[some-random]

Hi all, I have a 2009 G5 and also a mouse problem. I park my car outdoors in a semi-rural area. Mice love to build nests in the engine compartment under the plastic engine cover. Each time I get my oil changed, the guy has to spend time removing the nest (and the occasional dead mouse), which is lovely. I've even had them get into the car itself (I'm assuming they've chewed through the firewall) and they've also chewed the plastic wrappers off of many of the wires in the engine compartment.

I've been having trouble with my transmission lately, and last week I had the check engine light, and codes P0700 and P1810, so I followed this video

Needless to say, after removing the plastic cover myself for the first time and finding Yet Another Mouse Nest, I'm at the end of my rope with this. I feel like it's an electrical problem waiting to happen with all the chewed wiring (at best) and a fire risk (at worst). Also, that entire back part of my engine (not sure what it's called, but I think it's where the spark plugs are?) is completely covered in mouse crap. It's so disgusting.

I'm wondering if I can just leave this plastic cover off permanently? Hoping that will discourage them from continuing to nest under there. I'm not sure what the cover is there for, though, so not sure if I can do that.

 

[Cherry GT]

COVER IS NOT IMPORTANT.
Do remove it !

 

[Sir 500mph]

COVER IS NOT IMPORTANT.
Do remove it !

+1 cuz the cover muffles all the beautiful noises, Also you can also pull out the plastic spacer that your oil cap screws into so it doesnt look funky. Bonus points if you paint the valve cover
I would Replace the damaged wiring harness and clear the codes before anything else. If they dont come back, problem solved.
As for the mouse problem, they likely got in near the intermediate steering shaft, I would check to see if they chewed thru the boot as thatd be much more likely that thru the firewall. I would suggest investing in Feline Deterrent Measures, and maybe don't park in the fields.

 

[Doc-Z]

I run mine w/o the cover.

They are supposed to make it look nicer under the hood. All mine did was trap heat, get dirty and drive me CRaY-crAy.

 

[HerNameIsGina]

Hi all, I have a 2009 G5 and also a mouse problem. I park my car outdoors in a semi-rural area. Mice love to build nests in the engine compartment under the plastic engine cover. Each time I get my oil changed, the guy has to spend time removing the nest (and the occasional dead mouse), which is lovely. I've even had them get into the car itself (I'm assuming they've chewed through the firewall) and they've also chewed the plastic wrappers off of many of the wires in the engine compartment.

I've been having trouble with my transmission lately, and last week I had the check engine light, and codes P0700 and P1810, so I followed this video

Needless to say, after removing the plastic cover myself for the first time and finding Yet Another Mouse Nest, I'm at the end of my rope with this. I feel like it's an electrical problem waiting to happen with all the chewed wiring (at best) and a fire risk (at worst). Also, that entire back part of my engine (not sure what it's called, but I think it's where the spark plugs are?) is completely covered in mouse crap. It's so disgusting.

I'm wondering if I can just leave this plastic cover off permanently? Hoping that will discourage them from continuing to nest under there. I'm not sure what the cover is there for, though, so not sure if I can do that.

General consensus is to remove the plastic. I've thought about removing the plastic sheild but I think the airbox looks ugly. I know that you are doing it for the mouse problem but does anyone have a fix for the ugly airbox. I would love to clean the valve cover too.

 

[Cherry GT]

cold air intake will remove stock air box.

sand and polish valve cover. looks good

 

[HerNameIsGina]

cold air intake will remove stock air box.

sand and polish valve cover. looks good

Do I need to worry about any other modifications that need to be done to support the cold air intake or should I be fine with just as is? Do I need other supporting modifications?

 

[Cherry GT]

NO

most modifications done to new cars is,
a cold air intake,
cat back exhaust
nothing special needed to do either or both.