Nuts in my air box !!!

[pfmusician]

Went to change my engine air filter on my 2022 Civic today and the air box was FULL OF ACORNS!! I have been battling these nasty critters getting into my blower motor and my cabin air filter but now they've gone too far. After I removed the acorns - at least 50 of them - my mpgs went way up. From like 31 to 38 mpg!

I want to install some kind of barrier - maybe some screen or chicken wire - something porous enough to keep them out but not restrict the air flow but I don't know where to install it. I'm not a "car guy" so I need some advice in where to install it. Where is the first point of entry to the air box? The grill of the car? I see a small round opening in the bottom of the air box but I think if I put a screen there they'd just fill it up behind the screen where I can't get to the nuts to remove them.

I have no garage so I have to park the car outside. Any advice would be appreciated.

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[PointByPatrol]

You can try chicken wire, but I'd also recommend setting traps outside of the car. There are traps available that won't kill the animal. The danger here is that they may start chewing on your wiring and costing you big money.

 

[chopsuey34]

1) How often do you drive your car? If you're letting it sit for days or weeks, squirrels will lose their fear and start exploring your car. I think the car becomes an immobile "part of the environment" if it sits too long, like a tree, and animals will start to investigate. My girl friend would let her CR-V sit for weeks in the summer and had problems with animals including squirrels and wasps making nests in her car. I park next to her and never had issues because I commute daily.

2) Can you clear up the area around your car? Cut away vegetation, remove bushes, trim grass. Squirrels and other critters avoid open areas because they are easy prey for hawks and other birds of prey. I have a little wood in my backyard that is full of squirrels, but they rarely seem to venture past my yard to the driveway.

 

[pfmusician]

I wouldn’t say it sits for long periods of time, but it may sit for a couple of days in a row. I drive it more days in the week than I don’t. I have a hickory tree in my front yard. That’s where the nuts are coming from. That tree is coming down this spring. However the Dr isn’t parked under it. But they seem to carry the nuts TO the car - little bastards. I woul lie to know where the air initially enters my car so I can try covering that in trance with something. Nothing too dense. I was thinking maybe chicken wire - the openings in that material are large but not large enough to get an acorn or hickory nut through.

 

[pfmusician]

You can try chicken wire, but I'd also recommend setting traps outside of the car. There are traps available that won't kill the animal. The danger here is that they may start chewing on your wiring and costing you big money.

I did put traps out one night but caught nothing. I suppose I could try again. I am aware that they can cause a lot of electrical damage. The hickory tree - where most of the nuts are coming from - is going to be removed this spring. Hopefully that will solve the problem. In the meanwhile, I was hoping to fashion some kind of barrier, like chicken wire, to stop their entrance. I’m just don’t know where to put it.

 

[RacingIsLife]

I'll do you one better, I found a dead mouse in mine. Check your intake every now and then folks LOL

 

[pfmusician]

My original question was - where is the first entry point for the air before it gets to the air filter box. In the attached picture am I correct that this is what I'm looking for?. If so I want to try putting a piece of chicken wire to cover this. Am I correct and if so do you think it would help in keeping the acorns ( and the critters) out?

 

[EJHonda]

Yes, some wire screen wedged in that intake should help. We had a Z4M Coupe show up at Watkins Glen for a BMW track event once. Guy drove all the way from Ontario, Canada. During his first session, he said the car felt underpowered. Some other guys started troubleshooting with him, and when they opened the airbox, SIX red squirrel pups scrambled out, hiding in various spots in the engine bay and grill! Took them another 30 minutes to grab all of the squirrels out of the engine bay.

 

[pfmusician]

LOL!! At least my find wasn't alive! Thanks for the confirmation. I'm going to give it a try.

 

[Bpebler]

I live in the woods & this is a constant battle. I’ve tried many, many things including some of these things mentioned, but one things works the best & never fails - peppermint oil. Find a spray or you can even dilute it with some water and put into a spray bottle and then spray access points where they might be climbing into the engine bay.

 

[mbaapk]

I have to say based on the title, I was a bit concerned.

 

[pfmusician]

I live in the woods & this is a constant battle. I’ve tried many, many things including some of these things mentioned, but one things works the best & never fails - peppermint oil. Find a spray or you can even dilute it with some water and put into a spray bottle and then spray access points where they might be climbing into the engine bay.

been there, done that. I’ve put 40 drops of peppermint oils in a bottle of water and sprayed everything. Engine bay, wheel wells, trunk you name it. I gegen put it full strength on my cabin air filter. They keep coming back. But my car smells like chewing gum.

 

[pfmusician]

been there, done that. I’ve put 40 drops of peppermint oils in a bottle of water and sprayed everything. Engine bay, wheel wells, trunk you name it. I gegen put it full strength on my cabin air filter. They keep coming back. But my car smells like chewing gum.

Sorry for the typos. I need to check before I post.

 

[pfmusician]

I have to say based on the title, I was a bit concerned.

LOL!!!

 

[Bpebler]

been there, done that. I’ve put 40 drops of peppermint oils in a bottle of water and sprayed everything. Engine bay, wheel wells, trunk you name it. I gegen put it full strength on my cabin air filter. They keep coming back. But my car smells like chewing gum.

There’s still a chance it may be too diluted. I had the same feeling a few years back & switched to only using straight 100% peppermint oil that comes in a spray & haven’t had problems since. Maybe try that. I did have to reapply as obviously humidity & dew point play factors.

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