Dogfood+Mice+Exhaust = Horrid Smell

engeslen · 10-25-2016, 04:52 PM

Let me start by saying there used to be a corn field adjacent to my backyard, within the past year there has been new development, and it was torn down and graded for commercial space, so all these field mice have shifted towards nearby homes.

So within the past 3 weeks, I have been finding dog food in the weirdest places, cabin filter and blower motor in my wife's car: 2 lbs worth! I think I killed the majority if not all with traps by our tires after we park, and have not been able to catch anymore. We have since removed the dog food from our garage floor.

This weekend I noticed the horrible scent after a couple runs of spirited driving and when I closed the door to my garage, there was a horrible scent, which smelled exactly like burned dog food and burned hair.

I took my cabin filter housing off to see if there was something there, because the smell I thought was coming from the engine. It dissipated so I did not think much of it, then my wife drove behind me this weekend and said she was nauseated from the smell. We have determined its from my exhaust for sure.

This is a great excuse for an upgraded exhaust, but in the meantime, should I be worried about any adverse effects? I don't know the amount of dog food in there since there is nothing visible but judging by the fact that it reeks after each time I drive, it has to be at least 2lb or more.

It will take some time to burn off, if that is possible. I don't think they got as far in as the cats but it has me a little worried. My car is not driving any differently.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I have to say its funny as hell to see people gagging behind me and trying to figure out where its coming from. If there was a nest with babies it is probably toast by now.

rjahl · 10-25-2016, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engeslen

Let me start by saying there used to be a corn field adjacent to my backyard, within the past year there has been new development, and it was torn down and graded for commercial space, so all these field mice have shifted towards nearby homes.

So within the past 3 weeks, I have been finding dog food in the weirdest places, cabin filter and blower motor in my wife's car: 2 lbs worth! I think I killed the majority if not all with traps by our tires after we park, and have not been able to catch anymore. We have since removed the dog food from our garage floor.

This weekend I noticed the horrible scent after a couple runs of spirited driving and when I closed the door to my garage, there was a horrible scent, which smelled exactly like burned dog food and burned hair.

I took my cabin filter housing off to see if there was something there, because the smell I thought was coming from the engine. It dissipated so I did not think much of it, then my wife drove behind me this weekend and said she was nauseated from the smell. We have determined its from my exhaust for sure.

This is a great excuse for an upgraded exhaust, but in the meantime, should I be worried about any adverse effects? I don't know the amount of dog food in there since there is nothing visible but judging by the fact that it reeks after each time I drive, it has to be at least 2lb or more.

It will take some time to burn off, if that is possible. I don't think they got as far in as the cats but it has me a little worried. My car is not driving any differently.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I have to say its funny as hell to see people gagging behind me and trying to figure out where its coming from. If there was a nest with babies it is probably toast by now.

Hungry rodents will eat / chew wiring harness. Get a pro exterminator for protection. They can do major damage to an electrical system.

engeslen · 10-25-2016, 06:10 PM

Yea definitely, we have been considering getting a cat as well. We never really have an issue in the home, seems to just be the garage.

W37V · 10-25-2016, 06:12 PM

Can you blow it out? Plug one tip and rev the engine? Repeat?

engeslen · 10-25-2016, 07:04 PM

Interesting, I don't have a dual setup, but have dual tips. Worth the try thanks!

Efthreeoh · 10-26-2016, 06:51 AM

Unbolt the exhaust and dump the food out.

BTW this is the second thread on the subject of mice storing dog food in the exhaust. The OP of that thread posted a great mouse trap he used. He took a 5-gallon bucket, drilled center holes in a soda can, placed a rod through the can and laid the can/rod assembly across the bucket opening. He then made a ramp for the mice to walk up to the lip of the bucket. He then filled the bucket with a few inches of water, and coated the can with peanut butter. The mice walk up the ramp and try to get onto the can. Once they do, they fall off into the water and drown.

Efthreeoh · 10-26-2016, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjahl

Hungry rodents will eat / chew wiring harness. Get a pro exterminator for protection. They can do major damage to an electrical system.

A lot of people don't know that their comprehensive insurance coverage covers rodent damage. Don't ask how I know...

dspence44 · 10-26-2016, 12:55 PM

Sometimes I'm impressed as to where Mice can make it to....

At this point, you're probably not going to be doing any harm to your car if you haven't noticed anything up to date. But I certainly wouldn't suggest leaving it to burn out inside your exhaust system.

Time for an upgrade, or a good cleaning!

Wolf 335 · 10-26-2016, 01:26 PM

You definitely need to relocate your dog food elsewhere in the house.

I'm curious how this turns out. Keep us posted.

engeslen · 10-26-2016, 02:13 PM

Thanks everyone, we placed the dog food in an old trash bin for the time being, I am going to also consider getting the muffler taken off and see if I can pressure wash it if its cost effective. I've seen the inner workings and it may be difficult to clean it all out, It may just be cheaper to go for an upgrade that wont break the bank if I am going to pay to have it unbolted. I'll keep you guys posted.

Zajac1 · 10-27-2016, 04:55 PM

wow that's sucks. I never heard a story like your. Good look with these mouses : )

DieselOG · 11-05-2016, 08:30 PM

I once cleaned 26 1/2 pounds of bird seed from the roof of my buddies suburban after he kept having birdseed falling into his dome light, those little shits are efficient at hiding food.

engeslen · 11-07-2016, 08:47 PM

Took a shop's advice to drive it hard at high rpm, I usually shift around 4k and drive conservatively and hardly ever red line. I did a few hard pulls for a week from 3rd gear to about 90-100 and shut down, repeated every day on my way home for a week or so.

Smoke would billow out of the exhaust and it was pretty gnarly the first few times. It barely smells at all now, now it smells like I Just did a burn out here and there if I drive it hard. I cant rid myself of the itch of getting an upgrade, so I am still saving for something worth the $.

They wanted $200 to unbolt it plus a 60$ diagnostic charge to see how to route the piping since its awd. That would leave me with straight pipes, which I considered to be too loud in Chicago-land. An extra 100 bucks for a borla pro XS exhaust put me at $360.

Very tempting but things have died down. No more sign of vermin after the food is out of reach and sprayed insulation foam where I saw cracks in my garage. I rather save for a full cat-back system. Thanks for all the suggestions.

10-25-2016, 04:52 PM	#1
engeslen Launchness 6 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Cpe MT/01 X5 3.0 Sprt Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Bolingbrook, IL iTrader: (0)	Dogfood+Mice+Exhaust = Horrid Smell Let me start by saying there used to be a corn field adjacent to my backyard, within the past year there has been new development, and it was torn down and graded for commercial space, so all these field mice have shifted towards nearby homes. So within the past 3 weeks, I have been finding dog food in the weirdest places, cabin filter and blower motor in my wife's car: 2 lbs worth! I think I killed the majority if not all with traps by our tires after we park, and have not been able to catch anymore. We have since removed the dog food from our garage floor. This weekend I noticed the horrible scent after a couple runs of spirited driving and when I closed the door to my garage, there was a horrible scent, which smelled exactly like burned dog food and burned hair. I took my cabin filter housing off to see if there was something there, because the smell I thought was coming from the engine. It dissipated so I did not think much of it, then my wife drove behind me this weekend and said she was nauseated from the smell. We have determined its from my exhaust for sure. This is a great excuse for an upgraded exhaust, but in the meantime, should I be worried about any adverse effects? I don't know the amount of dog food in there since there is nothing visible but judging by the fact that it reeks after each time I drive, it has to be at least 2lb or more. It will take some time to burn off, if that is possible. I don't think they got as far in as the cats but it has me a little worried. My car is not driving any differently. Has anyone experienced something similar? I have to say its funny as hell to see people gagging behind me and trying to figure out where its coming from. If there was a nest with babies it is probably toast by now.
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10-25-2016, 06:10 PM	#3
engeslen Launchness 6 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Cpe MT/01 X5 3.0 Sprt Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Bolingbrook, IL iTrader: (0)	Yea definitely, we have been considering getting a cat as well. We never really have an issue in the home, seems to just be the garage.
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10-25-2016, 06:12 PM	#4
W37V [Oo=\|\|=oO] 1134 Rep 2,471 Posts Drives: e92n52 & f15n57 Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: DMV iTrader: (0)	Can you blow it out? Plug one tip and rev the engine? Repeat?
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10-25-2016, 07:04 PM	#5
engeslen Launchness 6 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Cpe MT/01 X5 3.0 Sprt Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Bolingbrook, IL iTrader: (0)	Interesting, I don't have a dual setup, but have dual tips. Worth the try thanks! Last edited by engeslen; 10-25-2016 at 07:11 PM..
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10-26-2016, 06:51 AM	#6
Efthreeoh General 20011 Rep 19,311 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Verginny iTrader: (0)	Unbolt the exhaust and dump the food out. BTW this is the second thread on the subject of mice storing dog food in the exhaust. The OP of that thread posted a great mouse trap he used. He took a 5-gallon bucket, drilled center holes in a soda can, placed a rod through the can and laid the can/rod assembly across the bucket opening. He then made a ramp for the mice to walk up to the lip of the bucket. He then filled the bucket with a few inches of water, and coated the can with peanut butter. The mice walk up the ramp and try to get onto the can. Once they do, they fall off into the water and drown. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission." Last edited by Efthreeoh; 10-26-2016 at 06:57 AM..
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10-26-2016, 12:55 PM	#8
dspence44 Lieutenant 77 Rep 503 Posts Drives: '07 E92 328i 6MT Join Date: May 2016 Location: Alberta iTrader: (1)	Sometimes I'm impressed as to where Mice can make it to.... At this point, you're probably not going to be doing any harm to your car if you haven't noticed anything up to date. But I certainly wouldn't suggest leaving it to burn out inside your exhaust system. Time for an upgrade, or a good cleaning! __________________ // 328i E92 // N52 // Muffler Delete // K&N Drop In // Charcoal Delete // RGBW LED Halos
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10-26-2016, 01:26 PM	#9
Wolf 335 Brigadier General 2565 Rep 3,663 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	You definitely need to relocate your dog food elsewhere in the house. I'm curious how this turns out. Keep us posted.
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10-26-2016, 02:13 PM	#10
engeslen Launchness 6 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Cpe MT/01 X5 3.0 Sprt Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Bolingbrook, IL iTrader: (0)	Thanks everyone, we placed the dog food in an old trash bin for the time being, I am going to also consider getting the muffler taken off and see if I can pressure wash it if its cost effective. I've seen the inner workings and it may be difficult to clean it all out, It may just be cheaper to go for an upgrade that wont break the bank if I am going to pay to have it unbolted. I'll keep you guys posted.
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10-27-2016, 04:55 PM	#11
Zajac1 Banned 280 Rep 2,041 Posts Drives: 2011 E91 328i MT Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (2)	wow that's sucks. I never heard a story like your. Good look with these mouses : )
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11-05-2016, 08:30 PM	#12
DieselOG Spaceship Man Bad 1655 Rep 251 Posts Drives: DIEsel Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Minnesota iTrader: (0)	I once cleaned 26 1/2 pounds of bird seed from the roof of my buddies suburban after he kept having birdseed falling into his dome light, those little shits are efficient at hiding food.
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11-07-2016, 08:47 PM	#13
engeslen Launchness 6 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Cpe MT/01 X5 3.0 Sprt Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Bolingbrook, IL iTrader: (0)	Took a shop's advice to drive it hard at high rpm, I usually shift around 4k and drive conservatively and hardly ever red line. I did a few hard pulls for a week from 3rd gear to about 90-100 and shut down, repeated every day on my way home for a week or so. Smoke would billow out of the exhaust and it was pretty gnarly the first few times. It barely smells at all now, now it smells like I Just did a burn out here and there if I drive it hard. I cant rid myself of the itch of getting an upgrade, so I am still saving for something worth the $. They wanted $200 to unbolt it plus a 60$ diagnostic charge to see how to route the piping since its awd. That would leave me with straight pipes, which I considered to be too loud in Chicago-land. An extra 100 bucks for a borla pro XS exhaust put me at $360. Very tempting but things have died down. No more sign of vermin after the food is out of reach and sprayed insulation foam where I saw cracks in my garage. I rather save for a full cat-back system. Thanks for all the suggestions.
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