M5 Chugging At Start--Found A Mouse Nest In One Airbox-How in The Heck - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Anita · 24th August 2004, 00:30

I know this is going to sound like I'm a terrible housekeeeper or M5 neglector or something, but I had only left my poor car undriven for about 2.5 weeks. And when I went to start it yesterday, I noticed that it sounded as if the engine was struggling right as I started it. It was sort of chugging and not quite ready to stall, but still sounding pretty rough. After a few seconds the engine sounded okay. Later that night after opening the passenger's side airbox and removing the filter, there was what looked like an animal's (mouse) nest made of insulation taken from behind the drywall in the garage.

How the heck did a mouse manage to get in there and how do I keep him or her out in the future?

And do you all notice bits of leaves and dirt in the bottom of the airboxes? And how often do you replace the filters?

Thanks!

Anita

jeeperjohn · 24th August 2004, 00:49

Anita,

The stock air inlet is behind the bumper (you can see the end of the air horns when you open the hood and look to the sides of the grill openings) and a mouse could climb up there. It's possible to pick up a lot of debris if you put a cold air intake with openings close to the ground (HD style). Just vacuum out the air horns and boxes along with the dirty side of the air filter and you should be OK.

John

CSBM5 · 24th August 2004, 03:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anita

How the heck did a mouse manage to get in there and how do I keep him or her out in the future?

Hmmm...how about a garage cat?

schnelleM5 · 24th August 2004, 04:21

Bummer, Anita. I hope your other M's and Dan's Cobra weren't infiltrated as well. One suggestion I have, and this has been tested successfully on an RV, boat, and my old "Henna" that I have stored in our barn, is to sprinkle Comet or Ajax around your vehicles if you plan on leaving them unattended for any length of time. You could always resort to traps or poison, of course

plisken · 24th August 2004, 05:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anita

How the heck did a mouse manage to get in there and how do I keep him or her out in the future?

I would guess he/she wont be going any where soon, that rough running you expierenced was most probably the poor little thing fighting with the big V8's internals

greg · 24th August 2004, 06:07

You have my sympathy. A rat took up residence on the right cylinder bank of my truck. I didn't begrudge him a warm place to sleep, and I took comfort imagining him getting delicately roasted next time I drove. It was that he chewed through several difference vacuum lines. In addition to poor running my cruise control and ventilation controls didn't work.

/G

yapallas · 24th August 2004, 09:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg

You have my sympathy. A rat took up residence on the right cylinder bank of my truck. I didn't begrudge him a warm place to sleep, and I took comfort imagining him getting delicately roasted next time I drove. It was that he chewed through several difference vacuum lines. In addition to poor running my cruise control and ventilation controls didn't work.

/G

I had the same problem with my CLK430. The mice, rats?? chewed the vacuum lines and other hoses. Cost $1K to replace but the homeowners insurance picked it up. The hood insulation was used to make the nexts in the engine compartment. I discovered this after a two week vacation. Anita should definitely check her vacuum lines and others hoses on the M5 to make sure there is no problem.

24th August 2004, 12:22

I also had a rodent problem, but it only cost me a new underhood carpet.

Cheers.

m5 rus · 24th August 2004, 14:14

It happned to a friend of mine..He leaved the car as he went for holidays..a mouse got into exhausts...a got stuck and died..cause mouses cant move backwards...His car wouldn't start...he did everything to the engine...but did start...until he removed the whole ehxaust...then he cut it and found a dead mouse body...

...

Had to get new exhausts, glad he had a LADA...as it didn't not cost much...

Anita · 25th August 2004, 20:00

Yes, up till this present event all my mice guests had been very respectful of my M cars--they usually only showed up in the cold weather, built nests and hid food, etc (I won't expalin what the etc is... I think you can guess) in the Mustangs

or the extra pipes and mufflers laying around.

Well at least they haven't started using bits of my cars for bedding and chew toys like they have some of your cars.

Greg, maybe you don't really have gremlins in your M5 after all, just happy, smart alec rats.

Anita