I’ve been having a “serious” issue with mice getting into the car and making a home with the spare tire.
So far I have got SEVEN mice with the traps I set. They love Nutella in case you were wondering.
I’ve kept my car clean and food-free but still they come and build a nest. The car is kept outside without the option of a garage. Im not sure how they get in but I know I probably can’t stop them. This has never been an issue in any other car I have driven while living here.
Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this issue?

 

Thankfully not, but apparently it's pretty common for rodents to get into cars and chew up wire insulation and and what not. So not only annoying but could actually mess up your car.

Not really sure if there's a solution other than traps/poison. Maybe keep a snake in your car?

 

I have no first-generation Fit experience, but on the second-generation Fit there is a massive entrance under the passenger side cowl that is very inviting for small mammals. It leads to the cabin air filter, after which it requires only a bit of chewing (through the filter or through the thin rubber fresh air/recirculation flap) to gain free access to the inside of the car.

I will note that using food to bait traps in your car is no different than leaving food in your car; in both cases you're actively attracting mice into the car, which is the opposite of your goal here.

I have written in other posts about making a 1/4-inch metal hardware cloth screen to cover the cabin air filter intake on my 2010 Fit. Since that time I haven't had further mouse problems in my car despite it being parked (often for weeks at a time) in a carport surrounded by forests and wetlands that teem with small mammals.

Again, I'm not sure if this pertains to the first-generation Fit, but most cars have other openings to the outside. It's quite common to find small rubber flaps towards the rear of the car that allow for venting of air to the outside. Any entrance that you can get the tip of your pinkie finger in will admit a house mouse (Mus) or deer mouse (Peromyscus). Any potential entrance "blocked" by plastic or rubber is not really blocked as rodents easily chew through these materials. If you block off the cabin air filter entrance under the cowl and still have mice you'll have to look for other potential entrances like the rear vents (if present) and block those with wire mesh as well.

 

Thank you for this information. Yeah I agree about the traps with food on them. It would be a lot better to find their entrance and close it off. I’ll poke around here and there and see what I can find when I can

 

I used Drew's advice and blocking the AC entrance worked great. Before that, mouse kept stealing food from my trap and running off with it. It's a bit hard to trap them without killing them. Blocking off how he got in was easier.

I ran into him again under the snowblower. Super cute fuzzy brown guy. But best to have him peeing outside the car thanks very much.

 

Also I just read that you can out cat hair to try and deter pests. I’ll close up the air filter hole and hit’em with some scary scents. I’ll report back

 

Do you happen to have a link? Or name for the post?

 

The leak can be detected by sinking the wheel into water. Then if the leak is between the rim and the tire you have four options:
1. Re-assemble the tire with more mounting soap/grease
2. Put an inner tube
3. Recondition the rim
4. Get a new rim
But if the leak is through the tire you have three options:
1. Get the tire repaired
2. Put an inner tube
3. Get a new tire