Update: Disgusting Smell … Dodged a Bullet! (1 Viewer)

[Perfect Tommy]

2021 Sequoia - Recently had all warning lights appear (check engine, knock sensor code 4...) simultaneously with a smell from the air vents. I thought it might have been from recent Fluid Film application . Took it to Toyota and: "borescope under intake ... found rodent nest/feces ... removed intake manifold to find a nest ... and had chewed through harness ... Removed plenum, manifold, etc and replaced harness". (not inexpensive BTW). The smell still lingers.

Can anyone suggest how to remove the smell from the vehicle? It is not pleasant.
Where should I start looking? What to do?

FYI: the truck is garaged. Vermin must have gotten into the garage. We had pest control come out, placed traps/poison; reported no evidence of current activity (though he noted that there had been something, probably mouse/mice, previously). I think that the smell comes from inside the vents(?), and that the vents and however they originate in the engine bay need to be cleaned/vacuumed, but I have no clue how to go about it.

thanks!
UPDATE: whew! Investigated the engine bay and the vents. When I removed the cabin air filter found that the vermin had used that cavity as their storage area: it was full of dry (thank goodness) dog food! Vacuumed, dropped the blower motor; cleaned it and vacuumed the vents.

All is well.

LESSON: even a well-kept garage can be breached. Use traps.

 

[Gxunit201]

2021 Sequoia - Recently had all warning lights appear (check engine, knock sensor code 4...) simultaneously with a smell from the air vents. I thought it might have been from recent Fluid Film application . Took it to Toyota and: "borescope under intake ... found rodent nest/feces ... removed intake manifold to find a nest ... and had chewed through harness ... Removed plenum, manifold, etc and replaced harness". (not inexpensive BTW). The smell still lingers.

Can anyone suggest how to remove the smell from the vehicle? It is not pleasant.
Where should I start looking? What to do?

FYI: the truck is garaged. Vermin must have gotten into the garage. We had pest control come out, placed traps/poison; reported no evidence of current activity (though he noted that there had been something, probably mouse/mice, previously). I think that the smell comes from inside the vents(?), and that the vents and however they originate in the engine bay need to be cleaned/vacuumed, but I have no clue how to go about it.

thanks!

I'm not sure how to remove the smell. Maybe the heater core or AC condenser could be cleaned? I've seen videos about how to do this.

Regarding keeping the vermin away and not having this problem reoccur, I have often wondered if Fluid Film aka Woolwax would deter this? I spray this in my engine bay and everywhere else and I'd have to guess the rodents would not like it. Woolwax smells less pungent than fluid film but most of the smell is gone in a few weeks for both.