Anthonette asked: We have chipmunks and mice in our area, and one of them has died somewhere in my Subaru. It is not in the ventilation system. The cabin air filter has been changed. We have looked everywhere. We can’t get to it and have not found it. The dead smell is getting weaker, but is still yucky. Any suggestions? We are using an odor eliminator spray and it helps.
A 
dead mouse can cause a terrible stench and is often very tricky to locate. Since mice only require a hole the size of a small coin to enter, it is easy for them to crawl into small spaces in the car interior. Once inside, they get stuck, curl up and die. Then as they decompose the stench grows and becomes unbearable before it gets better.
Locating and Removing the Dead Rodent
You Will Need:
- Flashlight
- Plastic or rubber gloves
- Face masks
- Plastic bags
- Plenty of patience
- Odor remover (Odor removers are available at many pet stores. Those that remove cat urine smells are effective in removing dead animal odors as well. For a home remedy, you can use white vinegar.)
Steps to Find and Remove the Rodent:
- Mice are small and can crawl into the tiniest of places. A good thorough search through your car will be a good first step. The smell is awful, but using your nose will help to pinpoint the location.
- Go around your car and use your nose to find where the smell is the strongest.
- Turn the car on and run the air to see if the smell gets stronger. If it’s in the air system (or near the circulation system) this will give you a quick heads up of where to look.
- Pull out the cabin air filter and give it a thorough inspection for food bits, droppings, etc.
- Remove any seats that can be removed and look in, around and under them.
- Lift the carpet where possible and look in any nooks and crannies there.
- Remove the removable parts of the dash and look in there as well.
- Go underneath your car with a good flashlight and look for areas with holes or other ways to access small places to hide.
- Look around the engine and other areas under the hood for any nests, etc.
- Mice use a variety of materials to build their nests, look for scraps of anything that may help to keep them warm.
- Also, follow any signs of mouse droppings, food bits, etc. to see where they may lead to.
- Once found, you will need to remove the remains of the dead mouse. Protect your hands with rubber gloves and be sure to wear a face mask. The smell will be the strongest at the source. As it is moved around, the smell will get worse.
- Pull the mouse out along with any maggots or bugs that have accumulated on the decaying body.
- Place all items into the plastic bag, seal it and dispose of it properly.
- Now, it is time to clean the area to remove any remaining debris and get rid of the odor.
- Clean the area thoroughly with an odor remover. Spray an odor neutralizer throughout the car as well for any remaining stench.
Dealing With The Smell
Sometimes, it won’t be possible to locate the dead rodent or even if you do, the smell may linger. In these cases, it will be necessary to find a way to remove as much of the odor as possible until the rodent decomposes and stops smelling. This usually takes several weeks, although the smell will lessen gradually over that time. Here are some suggestions to get through this tough time.
- Keep the windows open as much as possible to air out the interior.
- If the rodent is not in the ventilation system, run it regularly to keep fresh air moving through the vehicle.
- Drive with the windows open
- There are odor neutralizers that can be purchased, or you can make your own by putting setting the bowl near the location of the odor and adding one of these odor neutralizers:
- Baking soda
- Activated charcoal (available at aquarium supply stores)
- White vinegar
- Coffee
You can use multiple bowls if preferred. Just remember to remove the bowl before each drive so it doesn’t spill. If using coffee grounds, be aware that they will remove most smells, but they will leave a coffee odor in its place.
- For a lingering smell, clean the car as much as possible, particularly by wiping down and/or spraying the surfaces. A mix of one part white vinegar with two parts water works well for most surfaces, though it’s always best to test a cleaner on a small hidden area first. If safe, it can be sprayed onto the dash, seats (leather or upholstery), door panels, roof upholstery, carpet and even the windows (be sure to test first if the windows are tinted). On hard or leather it can be wipes down afterwards and on cloth areas it can be allowed to dry. Be sure to spray away from you (not upwards) when spraying the roof panel so as not to get it in your eyes. Start with a light mist and if needed, a second more generous application can be done later. Be sure the area is well-ventilated while doing this (all doors/windows open) so you aren’t enclosed with the fumes.
- The carpets and cloth upholstery can also be sprayed with a pet enzyme cleaner like Kids ‘N’ Pets or Nature’s Miracle. It would be best to have the car cleaned professionally (with an extraction machine) afterwards though because leaving these product’s residue on the surfaces will attract dirt to those areas.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Find what’s attracting the rodents to the car. Are there snacks inside that they’re trying to get to? Do you have trash outside of your car (in the garage, etc.) that would attract them to the area?
- Some cars, such as Minis, have fluids that attract rodents. They will chew through the tubes to get to the liquids. They are a common problem for these vehicles.
- You can have a mechanic try to find the mouse for you, but you may end up with a big bill and no success at removing the mouse. Unfortunately, the mouse could be anywhere, and mechanics often charge about $80 per hour for their time, so it is usually cheapest to search for the mouse yourself. If you’re on a budget, you may be able to ask the mechanic only spend a certain amount of time looking and you can maximize their time by telling them the places you have already looked.
- One site user who is a mechanic wrote in (Thanks!) to say that the rodents often chew through the cabin filter and fall into the fan motor.
- Once you have remedied the problem, consider using a rodent repellent at least temporarily to prevent them from returning. There are specific products you can buy, such as Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent, or one site user (Thanks!) suggests using a couple cotton balls with some peppermint essential oil on them.
- Never put rodent poison in or near your car as the animal will likely eat the poison and die within your car, possibly in a difficult-to-reach area. Use repellent instead.
To get rid of dead animal odor, remove it, then put a pan of fresh coffee grounds in the car. Be sure all windows are up. Your odor will be gone in a couple of days. I have used this twice. It worked for me.
“I have used this twice. It worked for me.” If it worked, why did you do it twice? Or was it on two separate cars?
Probably two separate occasions.
Spraying odor removers do not really work unless you are able to actually get to the location where the mouse died. If the mouse died and you can’t find it and the smell is bad, instead place some activated charcoal (activated carbon) odor eliminating filters nearby and let the porous activated charcoal absorb and neutralize the odor.
Check with your car insurance – it is often covered by your comprehensive policy.
I did the coffee thing and it did take the odor out, but as soon as I turned the air back on, the smell was right back. Any other suggestions?
The dead rodent is inside your car air system probably somewhere in the dashboard.
After three days in Dallas heat and reading this site, I went to my car determined to track down the offending odor. This is after my boyfriend took my car for a “lube” just so he could get it up on a rack with no luck of finding the source of the stench. As I approached the rear passenger side, the smell hit me from the opened trunk. Flies were buzzing around a sheet I keep for when my dogs ride in the car. I gingerly grabbed a corner of the sheet and began to lift it out of the car when I noticed a white grocery bag lying underneath. Immediately I recognized the remains of the pork chops I had purchased three days ago!
I have had a dead mouse odor for over two months in my car; I live in WI, so winter is rapidly approaching. About six weeks ago, I took my car to the dealership and for $177 they told me after removing and replacing the filter by the dash (which by the way did have holes in it from the rodent!), they said that all that they could find was seeds-probably bird seed that I had in my garage which I have cleaned out and gotten rid of. I’m really concerned about the hantavirus and wondering what more can be done, other than trading in the car. I was told that this can be very expensive, costing up to $500 if they have to remove the dash… Anyone else had any luck in removing them when they can not readily find them?
I’m dealing with this stupid situation right now. The smell in the car is sickening. I have flies the size of the tip of my pinky buzzing around the car and dipping back under the dashboard near the windshield. The air conditioning smells like a “The Walking Dead” set piece.
And to think…I almost caught that little bugger. It got stuck on the sticky pad and everything, but it somehow dragged itself and the sticky pad back up the carpet towards the dashboard and pulled itself off. Just what I get for using “dollar store” mini sticky pads. If I’d have spent the money and bought the huge ones, I wouldn’t be suffering with a car that smells like a garbage scow right now…
Exactly what happened to me. But I think my rat was huge because he got off a big trap. I thought he got away until I started smelling something foul yesterday and this morning it was so bad that flies immediately got in my car when I opened the door. My car parking is close to our home garbage and my sister left peanut butter cookies in my car. And it attracted the monster rat. I’ve looked everywhere possible and nothing. I’ve even gotten a bad headache from the stench ????. I bought the neutralizer earlier and had my husband spray it in. Hopefully that works until after hurricane Irma passes and I can have someone check it out.
Nickinix,
Try following the flies. Let one or two in to buzz around and see where they go… hopefully they will lead you to the rat. Once you know the general location of the rat though, be sure to shoo the flies out so they don’t lay eggs.
DM, Don’t feel bad. I bought the big sticky rat traps and the same thing happened to me that happened to you. No difference. Now, I’m stuck with a really stinky car. Hyundai wants $122. an hour to find it. Guess I’ll have to wait it out. Suffering!
Same problem. Found the nest on the cabin air filter. Removed and replaced. Thought it was good as a mouse trap got one just under the hood on the driver’s side. A week later, turned the heat on and it’s worse. Going to remove the air intake cover and check that out. I’ll try the coffee as well to help the smell. Don’t want to use poision or moth balls, and I’ll trade the car in before pulling the dash. I’ll update my status and hope others do too.
Same problem. I found three different nests in the trunk and cleaned those out. The last one had blue & white foam, so I guess they have eaten the back out of some of the upholstery. I put a trap in the trunk, after the fact. I had the car detailed and he cut me some slack and only charged $80.00, but couldn’t find the remains. Removed the seats and cleaned everything, but the smell is still there and it’s sickening. I don’t know where to turn next. The car is now beautiful, but smells like the city dump. Any more ideas, guys???
Take it to a dealer and have an estimate done. I just had this problem with a rat that somehow crawled under the passenger flooring and died. The entire flooring, padding and other parts were replaced, as well as a professional cleaning service performed. My insurance company paid for it under a comprehensive claim. About $6000 billed to replace flooring, perform cleaning, etc., but only $250 deductible on my part. I also took advantage of a rental car benefit for the 10 days it was in the shop. Personally, I can still detect a faint smell, but at least it’s not going to knock me out behind the wheel. Good luck!
I’ve been dealing with the smell of death in my car for six months now. We went through two dealers and an independent mechanic and finally found one dead mouse in the frame rail. No way to get it out without cutting into the frame rail, which would total the car. I tried 500 maggots, feeding them into a small hole with a plastic straw. They went to town and two weeks later, had it about half gone. Then winter set in real fast and the maggots froze to death. We finally agreed to let the insurance company total the car. They cut into the frame rail and removed the mouse. But the smell is still there and has gotten worse! I’ve never heard of an animal taking so long to decompose. My wife is fed up and wants to take it to the dump. Anybody know of an X-ray machine, or the like that would locate the other dead animals? Thanks.
Andy,
You can ask your local law enforcement agency if they have an X-ray scanner. They do exist, and some law enforcement agencies supposedly have them. If your local police force does not have one, you can try either highway patrol or a border patrol if there is one near you. If you have a port for commercial (shipping) boats in your area, they might also have one. Another option is to contact Image Scan, a company who makes vehicle X-ray machines, and ask them who in your area has one. They are based in the UK, but they might have sold some of them in the US as well (or wherever you are located). You could also contact Rapiscan Systems to see where there products are located.
Source: InfoWars – Police to Get X-Ray Scanner For Vehicle Inspections & “Public Safety”
Source: Pro-Publica – Drive-by-Scanning: Officials Expand Use and Dose of Radiation for Security Screening
Source: Rapiscan Systems – Cargo Inspection System
Source: Image Scan – Vehicle Screening
I started smelling that awful “dead body” smell on the outside of my car as well as when I turned on the air conditioner. The smell only lasted 10 seconds inside after the A/C was running, then I could barely smell anything. But I noticed flies on the passenger side fender area. I popped the hood and noticed some white “cotton” like fabric sticking through a quarter size hole. I removed the plastic liner that seals the fender cavity. I filled about half a grocery bag full of the white cotton fabric, then hit pay dirt. A huge 8 to 9 inch rat. It was starting to decompose and had maggots fully engulfed in the head area. I was not able to reach my hand with gloves in the area so I used a garden bush hand hedger and was able to remove all the nesting and rat. I flushed the area out with a power hose until all the droppings and nesting came out of the tire well and then sprayed odor neutralizer in the affected area. I am elated that I was able to get this rat out after just one day of starting to smell that awful smell. I ran my A/C and didn’t smell that smell at all. Good luck.
We have a Camry that sinks up garage and it’s obvious something died because the car leaves for the day and smell is gone. I have checked around the engine; we’ve had a mouse build a nest in and around the engine, but haven’t found tracks, nesting or a mouse. So many potential areas for a mouse to get into but maybe not out of. It doesn’t smell inside the car so the rodent must be in the body panels or splash shields I guess. Yeah, I guess eventually they dry up and the smell is gone. But it takes awhile.