drinks
when it is very hot and boxes of candy on Christmas. We've had them pick
up as many as 15 55-gallon drum liner bags of leaves in addition to our
regular trash and maybe a couple cubic yards of tree trimmings (cut in short
lengths) and not complain at all. Why are they so stuffy in Seattle?
In Los Angeles I could understand it but all the folks I know from Seattle
are pretty reasonable.

BTW without trash those guys would not have jobs!

BTW (2) could you bag the stuff and throw it in a dumpster somewhere?
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Generally ALL the city services here are screwed up.

For instance, Seattle City Light first puts out an alert that people should conserve electricity... so everyone does. Next thing you know there's a rate hike because not enough electricity was used.

Same with the water. First they say 'conserve water'... so everyone does... then they raise the rates because not enough water got used! In any event, the rates just keep going up...

Ought to be grounds for a class action lawsuit IMHO.

What they do around here is move outside the city limits.
Get electricity from REA, water from their own well or some rural
water district, and carry their trash to work with them, what they
can't burn, recycle or otherwise deal with.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Tell me about it. I'm doing a nice 1970 144S at the moment that's stood a while. I removed the rear seat and underneath it found a vacuum cleaner bag full of mouse droppings. I reckon I'll have to burn the seat to get rid of the smell!

Regards


Pete

The 245 that daughter Susan and I scrapped out in July apparently had
rats living on mimosa pods in it for some time. The pod shells and fecal
products were about 6-7" deep in the floor pans front and rear. What a mess!!

Then there was the mouse that I brought from Costa Rica to Panama in a potted
orchid plant in the trunk of my car. The plant was pretty exotic and had
about a 3 foot long flower spike. The dern critter ate it! Took me several
weeks to get it out of the trunk and under the seat after I got back to
Panama.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

What will Walt Disney think!!

dick
--
93-940T + 91-940SE + 87-740GLE = One Happy Volvo Garage!