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How to get rid of mouse urine smell?

Started by slowpoke17, August 22, 2017, 02:33:46 PM

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slowpoke17

I have a 1988 Coupe DeVille that has very low mileage and with that apparently sat for a while, long enough to get infested with mice. When you turn on the AC you get this odor come through the vents. I'm looking for areas where I can start looking to get rid of this smell, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

jfederico
John Federico

TJ Hopland

If its coming from the vents its likely that they were in the vents at one time and left stuff behind.   Getting it cleaned out would be the first step which may be easier said than done.   Start by snooping around looking for access points you could get in and clean.  Usually there are short pieces of duct you can remove to get into some areas.    Blower would be another thing to remove and check in there.  The first thing after the blower is the AC evaporator so that would act as a barrier between the 'inside' and 'outside' parts of the system.  Maybe you could determine which side they were on.     
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

fishnjim

Most likely there's nesting material in the vent ducts.   No magic bullet here, they'll have to be completely disassembled and cleaned thoroughly.  Check any area with insulation.   Check wiring for gnawing.   A dash of bleach in the water will help disinfect.  I like to wear a mask, gloves, protective garments.   Paper or plastic ducts maybe chewed and need replaced.   There's pet odor products like fabreze that can be added after cleaning for a fresher smell but don't rely on masks that alone, it just smells worse.   
I'd pull and clean the carpets as well and check the seats/glovebox/dash for further encroachment.   They usually don't just go to one spot, unless it was the only place they could enter from outside and couldn't go further.   An unpleasant but common fact of old car ownership.   I took a 55 gallon drum worth of squirrel and other pest habitat out of one of mine I bought that sat in a field for 5 years.   I had to bug bomb the palmetto bugs (like giant cockroachs) first.   My motorhome parked outside over winter and wouldn't start in spring so I had towed to garage.   The aircleaner was full of mouse home.   So maybe yours ain't so bad.

cadman56

There may also be a nest inside the heater and evaporator case.  Good luck.
1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille (sold)
1956 Cadillac Convertible (sold)
1956 Cadillac Eldorado Seville (sold)
1967 Cadillac Eldorado (sold)
1968 Cadillac Convertible (Sold)
1991 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham dElegance
Larry Blanchard CLC #5820

David Greenburg

You certainly need to remove any nesting material, feces etc.  After that, if regular cleaning products don't get rid of the smell, try Nature's Miracle, a product that is very effective for cleaning up pet messes.  In addition to the standard version, that works on everything (urine, feces, vomit etc.), I believe there is also a urine-specific product.
David Greenburg
'60 Eldorado Seville
'61 Fleetwood Sixty Special

Glen

Pet stores and the pet section in some stores carry a product called Pee Wee.  It works wonders on all urine smells.   Comes in a spray bottle. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

TJ Hopland

Pet stores also have one called Anti Icky Poo.      For not so extreme cases I have used Seafoam Bugs Be Gone.   It apparently has a similar enzyme process going on and I always have it around the garage. 

Like I said at first and others are saying nothing is going to help if there is still nesting material there.  That stuff only has a chance if you get rid of as much as possible. 

Like I said if you can get to the fan pull that for a look.   If they were just on the fan side of the system there is a lot fewer nooks and crannies to deal with plus that side of the system is somewhat designed to get wet from outside water and the condensation in the ac coil.   If they were on the other side that is were its a lot more complex,  lots of nooks and crannies there with little to no access and nothing is water resistant. 

Is this the era where the blower and evaporator are pretty much in the center and accessed from the engine compartment ideally with that one tiny item removed to give you space?   And that tiny time is what they call the engine?    I remember working on one car from that era that was that way just don't remember if it was a Cad or maybe an Olds. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

slowpoke17

Thank you for all the information. I had the AC serviced in the mean time, the mechanic replaced the blower and said he found a large nest with the evaporator. He cleaned everything as best he could. Driving home the AC works great but it still has that smell albeit not as bad. I'm going to doing some dismantling this weekend and maybe over the holiday. Also wondering as with my last car I found quite a bit in the 1979 Camaro's cowl area where the air intake was located. Is this another area that might be considered on the caddy?
John Federico

Jim Miller

Try running the fan and spray Lysol Disinfectant spray into the cowl intake vent. It gets rid of the musty mildew smells perhaps it will help on mice. If you've removed all the solid matter perhaps that will freshen it up.
Jim Miller
Jim Miller

1941 6219
1949 6237X
1970 CDV
2021 XT6
Past:
1991 SDV
1999 DeElegence
2006 DTS
2013 XTS
2016 SRX

TJ Hopland

Its a good sign that he found the nest where he did.   All the air flows through the evaporator so it acts as a sort of fence for critters so maybe in your case they didn't get to the other side and now that the blower side is cleaned various treatments will do some good.    And yes the cowl area could be suspect since it what leads to the blower where you know they were.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

charlie bishop

The July 2017 issue of Auto Restorer recommended a product called Auto Shocker manufactured by Biocide Systems.

Scot Minesinger

Applying chemicals unfortunately probably will not work well.  The only good way is to find the rest of the mess by taking the system apart and removing the source of the order and then cleaning is the only good way.  Mice love in and around the evaporator, I would remove it and start there.  This is a health issue too, not good for the body to inhale what mice left behind (they left for health reasons) and probably the chemicals too.  I liken this to trying to tighten down an already leaking gasket - never works.
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty