Please Read - Possible Fire Risk Warning...

[bufbooth]

Hello All,

I had a close call today with my 1990 Toyota Odyssey, I had an under the dash fire on the
passenger side. I was barely able to put it out, I thought I was going to lose the camper
due to the amount of smoke coming out.

I have had some past mice nest problems inside of the heater blower motor that I have been

trying to stop, but the fire was not caused by the heater blower, but instead a thermostatically controlled heat element and is just to the left of the heater blower motor. It appears that this heat element is designed to heat up to provide warm air until the engine warms up. It is about 4 inches
square (I will post pictures later), each end is open (to allow air to flow through it) and in the middle is a couple (2 or 3) wire coils. A mouse decided to build a nest in it and above it. It was 40F this morning, so it appears that the coil turned on, got hot, and caught the mouse nest(s) on fire. My damage is mostly limited to the heat coil plug and the carpet below, and smoke damage. The fire started about 30 seconds after I turned the heater on. I drove the Toyota for about an hour last weekend with no issues, but it was above 60F, so the heat element never turned on.

I do NOT plan on replacing this heat element and highly recommend others to remove it or
unplug it (standard type automotive push in electrical plug) if there is any doubt that
your Toyota is mouse proof.

[Derek up North]

Sounds like the heater 'resistor pack'.

[bufbooth]

^{Hello Derek,}

^{I am not sure it is the resister pack, but it sure looks like one. From what I read, a resister pack controls the}

^{speed of the fan, I think I still have at least two speeds on the fan working, and that is with whatever I}

^{disconnected. If it is the resister pack, I will need to replace it, but will probably screen it (to keep mice out)}

^{and move it in a better (safer) location if possible. Thanks...}

[Derek up North]

If you've gone from all fan speeds working to only 1 (Maximum) then you've a faulty resistor pack. Maximum speed bypasses the resistor pack and the fan motor sees full voltage. Selecting a lower speed sends the juice through the resistors so that the motor sees less than full power. The resistors get HOT which is why they are located in the duct (for cooling).

[Totem]

standard weatherization and short term storage protocol:

1. Dcon under the hood
2. mouse traps in the RV floor, in the cupboards and under the couch cabinets
3. bucket with water and ramp for those critters to smart to eat.

[MontanaChinook]

About one week before leaving for a year-long trip in my Chinook, I was working on something, with the key in the ACC position, and started seeing smoke come out from under my dash.

I kept looking and looking, with a fire extinguisher right next to me, for where it was actually coming from. Never could figure it out, exactly. But I had wired in 4 new speakers, a new radio and an amp. I went through each connection and actually just decided two speakers were enough, and haven't had any smoke since then.

Yeah as far as I know there isn't any stock heating element. Though I was talking to friends a few months back explaining how the heater in their car works, and we got on the topic of "why, with all the advances out there and the more powerful alternators and all the gadgets they're powering, can't there be a little electric heater that allows you get warm air blowing before your coolant warms up?". Heated seats are a step in the right direction, and really the same idea.

But to date, I personally haven't seen any vehicle that has something like this. Of course newer vehicles heat up a lot faster and most people warm theirs up before getting in anyway, but still...

If it's your resistor, that makes sense. They are one of those things that are "common" to have go out on older Toyotas. Takes a lot more to keep the fan running slowly than it does to just let it rip, so the lower speeds usually burn out and leave full speed functional. Most of my older trucks were missing at least the first setting.

I had never heard before that they get hot, but that makes sense.

[Derek up North]

The filament in a lightbulb is just a resistance that happens to get white hot. Your heated car seats are a resistance that fortunately don't get white hot.

[snail powered]

There were large voids in the cutouts where my waste plumbing tubes came up through the floor. Plenty of room for a mouse to use to get inside. I filled them up with spray foam and also installed pieces of aluminum sheet metal on the floor to cover over the foamed area. While remodeling the interior I found an old mouse nest up in the ceiling where there was a large, long void behind a transition panel in the area in my Sunrader where the flat ceiling ended and the sloped ceiling began. The carpet on the walls was great for climbing with their little hooked claws!

[5Toyota]

I have had some of those out that is the variable speed resister for the fan moter and DEREK you are right on those resisters get very hot thus placed to cool . seen that setup in old DATSENS also don't know if its still in new rigs. also the Toyotas of that era without AC have only a three speed fan setup the ones with ac have a four speed fan and the resister may be different setup. SOME of those have two coils . the old Datsen B210 had only two speed heater from new and used a single coil resister cut in only on low speed.

[jmowrey]

standard weatherization and short term storage protocol:

1. Dcon under the hood
2. mouse traps in the RV floor, in the cupboards and under the couch cabinets
3. bucket with water and ramp for those critters to smart to eat.

Mouse traps and water-ramp buckets are fine. But D-Con can and will kill your pets. Not only your pets, but your neighbor's pets. You can't be careful enough with this stuff to prevent it from possibly poisoning innocent animals. Don't kid yourself that you can. There is a high probability of secondary poisoning if a mouse eats D-Con, then runs off and gets eaten by a cat or dog. My beloved Blue Heeler died some years ago from eating a rodent that had eaten D-Con in my neighbors tool shed. And it was not a pleasant death for her.

Please find another way. Even if you don't have pets yourself, this ugly poison is deadly for critters that people love and care about.

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Cab-Rodent-Repellent-Pouch/dp/B0021LWPPY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

I have found Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent to be very effective. It's completely safe, non-toxic, cheap, and it smells good too. No, I'm not some kind of naturalist freak. I just hate to see pets poisoned.

Joe

[Bob C]

I have been using Bounce dryer sheets (original scent) for years to keep mice out of my stuff. They work good but must be replaced when they stop smelling. In areas with good air flow, I replace them every month or so. I got a 40 sheet box for under $4 with a coupon so it is 10 cents a sheet. When I store my RV for the winter, I place 4 sheets under the hood, 2 inside every outside compartment, inside every in door cabinet, and a bunch inside on the floor.

The don't smell bad, are cheap, and I have not had a rodent problem since I started doing it.

I also put them in my storage shed but the squirrels just carry them out to get rid of them. They must not like the smell but will move them. I saw a squirrel carry one out of the shed and drop it about 20 ft away. I am going to staple some to the wall to see if that will stop them.

[Totem]

my mice ate the sheets and made beds out of them.

[bufbooth]

After doing some clean up and removing most of the dash, and time for me to clam down, it was the resistor pack that ignited the mouse nest.

I have been fighting the mice for the last 5 years and thought that I won last year, since I did not have any signs of mice getting into the coach

area. I had sealed up any holes/cracks that I could find, put metal screen in the engine air intake, and built a 1 foot aluminum wall around the

motorhome during storage. I had the motorhome in the driveway (out at a farm) for the last two months, and believe that is when they invaded the

heater vents. I still did not have any signs of them being in the coach area. Once I get the heater motor out and all the vents I can get out, going to

clean them up (remove the smoke damage/smell), and use metal screen to seal up any entry areas that I see. I will try to relocate the resistor

(so I can see it or get to it easier) and will close its openings with metal screen to at least keep any future invaders a couple inches from it.

Thanks to all for replying. Dennis...

[Derek up North]

I would think very carefully before relocating. They are installed in the duct for a reason: to keep them from overheating.

[zero]

I haven't found anything that keeps the mice out. Old remedies include Bounce sheets and Irish Spring soap. Mice chewed up all that I've used and kept on building nests. One favorite spot is inside the heater-core box. Also in the air-cleaner housings on my diesels.

Here's some photos when my little kid discovered thick black soot in my tailpipes. That led to me investigating the cause and finding the air cleaner blocked solid with mouse nests and a few baby mice.

[bufbooth]

I pulled the heater blower motor out, about 1/4 of it was melted.

I was able to find a used unit on ebay for $45 (free shipping) that was the complete housing, motor, and resistor.

[bufbooth]

Update: Finally getting around to repairing the Mice Fire damage and discovered that my AC evaporator and its housing was also damaged in the fire.

I just purchased a replacement one on ebay. So, I will be replacing the A/C evaporator and vent housing, the blower motor and vent housing, and

the rubber insulator floor mat that was between the firewall and the vents. I will be installing some wire mesh around the blower motor resistor.