It's not too often that a product advertised on TV with a "Sounds Too Good To Be True" sales pitch actually works, but I must give huge credit to this Poopf! stuff.

My daughter bought a 2005 Coupe a little over a year ago. The car to be blunt was pretty filthy. It had sat for a while and the previous owner had his dog in the car all the time. To add to the problem, there have been some mice incursions into the car as well. A huge nest in the empty sub pocket behind the driver's seat soon after we bought it, followed by a fresh dead mouse in the blower motor not long after that. We thoroughly cleaned all the problem areas and the whole interior, used one of the canister bomb air fresheners, and cleaned and scrubbed the carpets with carpet cleaner. Nonetheless, a persistent smell remained and would not go away. Recently, some acorns started showing up under the passenger seat, the smell was becoming worse, and we found a huge nest in the dash under the HVAC control unit that came all the way out to the gear shifter. There was a dead mouse in the nest, and the entire area under the center console was packed with droppings and dried mouse pee. I took the seats out and pulled off almost every interior panel in the entire car, cleaned everything (On a scale of 1-10, the job was a 12 on the barf-o-meter, especially the center console area) and wiped it all down with Lysol disinfectant wipes and scrubbed the carpets again. The smell remained and there was dog hair embedded in the carpets that would not come up, regardless of repeated vacuuming and scrubbing with carpet cleaner.

We decided to try the Poopf! stuff and bought it on Amazon. It has no fragrance and just seems like water. We lightly misted it anywhere we could where it would not get on any wires, connectors, etc. Then sprayed it liberally on all the carpeted areas and scrubbed with a soft brush, then repeated that process. At first, there was no difference. The next morning, also not much change, but the morning after that, about 36 hours after the application, I opened the car door and I was truly shocked. All of the odor was completely gone. No perfume-like fragrance, just flat no smell at all. Completely neutral. I don't know how the stuff works, but it is a true Godsend. I did have old bath towels laid over the carpet after the application, because I was working on some other interior items. Not sure if the towels helped absorb any odor, but they don't smell bad in any way.

The remaining problem was the dog hair that was still embedded in the carpet. Not thick mats or anything, just all the annoying short hairs that will not come up. I bought on Amazon 2 tools:



The Lilly Brush is like a rubber edged scraper and it grabs most of the hairs and pushes them into little piles that you can just pick up. It's pretty amazing to watch the lines of hair forming as you use it. The brush thing in the other set did nothing, it might work on thicker hair. But the metal tool was awesome at grabbing the stubborn hairs the Lilly Brush would not grab. It's kind of like a shaver, it does take a little of the carper fiber as well, but not much. It works great on flat areas and the Lilly brush gets into the tight corners pretty well. The carpet looks almost brand new.

Hope this info helps someone else who may have similar issues.

The car goes in tomorrow morning for a thorough inspection to determine where the mice may be entering, and hopefully the problem will be rectified.

 

There are two prime suspect areas the mice could be entering from.

1) The A/C blower outside air intake. This sits under the passenger side of the windshield wiper cowling. It's not hard for mice to get in at this location, also mice like nesting in engine bays during the winter months (lots of material to chew on). You can mitigate intrusion from this location by putting the A/C in recirculate mode before shutting off the vehicle. This actuates the blend door on the blower box to close off the "outside" air inlet. But a more permanent solution would be to install some chicken wire at the inlet ducting under the wiper cowling.

2) The rear cabin/trunk air vents, every modern car has these, around the rear body quarter panels. Typically hidden behind the plastic bumper corners. There are rubber flaps/shutters that should close when the vehicle is stopped and I assume these open when driving at high speed to keep air pressure in the cabin at atmosphere or for circulation. I can't remember if these have a screen mesh in them or not. Because the flaps close when parked, it would be much harder for a mouse to gain entry here.

Given that the main rodent nest was concentrated around the center console and you found a dead rodent inside the blower box, I suspect they were using the A/C ducting under the windshield cowling as the main source of entry and exit.

I'm a big fan of the Lilly brush, I've used it on my Z and it worked wonders removing what I think was cat hair (left behind from previous owner).

I also highly recommend getting the A/C cleaner kit ( , same kit). It's worked great on my Z so far. You might have knocked out most of the carpet odors. But the A/C will be a bit more difficult. I recommend getting two of these kits for a super deep clean. Summer is coming, if not already here, and the A/C smell is probably going to be nasty if they were pooping/pee-ing in the ductwork (also a health hazard). In your situation, I would actually go through the trouble of removing the side panel of the evap and heater core box and do a deep cleaning with hot water and disinfectant (something that won't chemically react with the aluminum cores). There's a drain hose that should make sure most of the cleaning solution goes outside the car and not into the carpet, but the working conditions are pretty terrible (cramped under the passenger footwell).

Cheers!
-Icer

 

Thanks again, Icer.

I also suspected the A/C Blower intake as a dead mouse was found in the blower. I just didn't know if once one of the varmints got into the blower, was there a way for him to proceed further into the vents from there. I felt around in that cavity, and didn't feel any openings, I thought maybe they squeeze through the round holes on the blower motor. Is the blend door the part above the blower motor that is kind of up against where the dashboard is? Because if so, it is closed right now, but certainly may not always be that way. I knew I should have screened off that intake opening when we found the mouse in the blower. Why I didn't I have no idea. Lesson learned the hard and nasty way.

I believe I do recall seeing the rubber flaps in the back when we first bought the car, at which time the rear bumper was not installed. I can't recall if they had screens, but if they don't they will very quickly.

I am already on the same page with you as far as cleaning out the vents and evaporator. I ordered this: but the one you point to looks to be a more thorough kit, so I'll cancel the one I ordered and go with your suggestion. The passenger seat is out which should make getting under there easier. I had started searching for a video on how to do that process on the 350Z, but I could not find one. Do you happen to know a good link to a video or tutorial or perhaps the process is described somewhere in the FSM? I'll check tonight on my own as well and see if I can find it.

Thanks again for always taking the time to help. If you're ever out here in CO, the beers are on me. By the way, would you happen to have one of the battery cover panels laying around? Mine is missing, and that would also probably be helpful. I tried to post a wanted ad in the marketplace, but it won't let me. Maybe I'm too much of a noob to the site.

 

Yes, that's one of the blend doors. There's more blend doors in the evap/heater core box. There's some ducting on the left side of the blower box that connects into the heater/evap. core main box, from there the ducting splits off around the cabin. You have to remove the battery cover and passenger side wiper cowling to gain access to the inlet duct. That's where I would install the chicken wire.

I don't believe the FSM covers A/C cleaning, but I could be wrong. The process to follow is the same for pretty much all cars. Stick the hose in the evap. drain tube and fire away. On the 350Z the hose is hidden on the exterior of the car (behind the front right fender liner). What I do is pull up the corner (top right) of the passenger footwell carpet and fold it over towards the center console, you will see a black rubber hose running from the center dash to the floor pan. That's the drain hose, simply pop it out of the floor pan and spray the cleaner product in. Be careful not to kink the hose, you need the chemical goodness to get inside the center dash core box. Have some towels ready before you start. Put the hose back inside the floor pan when it's time to drain. Before starting this process, have a catch pan ready under the passenger side rocker, just behind the front right wheel. You might also want to try flushing or clearing the drain hose for blockages (mice poop) before starting the treatment.

Here's a video on the process (skip to 2:13), the only major difference is that the 350Z drain hose is hidden and we don't have cabin air filters.

Actually, I think I do. But you can buy these brand new for pretty cheap. The shroud piece that the cover attaches to is expensive.

Cheers!
-Icer

 

You are correct, the FSM does not cover the cleaning process but your instructions are great, the video is great and I already have the carpet loose on the passenger side for mouse filth cleaning purposes. (How convenient) As far as the deep clean, would Lysol spray or similar be OK to use? I don't know what reacts with aluminum. And is that process a physical scrubbing of the outside surface or is it again somehow injecting the water/disinfectant solution?

s far as the battery cover, I need the shroud as well. I have a nice fellow down in FL who usually has what I need without breaking the bank, so I'll check with him. If no dice, it'll be off to EBAY. It's weird that the entire setup for the brake reservoir cover is pretty cheap, but for the whole battery setup, it's twice as much. Seems like the same amount of plastic to me.

Again, I am in your debt, and thank you.

 

Lysol spray is commonly used for vehicle A/C cleanings. I think this would be safe to use for the ducting and core box components. My only concern with using Lysol is it might have ammonia or bleach in it (maybe updated formulas don't). This could discolor interior plastics/seats/carpets. Definitely need to do this in the shade with the windows down and rear hatch open if possible. I would also have some microfiber towels handy to mop up any heavy misting/droplets that could form around the A/C vents. In terms of application, it's the same process as the Toyota video I linked above. Remove the windshield cowling above the A/C intake duct, turn the blower to max, and spray. Make sure to cycle between the different vent modes every 45sec or so.

No need for physical scrubbing using this method. But it is possible to get some physical access to the inside of the heater/evap. core box. (See photo). It's just a lot of work to get that far, major commitment, so I don't recommend going that far unless there's serious blockages (mouse poop or something worse).


Passenger side view of the box (blower motor box removed)

Side cover of A/C core box removed, foam cleaner injected.


Note: Just checked online, looks like Lysol removed Bleach from their formula, so you should be safe to use it. Just don't overdo it, take some breaks between spray applications to prevent liquid from pooling.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Thanks for the reply, and I apologize but I'm still a little confused. So once I have done the process with the two cans as shown in the video, I need to remove the blower motor (or blower motor box?) and also spray some foam or cleaner in there? Or is that one and the same as the hot water/disinfectant deep clean you referred to?

Is the second picture the same viewpoint as the first picture, just with the electronics moved aside and the side cover that is stamped "35205" removed?

I did turn on the A/C full blast today and ran it for a while and actually I'm not getting any odor, but I can hear what is likely a couple of acorns bouncing around somewhere in the ducts, it sounds like towards the top where the windshield defrosters are. I believe they were only making the noise when I had it set to fresh air intake. I'll pull the blower motor (need to clean and disinfect the fins anyway) and see if I can't fish a piece of clear flexible tubing attached to my vacuum up in there, could also try to go in where the vents feed into the doors. Unless you know a more effective trick to get them out. Too bad I don't have a well-trained mouse, I could send him in there to get them.

 

For the spray can treatment, you don't need to remove the blower box in the cabin. To access the drain hose for can #1, you need to remove the rocker kick panel and side/corner kick panel to pull up the carpet. That's it for interior removal. For can #2 remove the battery box cover/shroud and wiper cowling (passenger side only) under the hood to get direct access to the blower inlet.

Yes, the 2nd pic is the same view, but with the camera slightly closer and the plastic side panel with blend doors removed.

Unfortunately, if there's nuts/shells inside the ductwork, it means removing the entire dash to gain access. The main center vents in the dash next to the cubby have screen mesh behind them which will prevent access with some kind of fish rod/wire. The side vents that connect to the door panel vents are open once the Z logo grill is popped out. I'm not sure about the top defrost vents. My guess is you have some nuts or shells inside the blower box. Best to drop the entire blower box for a deep cleaning, the removal part is pretty easy. But re-installing can be a pain. The plastic for the blower box is delicate, it shatters/cracks easily, so handle it with some care.

Good Luck!
-Icer

 

So pic 2 I would just get the cover off of the blower box and spray some of the disinfectant foam in there from the side, correct? Put towels underneath for drips.

And if I drop the entire box, which I likely will do, is the evaporator inside the box or does it sit behind it?

Much thanks again. I'm sure once I get under there and get a look, it will be easier for me to see and understand.

 

The little #!@&!'s won't be getting in through this spot anymore. My screws were a bit long. I know I had 3/8ths in my hand when I bought them, but they somehow grew to 9/16ths on the way home.

 

Hey Icer,

Looking at this photo of the inside of the rear hatch that black thing in the back corner is one of the vents you referred to. The other side has one, too. Both are closed but the rubber flaps are super thin and no doubt one of the little buggers if determined could get in even when these are "closed" Those will be getting screened off tomorrow. You were correct again. And I won't have to take off the rear bumper. Thanks, yet again.

 

Guys, I though a couple tips might be helpful to anyone who has their hatch ripped apart and wants to screen off their rear vents in the future. The most tedious part I found was getting the screen to the right size & shape so hopefully this will help. I used 1/4" "Hardwire Wire" which was bought at Lowes in a roll in the garden center. I considered using an 8" x 8" wall patch that did have thin aluminum in it, but the holes were very small and I was concerned it may cause whistling, so I now have many feet of extra hardware wire.

You want to use tin snips to cut a piece of the screen that is 6 3/4" x 4 3/4". Then snip off two squares at each corner so you can fold it into a box like shape. Before folding it should look like this:

I snipped off the little nubs as close as possible using a pair off Knipex Super Snips. Excellent little tool for this and also snipping off the ends of zip ties flat so there's no sharp tail left.

Then, just use a straight edge of a board or table to fold the flaps down to form a box cage. I didn't picture this. To finish off the 90 degree bend, I also used regular pliers and grabbed a little at a time until the box was just right.

I opted to use some small strips of Dynamat to secure the cages. Cut the length of the strips a little shorter than the edge you're applying to, as it's a pain to try and fold extra over the corners.

Fold the strips into a tight U-shape like this before applying:


Then, place your perfect sized cage over the vent and stick the Dynamat strips first to the vent & cage. Hard to get a roller in there, I used the flat edge of a screwdriver and blunt end of a dowel to flatten and adhere it. Then unfold the strip, laying it against the metal from the cage outward, again pressing and adhering it with the flat edge of the screwdriver. Do one strip at a time and use your roller when done where you can fit it. I did 3 sides, the bottoms seemed like too much effort and not needed, unless you're unlucky enough that Mighty Mouse tries to enter your car. If you can crawl in your hatch and lay down, the bottoms could be done, but that was not something I wanted to undertake. I won't win any awards for Dynamat application perfection, but the screens are secure and will serve the purpose.

Here is the finished product:

 

Brilliant! I never would have thought of using Dynamat in such a way. That should keep them out!

I hope they didn't "eat" your blower box blend door weatherstripping.

Worth an inspection. You can use window foam weatherstripping from the hardware store if it's falling apart.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Thanks again for the suggestion. Are there more blend doors in the box other than the two that can be seen from the under-cowl intake under the hood? Because I can see those pretty clearly, and the weather stripping on those looks intact. The only materials I found in my cleaning endeavors were insulation and some little pieces of styrofoam, which he chewed from the L-shaped block under the passenger carpet. And as far as I can tell, only one wire in the dash was slightly damaged. The yellow & red one that goes into a connector all by itself, as shown here:

No idea what that wire is for, or why there's a big connector with just one wire going into it, but I wrapped it up well with correct color yellow and red tape (thinking about the next guy) and maybe I'll peruse the wiring diagrams again if curiosity gets the best of me.

 

There are more blend doors, but they are located inside the Heater Core/Evap. Core box. You would need to take out the entire dash to get to those, not worth the effort unless they confirmed broken or not functioning properly.

Just a hunch, but I think that single wire (yellow/red) going to the white connector in the photo is for steering wheel audio controls. I could be wrong of course, but I know the steering wheel control setup for Bose equipped Zs is different. On non-Bose Zs, it's a 3-wire brown connector. Some aftermarket adapters use a single wire input.

Did you ever figure out what the crimped bellcap was for on the BCM harness? Looked like the previous guy spliced two wires together, which might not be a good thing, could be a cause of some of your other electrical problems.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Well, if that's the case, that yellow/red wire is obsolete as the previous owner removed the factory steering wheel and installed a removable ghetto-type one. At least the horn still works. I pulled off the lower cover for the steering wheel because it and the lower driver's dash piece were cockeyed, and there were some bare wires underneath where they had stripped the sheathing and wrapped other wires around. I guess they never heard of wiretaps. Whatever they were trying to do must not have worked because they then just snipped off their pigtails and poorly wrapped them with tape. Masking tape no less, God O' Mighty. Those have been correctly repaired & heatshrinked now.

I had updated in my wires post that I did figure out the loose wire. It was for the little led on top of the dash for the alarm system. That has been properly repaired and the LED works. And the "Start Signal" fuse that was absent was just what it sounded like, it's the little "ding ding" sound when the keys are inserted into the ignition.

Thanks again. I'll be tackling the A/C clean and a couple other odds & ends when I get home. Then it's finally getting to the fun part of the new amp, sub, & speakers.

 

OK, did the 2-step A/C Clean with the Toyota Kit. Added a dash of Lysol to the clear tube when injecting the foam for extra disinfecting, and then did a second can of cleaner, which was the Interdynamics brand, which I had ordered before the Toyota kit was suggested. I just pulled the tube and let it drain into a pan I put in the footwell, did the entire process inside the car, then pushed the drain tube back into the hole when finished.

Before the foam was used, I removed the blower motor and scrubbed the fins clean and also cleaned inside and sanded a couple rough spots I found inside the blower box where the fan was rubbing a little. Those probably happened when the fan got out of balance when the mouse got in there and got Tilt-A-Whirled. Was also able to add a flexible hose to my small Dewalt shop vac and got up into the duct at the bottom/back of the blower and did get a few sticks & acorns out. The first drain the liquid was very brown and had some small debris in it. By the third inject & drain it was pretty clean. Now smells nice and still blows cold.

I believe that wraps up the total interior fumigation from the rodent filth. Now just need to check a couple remaining odds & ends for parasitic draw, get the new speakers, amp & sub in, and put the interior back together.

 

Good update! You may need to replace the blower motor assembly if the shaft is bent or out of balance.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

It seems to be OK now that the chafed spots have been cleaned up. Very quiet and no vibration.