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Pollen filter housing - anyone seen this?


steeve24
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Just got a Saloon 09 plate and changed the pollen filter (what a mess that was!) and found the cut out above the cover, it looks like it's been drilled out, just can't think why?

 

Thoughts? Should I seal it back up?

 

Thankscb1baec88c8dfc727af5afff141a8da1.jpg

 

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It's either been chewed by rats/mice or the filter was so clogged someone couldn't get the filter out or a mix of the 2

Close the hole up with some foil tape (duct tape not duck tape) and some card (cover the card in the foil tape first)

e.g.. https://www.screwfix.com/p/diall-insulation-board-tape-silver-45m-x-50mm/4806v

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This is a strange one indeed, I can’t think of any obvious reason why on earth someone would do something like that!!! Other than they didn’t realise the removable panel in place to change the pollen filter and thought they’d have to drill out a panel to replace it!! Must be Ex bank robbers. Imagine them attempting to change a fuel filter built in !!!
Unless they were using that space to stash their illegal substances...gosh..who knows hey!

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That makes sense about having trouble removing the filter and then cutting away the above for access, a bit drastic though. I'll seal it back up and see if it causes anything, would t thought it would increase the airflow to the filter maybe?

 

Could be to stash something, I will have a look and see if it is easily accessible from the glove box.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. 

 

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That looks very like rat or squirrel nibbling!

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Hard to get a perspective on it from a single picture (when you've never seen it before). Dark thoughts... could it be a bodge to allow quick access to some unit/module without having to remove all the dash?  

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All that's above the filter is the air intake, if it gets filled up with debris it's an ideal home for a rodent or 10, it looks like gnaw marks to me and the edge is ragged (years of pet ownership)

If you have never seen it there is a sub on Reddit called r/Justrolledintotheshop/ <<<<<<<< Clicky

 

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Apologies in advance but I dont get how people are commenting on rodents possibly causing that strange cut out...its so neat and particular in its form...its obvious to me that somebody drilled that section out! For whatever reason!

If it were me..I'd cut that whole section straight again and find some black plastic slightly larger than the hole and seal it up in an attempt to make it look original again!

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If you look at the edges they have a chamfer to them and are very rough almost fluffy, Don't forget a rat can eat  through a cast iron drain pipe

this is a mare to get to as well with very minimal clearance around it (behind and above the glove box on a rhd car)

this is what it looks it should look like.

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.76769849e1ba94c41aaaed57afc8bd02.jpg

 

Edit. its the cabin air intake when you have the hvac on recirc it pulls the air in that fine mesh vent

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3 hours ago, flash22 said:

If you look at the edges they have a chamfer to them and are very rough almost fluffy, Don't forget a rat can eat  through a cast iron drain pipe

this is a mare to get to as well with very minimal clearance around it (behind and above the glove box on a rhd car)

this is what it looks it should look like.

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.76769849e1ba94c41aaaed57afc8bd02.jpg

 

Edit. its the cabin air intake when you have the hvac on recirc it pulls the air in that fine mesh vent

You should see the lead flashing eaten by squirrels on my roof, the plastic water tank in the roof and the gutter boards and plastic guttering!

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Here is what the HVAC should look like when not chewed away.

P1080253copy.thumb.jpg.17d8a9a672c288a8604e9f98b86907bb.jpg   P1080250copy.thumb.jpg.932276110c2ca045c3150afd5af0aea3.jpg

Got these from my archive drive, and enhanced a little. Picture from October 2015.

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12 minutes ago, Konrad C said:

Here is what the HVAC should look like when not chewed away.

P1080253copy.thumb.jpg.17d8a9a672c288a8604e9f98b86907bb.jpg   P1080250copy.thumb.jpg.932276110c2ca045c3150afd5af0aea3.jpg

Got these from my archive drive, and enhanced a little. Picture from October 2015.

It’s that particular section that’s been cut out, surely no rodent would want to cut out a particular shape like that!

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13 minutes ago, SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS said:

It’s that particular section that’s been cut out, surely no rodent would want to cut out a particular shape like that!

True. I'm glad my card has not been butchered.

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4 hours ago, flash22 said:

If you look at the edges they have a chamfer to them and are very rough almost fluffy, Don't forget a rat can eat  through a cast iron drain pipe

this is a mare to get to as well with very minimal clearance around it (behind and above the glove box on a rhd car)

this is what it looks it should look like.

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.76769849e1ba94c41aaaed57afc8bd02.jpg

 

Edit. its the cabin air intake when you have the hvac on recirc it pulls the air in that fine mesh vent

So If I read you correct, the section thats been 'eaten' 🙂 should house a fine mesh cover? In that case, I can't just cover it over as it would stop any airflow in recirc mode?

I'm assuming someone wanted more airflow when on recirc and removed the section, or maybe it got too dirty and couldn't be cleaned, so they just cut it out.

Might get some mesh and cover it over, just to stop dirt entering the where it shouldn't

 

 

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When I look at the damage, the plastic looks cut but something rough. I wonder what the state of the filter was, and also the motor if any debris went around the vent system. If suspected rodent damage, any droppings and UV light will show the other stuff. 
For repair, I would get a bit of perspex matching the shape of the house with the same cut out as genuine (using my photo above). Then get vacuum cleaner filter foam and sandwich it between the housing and the perspex. You have to decide to use self tapping screws or glue that can withstand cold and heat. 

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That is a rodent job for sure, I don’t know why but I know that they do love to eat black plastics on cars, perhaps there is some organic material in them similar to the orange high voltage cables on ev and hybrids , I had a car eaten by a rodent same way, pollen filter housing, rear cards in the boot, under bonnet some cables too., yam very tasty 😋 Was a lovely Mitsubishi Pinin, had to sell it afterward, wasn’t sure what else has gone under the teeth. 

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2 hours ago, Stivino said:

Get down to the nearest scrappy and get another one.

Only problem with that is you have to pull the whole dash out disconnect the A/C and heater matrix it's a massive job

Bio plastics and soy in wire coverings are loved by rodents iirc there was a court case in Ireland - It's a Toyota thing

Edit. https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/25k-award-for-couple-after-rats-infest-cars-215415.html

It still looks like rodent damage to me

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I took delivery of a brand new rav4 on 28 Nov 2019.

As it was raining heavy on collection say hi dud not lift. bonnet 7 day later went to putvscrernbwashnin car noticed the plastic been chewed and foam engine cover had chew marks. Deal said I must have rodents at home  but my Lexus hybrid has not been touched in two years parked in same  garage. They had it parked under a tree next to scrub land for a month. Any pest control have checked my property no rodents present not bait been touched nothing in traps.  

Toyota deal will not own up and refused to to help to ward the cost, however on checking the nesting materials  left behind the tree seeds under the foam engine cover where from the same type of tree the car parked next to a the dealer tress we do not have locally.

But Toyota shoukd be warning owners off this issue we hands Lexus for 2 years with no issues but no one had ever said anything about the bio plastics my car has now been treated with an anti rodent lacqur. 

But people make sure you check the engine bay for chew marks  when you get your car as dealer know about this problem and will not help to fix it poor show Toyota Oakmere  

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As regards the use of bio-plastics, the EU have a requirement for manufacturers to increase the recyclability of vehicles. 

Manufacturers have been increasingly using bio-plastics for at least eight years and although Toyota started using bio-plastics earlier, they are by no means alone in using such materials. Back in 2012, Fiat and Ford were using soy based seats, BMW wood fibres and plastic for door facings, Fiat soya and castor oil based polyurethanes, Mercedes flax sisal and kenaf in plastics for their door linings. Renault use a bio-plastic in dashboards, etc.

Ford and Heinz are currently exploring using tomato waste for automobile bio-plastics. 

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8 minutes ago, GREEBO12 said:

I took delivery of a brand new rav4 on 28 Nov 2019.

As it was raining heavy on collection say hi dud not lift. bonnet 7 day later went to putvscrernbwashnin car noticed the plastic been chewed and foam engine cover had chew marks. Deal said I must have rodents at home  but my Lexus hybrid has not been touched in two years parked in same  garage. They had it parked under a tree next to scrub land for a month. Any pest control have checked my property no rodents present not bait been touched nothing in traps.  

Toyota deal will not own up and refused to to help to ward the cost, however on checking the nesting materials  left behind the tree seeds under the foam engine cover where from the same type of tree the car parked next to a the dealer tress we do not have locally.

But Toyota shoukd be warning owners off this issue we hands Lexus for 2 years with no issues but no one had ever said anything about the bio plastics my car has now been treated with an anti rodent lacqur. 

But people make sure you check the engine bay for chew marks  when you get your car as dealer know about this problem and will not help to fix it poor show Toyota Oakmere  

You said it. You didn't check the car over properly, or got someone you know and trust do the checks for you. Rain, sun, snow, I will check the car before parting with any money. Anyway you have gathered some evidence like the nesting materials, which belong to a certain type of tree. The tree is located at the dealer, but not anywhere you live. I hope you took lots of good clear photographs of everything!
You need to get proper legal advice and get documented expert proof from the pest control. They can verify the nesting material is from a certain tree, and how rodents move. If allowed pest control might even find another nest, but it will cost plus the dealers may not give permission. On the other hand, your car may have been the only car with the nest and been sat the longest. 

Contact trading standards with your complaint and evidence!   

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32 minutes ago, GREEBO12 said:

Toyota deal will not own up and refused to to help to ward the cost, however on checking the nesting materials  left behind the tree seeds under the foam engine cover where from the same type of tree the car parked next to a the dealer tress we do not have locally.

This is an issue for the dealer as their storage facility appears to be compromised.

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When I look at the damage, the plastic looks cut but something rough. I wonder what the state of the filter was, and also the motor if any debris went around the vent system. If suspected rodent damage, any droppings and UV light will show the other stuff. 
For repair, I would get a bit of perspex matching the shape of the house with the same cut out as genuine (using my photo above). Then get vacuum cleaner filter foam and sandwich it between the housing and the perspex. You have to decide to use self tapping screws or glue that can withstand cold and heat. 
I don't know if it was rats or a dremal, some parts look too straight and planned, other bits could look like they have been eaten, but even though it's a mess, I personally don't think rats, looks like a dremal, albeit it a roughly handled one!

I still have the old filter, it has bits of the foam still left in it, and dropping like 'items' but could be seed pods from trees as well, so nothing conclusion.

I think I will do as you say, I have some foam and will make up a insert for the hole.

Thanks to all for your input.

Steve

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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  • 4 weeks later...

Firstly brand new car never been owned by anyone before. Itsbtge first-time I have ever had a new car delivered this way normally dealers bytvtgey car in an indoor delivery area. It was the day we had bad floods sontgerevwas no way I was standing outside 

The vehicle has been fully checked for others nest the are non  and Toyota UK have sorted the car. Via another dealer. 

The supplying dealer have lost my custom and all future servicing  and two more new car order because of it attitude towards me. 

The rodent people wrote a report and the dealer themselves emailed picture when the car came to them and where they parked it up.

My point is you pay £38k for a car you should not have be checking under the  bonnet on a brand new car.

They not even filled the service book out. It just poor service.

My car before this was a Volvo xc60 I never had an issue in fact they made me spend 2hrs with a vehicle orientations person and sign a document at every stage we completed the introduction. Toyota I got the cars out side go and have a play there your keys. Any problems cone back .

No introduction to after sales service, nothing it was poor I have experienced pick up a new car in that way between means my partner we both have new cars ever 3 years 

As I said I had Volvo, before that Peugeot hybrid 3008, Skoda superb, Vauxhall vectra, Rover 75, all these delivers have been done indoors the cars been cover in a sheet presented to me walk around shown the basics etc. Non off this from Toyota oh they left a cuddley Toy the back seat  and the keys cone in a bamboo box, 

Every where else we had flower or wine  with the lexus we had a Japanese tea ceremony with a bottle of champagne wrapped in silknwith a Japanese blessing hand painted, and flower and a handover inspection,  our Mercedes flowers and and two Mercedes travel mugs.

Volvo potted plant chocolates a card and £30 voucher for fuel

Skoda flowers Czech crystal paper weight with Skoda sign on it 

Peugeot flowers and champagne truffles 

Vauxhall flower and a car care kit.

Rover 75 flowers sparkling British wine 

This hand over was slap dash ibwas left feeling under valued as a customer I never expect anything yes we got a cuddley you butbitvwas left on the back seat.

Customer service does not take much effort but they loose out on sales 

Any way the car has been sprayed with thus anti rodent stuff and it will be dobevagain in 6 months  our Lexus hybrids sitting inbyhevsane garage at home has also been checked no rodent damage and has not been sprayed . 

Bioplastic I understand but they should be building in anti rodent chemical or telling customers. I have noticed Honda will sell you the anti rodent spray and tape.

 

privatevarmobileContainersSharedAppGroup52674DC1-1D83-47AC-B6FB-EF35E83EB807LibraryCachesAttachment-UploadsImage-6.jpeg

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