Dead Critter in A/C Vents???

My 92 Explorer stinks ... literally. Smells like something's died. Smells
all the time but is much worse when the A/C is on. Pulled the fan and the
wire-wound resistor pack and found a few leaves but no critters. Also pulled
the heater core and reached as far around as I could without finding
anything dead. Pulled the air directors out of the dash vents and pushed a
coat hanger back and forth without finding anything. Even dragged a tissue
through just to see if it'd pick up a smell. The only thing that we could
get a dead smell from was the heater core.

Anyway, after letting it sit open for a day it seemed better so we put the
core and fan back in. Running at idle with the A/C on we thought we could
smell something but it was very faint ... if there at all. My son drove it
to the grocery store to pickup some Lysol to hose it down with and he said
while driving the same smell reappeared. I'm wondering if something is next
to the A/C core (the thing that looks like a radiator that cools the air
down). How can I get in there? Too many screws in too awkward of positions
to take apart. I was thinking about cutting a panel out of the side and then
epoxying it back in after removing the critter .... if that's where it is.

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!!

BTW, this is the second such event here. Had a snake crawl into the vent
system on a Jimmy and die. Took a while to find it and I'm not sure the
smell EVER came out of the Jimmy. Maybe it was just me ... maybe not.

--

Fred. (Life is good, don't blow it!)

"Fred Mayfield" > wrote in message
. com...
> My 92 Explorer stinks ... literally. Smells like something's died. Smells
> all the time but is much worse when the A/C is on. Pulled the fan and the
> wire-wound resistor pack and found a few leaves but no critters. Also
pulled
> the heater core and reached as far around as I could without finding
> anything dead. Pulled the air directors out of the dash vents and pushed a
> coat hanger back and forth without finding anything. Even dragged a tissue
> through just to see if it'd pick up a smell. The only thing that we could
> get a dead smell from was the heater core.
>
> Anyway, after letting it sit open for a day it seemed better so we put the
> core and fan back in. Running at idle with the A/C on we thought we could
> smell something but it was very faint ... if there at all. My son drove it
> to the grocery store to pickup some Lysol to hose it down with and he said
> while driving the same smell reappeared. I'm wondering if something is
next
> to the A/C core (the thing that looks like a radiator that cools the air
> down). How can I get in there? Too many screws in too awkward of positions
> to take apart. I was thinking about cutting a panel out of the side and
then
> epoxying it back in after removing the critter .... if that's where it is.
>
> ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!!
>
> BTW, this is the second such event here. Had a snake crawl into the vent
> system on a Jimmy and die. Took a while to find it and I'm not sure the
> smell EVER came out of the Jimmy. Maybe it was just me ... maybe not.
>
> --
>
> Fred. (Life is good, don't blow it!)
>
>

I glued a piece of wire mesh onto the intake for the air filter (up by the
grill). It keeps critters from getting in that way. It beats the hell out
of me how they get into the fan etc. It must be a fun ride for a mouse
though inside the squirrel-cage blower.

Before you start cutting holes in your AC it might just be a matter of
removing something else that's adjacent to it. I seem to recall getting it
apart but it's been awhile and I'm getting old. So far everything under the
hood came apart one way or another. And so far I managed to even get it all
put back together.

Possibly mold, as opposed to something dead in there? I'd spray some Lysol
or other disinfectant through the system, before I'd tear it apart. Just be
prepared for a "hospital" smell for a few days. RG



"Fred Mayfield" > wrote in message
. com...
> My 92 Explorer stinks ... literally. Smells like something's died. Smells
> all the time but is much worse when the A/C is on. Pulled the fan and the
> wire-wound resistor pack and found a few leaves but no critters. Also
> pulled
> the heater core and reached as far around as I could without finding
> anything dead. Pulled the air directors out of the dash vents and pushed a
> coat hanger back and forth without finding anything. Even dragged a tissue
> through just to see if it'd pick up a smell. The only thing that we could
> get a dead smell from was the heater core.
>
> Anyway, after letting it sit open for a day it seemed better so we put the
> core and fan back in. Running at idle with the A/C on we thought we could
> smell something but it was very faint ... if there at all. My son drove it
> to the grocery store to pickup some Lysol to hose it down with and he said
> while driving the same smell reappeared. I'm wondering if something is
> next
> to the A/C core (the thing that looks like a radiator that cools the air
> down). How can I get in there? Too many screws in too awkward of positions
> to take apart. I was thinking about cutting a panel out of the side and
> then
> epoxying it back in after removing the critter .... if that's where it is.
>
> ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!!
>
> BTW, this is the second such event here. Had a snake crawl into the vent
> system on a Jimmy and die. Took a while to find it and I'm not sure the
> smell EVER came out of the Jimmy. Maybe it was just me ... maybe not.
>
> --
>
> Fred. (Life is good, don't blow it!)
>
>