1993 Ford Ranger Need help to clean mouse nest/urine out of air ducts

[Ynnekdnaaisat]

1993 Ford Ranger has been sitting on a farm for 4+ years. I cleaned everything I could get to but when the heater is used, I can smell rancid mouse urine. How can I get into the air ducts or cowl to clean and sanitize it?

 

[franklin2]

Did you ever find the nest? If you didn't that is probably what is smelling. I would see how hard it is to pull the blower fan. If you can do that you can take a peek in there and see if you see the nest.

 

[Josh B]

There's a small cover that has a glow thing in it on the side of the heater box. If I remember correctly I think I cleaned a lot out of mine through that little hole using a wet vac and a small vac hose with extentions

 

[gaz]

@Ynnekdnaaisat ,
Though it is a complete pain in the keister and very time consuming, if you REALLY WANT IT CLEAN...remove all the ducting and completely clean them with any mild detergent, then disinfectant. Afterwards install the air freshener of your choice (rodents are known to dislike cinnamon, good choice) and it will be like new.

 

[Ranger850]

@Ynnekdnaaisat ,
Though it is a complete pain in the keister and very time consuming, if you REALLY WANT IT CLEAN...remove all the ducting and completely clean them with any mild detergent, then disinfectant. Afterwards install the air freshener of your choice (rodents are known to dislike cinnamon, good choice) and it will be like new.

@Ynnekdnaaisat This part ^^^^
When I got my truck, it smelled like a wet dog and got worse when it rained. I tried to clean the truck as thorough as possible, removing the seats and all plastic panels to get to /remove all the dog hair and dust. After several months of trying, I finally removed the dash completely ( also replaced the heater core while it was out ) vacuumed and wiped down the inside of all the ducts, blew out the blower wheel, and put it back together. Noticeable difference immediately.

 

[Kenobi77]

My truck is a 1986, so I'm not sure how much of this will carry over. But I was in a similar situation as you were, so I hope at least some of it will translate to the second generation Rangers or give you some ideas:

When I first got my truck, it had been sitting (according to the seller) for five years under a tree--last time it was registered was '06, so take it with a grain of salt. Only noticed a terrible odor of rat poop and urine once we got it home. Further inspection revealed the rats had decimated the jute behind the driver's kick panel, built a nest in the vents, and pooped all over in there.

This is how I went about cleaning it out:

I first closed all the vents in the cab and turned the fan on high, spraying Lysol into the cowl. I emptied the ~0.5 full can over a course of two hours while occasionally switching between the routes to ensure full coverage of the system. This sat for a few days before I removed the fan and used a borescope to locate all debris in the vents. A bare shopvac hose was able to get most of the way inside (about to behind the dash warning lights). The dash pad was removed at this point (huge PITA) which enabled access to the remaining areas up there.

I finished up by mixing some Bissell pet odor eliminator and manually wiping down the vents as well as I could. The truck was left undisturbed for about a week with the windows cracked. This was done 2.5 years ago, been through sustained 80-90 degree summer weather, and the smell has never returned once. The occasional passengers, when prompted, confirm that there's no indication any organic waste was ever there.

A few notes: do not neglect the heater core housing. A rat skeleton was found in a nest there; did the usual Lysol and Bissell treatment to the inside of the enclosure while the core itself was treated with foaming A/C coil cleaner from Lowe's. Additionally, when the core is removed, it enables decent access to the lower vents. Don't forget to wipe down the fan, too. 36 years of dirt (in my case), regardless of infestation status, has a tendency to smell.

All this being said, everything was accomplished while both the seat and carpet were removed. Yes, it would be doable with the seat in, but it'll definitely be a much worse endeavor that way.

Hope this can help.

 

[Ynnekdnaaisat]

Did you ever find the nest? If you didn't that is probably what is smelling. I would see how hard it is to pull the blower fan. If you can do that you can take a peek in there and see if you see the nest.

I found a nest under the seat but I suspect there is one also in the vent. The smell gets worse when you add heat to the mix.

 

[Ynnekdnaaisat]

@Ynnekdnaaisat ,
Though it is a complete pain in the keister and very time consuming, if you REALLY WANT IT CLEAN...remove all the ducting and completely clean them with any mild detergent, then disinfectant. Afterwards install the air freshener of your choice (rodents are known to dislike cinnamon, good choice) and it will be like new.

I am not the most car savvy girl so I think my post was misunderstood. I need to know how to actually get to the inside of the ducting. Do I have to take the dash out to get to the inside of it? Car I access it from the floor vent?

 

[scotts90ranger]

From my experience they don't get too into the ducts, they would rather make a nest IN the fan or at the heater core or AC evaporator. Being a '93 get on the passenger side and start by taking the 5 screws that hold the cover for the heater core and get that exposed. If there's nothin there get in the engine compartment and pull the heater fan, it's just 3 screws, not likely too hard unless the coolant overflow tank is in the way, it's not too fun on a V8 Explorer with all options but doable...

If you get to those two spots you should be pretty well covered.

 

[gaz]

@Ynnekdnaaisat ,
Sorry, I have an issue with the scent of rat urine. If it we're coming out of my air ducts, I would 100% do as I suggested. I do not like pulling a dash but I can not think of a better reason to pull a dash then to purge any and all rodent remnant from a vehicle.

@scotts90ranger , this plan is good. Opening the engine bay duct compartments is a home run and may be all you need to do.

I would also RE-READ @Kenobi77 's post as it worked.

 

[billwpm]

1993 Ford Ranger has been sitting on a farm for 4+ years. I cleaned everything I could get to but when the heater is used, I can smell rancid mouse urine. How can I get into the air ducts or cowl to clean and sanitize it?

once you remove nest I use cat urine remover from pet store to dissolve the smell of mice