Palm rats under vehicle hood

Asked by Guru8MKWK Jan 09, 2020 at 11:28 AM about the 2015 Toyota Sienna XLE Premium 8-Passenger

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Here in Florida we have a problem with Palm rats getting under the hood or
into the vehicle interior causing damage. Is there a way to solve this problem? I
found rat dropping under the hood but, so far I have not found any damage.
Thanks

1 Answer

420

They usually get in under the cowl where you blower motor intake is. Removing the cowl and placing mesh over the hole will stop them. Be sure to urethane around the mesh to secure it so it doesn't fall in to you blower motor housing. To remove the cowl you need to remove the wiper blades held in with a single 14mm nut each at the base of the arm. There are now single push plugs at each corner of your cowl by the hood hinges, push the center of the plugs IN and they will release. Now under the long rubber seal there will be 6-8 small black plastic clips on the underside. Pinch the clips with pliers and pull upward. Once all released pull the cowl up to clear the wiper spindles and pull straight toward the front of the vehicle. The cowl slides onto the bottom of the windshield that's why you pull towards the front. That's it. On the passenger side of the vehicle you'll see a large port for the blower. Mesh. Slide the cowl back onto the windshield base. Snap in the clips. Put the wiper arms back where they usually rest and tighten. Large wiper to the driver side. For the rear their will be two rubber flaps that vent positive pressure from the cabin (closing doors) so windows and sunroofs dont pop out. I cant quite remember if you have to remove the rear bumper (it's been a few months since my last sienna). Rats are typically too big to fit in these vents as they have a grille already on them. If you're worried they might get in you could try putting a bar of Irish spring soap in the back somewhere. I've done this several times with success but then again I could have just been lucky. Either way I hope you find success in keeping out the critters. Good luck!

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