Hey all! I’m new to the forum and hoping you guys might be able to help me out.

I picked up a new to me 94 f-250 7.3idi Factory turbo. It’s a 4x4 supercab with manual locking hubs and a 5spd manual trans. Truck has 149,8xx miles on it. Runs and drives excellent.

I took it to a local mechanic to help get all the fluids up to date and have him help me fix the cruise control. After getting it back he gave me a part to hold onto just in case. My truck spent one night out in there yard and when I put the part in my glove box I noticed mouse turds in the glove box. There was very minimal signs of damage so I figured no big deal and I’ll just vacuum it up.

Anyhow, I got about half way home and realized this thing stinks now. I’ve looked all around for mr mouse. I removed the blower motor with no luck in there. I took off the plastic on the passenger side pillar and inspected with no luck. I sprayed Lysol in the vents hoping that would help...

The truck smells fine when sitting. The vents just smell like Lysol now with the heat on. The thing is, it smells the worst with the vents totally off, cruising at about 40-55mph and rolling down the window makes it seem stronger. Should that be an obvious sign where the dead mouse might be? Again it has no smell when it’s parked, or when you have heat on, it’s something about 35-40mph or faster that forces air through something and makes it stink. Any thoughts?

 

Possibly underneath the cowl where the system pulls it's air from?

 

Does the hood have to come off to get the cowl off? I can’t seem to find the trick to get it past the hood brackets... I got a visual in there didn’t pick up any smell or see anything to obvious signs of rodent as of yet.

EDIT: Disregard, I was able to prop it up in a way that allowed me to get a good look at it. Other than dropping a screw in there I didn’t see anything of importance. I guess that screw is staying in there for the time being...

 

while you are at it clean the drains under that cowl

https://www.fordtruckzone.com/thread...series.657657/
and don't forget to check out the link in the last post about re-sealing the Cowl

 

Thanks for all the links... no mouse found yet... but now my cowls off, rust converted and painted, RTV on the cracks and drains cleaned! I’m working out of my driveway so this was the quick and dirty till I have time to take and fix it properly in garage or shop.

Hoping the rain holds off so I can get a new seal on the cowl and everything put back together tomorrow.

Maybe the spray paint will over power the mouse for a while!

You guys think he could be in my door panels somewhere or more likely under the dash but not in the heating system? I’m stumped only place I ever saw turds were in the glove box and there’s no mouse funk at all when the trucks not moving. Just when cruising with no fresh air coming through the vents...

 

could be in a door, or on top of engine

 

With respect to the smell, only option may be to just let the mouse carcass (wherever it is) dry out; take a few weeks

 

This is one spot that you'd probably not like to hear.

I bought my truck with a few mouse spots. There was a chew hole in the wiring cover going from the cab to the driver door and in the headliner. I stuck my finger into the headliner and there is space between it and the metal for a mouse to hide.

 

Did you end up ripping out the headliner? This is one spot that’s crossed my mind lately... I’m also suspect of the dash area behind the steering column.

I pushed all around up on the headliner the other day but didn’t notice anything that seemed like a nest. I’m pretty sick of just randomly ripping apart areas of me truck so I’ve been trying to be patient and let it rot out as suggested on here. It’s been over a month with no luck.. still stinks like hell once you crack the window especially around 40mph. I now have a fuel filter leak and glow plug issues as well. I’m kinda over this thing, I’d sell it if it wasn’t for the Coronavirus madness.

 

There wasn't any other mouse activity in mine after I purchased it. I did find a nest to the left of the ebrake bracket. I would try to see if it smells worse with one window opened. It could be inside the door.