*KNOCKING ON WOOD HOPING this does NOT happen to me*

[QUOTE=BlackWorksInc;2471140]I've become somewhat of an "expert" since I moved up to Bend, Oregon in regards to rodent intrusion. I'm doing about 1~2 "Rodent Cars" a month lately.

Hi, Also in Bend, Oregon. I've had damage done to my 4th gen 4runner. I first installed a screen under the cabin air filter. Then, after reading one of your earlier posts, I removed the cowl and installed a screen on the fresh air intake.
I'll know in time how it worked.

I recently got a 3rd gen 4runner. Since I live out of town in pack rat paradise, I wanted to do the same metal screen install. I removed the cowl on the 02 and found no access to any visible fresh air intake. There's also no cabin air filter over the blower motor. What do you guys do to keep them out of a 3rd gen?
Bill, outside of Bend

[[email protected];3756692] I'm sure many here would like to help you...BUT...this is the 4th Gen forum, so most if not all of us don't have a 3rd Gen, I would suggest posting your question in the 3rd Gen forum section.

Being dealing with this myself and haven't been able to figure out how they are getting in. They can squeeze through openings we wouldn't think possible. I discovered my issue when I opened the glove box and all the napkins inside were chewed up and a large amount of padding or sound dampening material was also in there. I have not been able to discover where this material came from. I set 2 traps on each floor board mat with peanut butter as the bait. I modify the lever the trigger rod catches on so it takes the slightest movement to set them off. 12 hours later I have a dead mouse on the drivers mat and I didn't see the trap on the passenger mat where the second trap was set, up at the front. Only when I opened the passenger door did I see where the second trap was located. It was so far under the front seat that is was almost on the back floor mat. It was a big fat sucker too but how did it get so far under the seat? It's impossible that it was kicking or made any movement at all to get it so far back. The mouse was DOA as soon as the trap was sprung, how it ended up almost 2 ft away as well as it being under a seat is beyond me? Did four of his buddies try carrying him out like medics do on a stretcher, aka mouse trap? This has really messed with my head trying to figure it out. I have thick wire grid screen blocking all passages that I could find. I haven't found any pellets that would mean they have been living in my 4Runner for awhile. I have set traps under the car by the front tire and usually find one dead the next morning. I'm going to get some Lemon Pledge because it's only a matter of time before they start chewing on important and expensive things!!!!!
NCH

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I have mice around my home and I have traps everywhere, you would be surprised how long a mouse can live after springing a trap, even if it looks like it killed them instantly, I have sat and watched as some have sprung the traps, I seen mice that got hit right behind the head resulting in a broken neck and some getting hit on the head resulting in a crushed skull and they still crawled several inches to sometimes a foot or more before stopping for good.

It's just adrenaline keeping them going, now if a broken neck or crushed skull causes spinal cord damage and them to be parallelized then they won't move, but otherwise they almost always move a little bit.

I did something similar to this and used zip ties in existing holes to hold it in place. I cant believe toyota would leave this opening so unprotected to rodents. They do have rats in Japan, dont they?

I understand the main entry point in the 4th gen 4runners is the CAF. This is what I can't understand, my air filter was perfect, no evidence of anything chewing on it at all. I have also searched the car from top to bottom and can't find where all that material came from that filled my glove box? They chewed the napkins I had in there, but there was a lot of that vibration and sound deadening material they use all over the engine compartment and inside the vehicle. Only thing I can figure is maybe it came from up inside my seats but you would think there would be some evidence of this under the seat but there isn't. I have screened off the fresh air intake that leads to CAF and I always have the controls set to recirculate on the dash. I'm going to Wally World today to get some peppermint oil and lemon pledge. I just wish I could have found how they were getting in. Tonight will be the first night back to where I normally park. Traps will be baited and peppermint oil and lemon pledge sprayed, I will report back with the results. Hope y'all have a great day and thanks.
NCH

I've been having rats getting into the passenger compartment for a long time...
First I put hardware cloth over the HVAC intake. That helped for a while, but then they came in again. WTF?
I finally figured out where the rear vents are and sure enough, it was the grand entrance!
Note: there's a vent on each side, you can access them by pulling back the fenders as shown, and there's only one non-obvious bolt shown in the photo with the wrench.
I'll let the photos speak for themselves...