i've seen some other threads on rats infiltrating our fit's HVAC systems by way of the underhood access to the tubing above the blower motor. Well they did a number on my system, as i had a huge bag of trail mix on the front seat that was scattered all over the floor under the glove box. I ripped everything apart under the dash, including the cowl under the wipers and i can see a clear path they took to get in. Strangely, the actual plastic bag from the trail mix is nowhere to be found!

Couple questions on the photos below, as i want to seal this up, but i'm not even sure if my car was missing pieces when i bought it, or what the damaged pieces even looked like before the rats had their way. i have the service manual but the line drawings arent a lot of help.


tubing above blower motor cavity. Looks like there was a rectangular slit in here, but can anyone tell me if there was supposed to be some kind of cover or flap on it?


this is the entry point under psgr side window with the cowl removed. Is there supposed to be some kind of cover over this?? it looks like there are some bolt holes and little green tabbys meant to attach something here


new filter time

ripped apart lining behind the lower dash cover!!

 

I used to do pest control for a few years, seeing that level of destruction doesn't surprise me. No car is air tight, and those things have survived as long as they have by being proficient at finding food. And if you leave a bag of high-calorie food out like that they will find it and get into it by any means necessary.

 

wow another rat problem ..=(

 

I had the same issue, be glad it wasn't worse! My rat wasn't able to get through the air filter element, and didn't make it into the interior of the vehicle - looks like yours was more motivated. Nothing covering the air inlet on my GD3 either - a course mesh would have prevented this. I found a chewed wire as well.

Traditional rat traps were completely ineffective - they'd be tripped and all the peanut butter gone, but never a dead rat in them. Our cat caught one and left it at the door (good kitty), and I put out a poison bait station which got a few nibbles by the next day, and no rat problems since - hopefully they're all dead!

 

wow thats one motivated rat! i had a slight issue with my car a month or two back...mine went as far as them making beds with itchball fuzz on my transmission, eating n pooping on it. i keep thinking about putting a grill on that inlet for the vent. theres not something normally there from the factory. in the mean time i always keep the hvac on "recirculation mode" which flips the door to block entrance to the cabin. not sure what would have stopped the one that got into yours

i bought a small electric mousetrap which i place on top of my transmission at night.caught 1 the first night. the next attempt resulted in a tripped, empty trap with peanut butter bait missing. 3rd attempt was successful. 4th attempt tripped and missing peanutbutter again...and the edge of the mousetrap chewed up from the guy trying to get to the peanutbutter from the back. 5th attempt a giant one caught. theres a million entry points to the engine bay and the cowl...theres no way to seal it. best one can do is put a metal screen in front of that entry point to the hvac, which will only keep them from the cabin.

i even ordered some plastic snap traps. decided to give a break since i wasnt seeing any more poop n beds. and also was not wanting to be participating in this war having it consume me. id prefer not to kill them...but also dont want to be repairing my vehicle because of their destruction. its amazing how smart and destructive they are. so far i think we have a truce. i got my traps on deck just in case....

 

Looks like you'll be replacing that plastic/foam pollen filter piece from your first image. Oh and the cabin air filter :{
I don't think anything there is missing though. In regards to that kick panel with the ripped up fabric there, I believe that material is for isolation purposes to prevent dash rattle. It certainly doesn't filter anything that I'm aware of. Could be supplemented with whatever material you see fit. say, carpet padding from a local home depot.
If you're in the market for a mesh screen to protect an opening, you can do chicken wire (be mindful of the size of the openings as mice can squish into rather small holes.
customcargrills on amazon could also provide you with a fancy aluminum mesh, but for a pretty penny.
I fancy their honeycomb pattern myself because it lets a lot of air through while still being very protective and strong. It's kept my a/c condenser in excellent condition. currently has a bee stuck in it.
I cut mine to size from an appropriate sheet using sheet metal sheers. I'm certain you could cut cleaner with an orbital jigsaw if you have one. oh, and if you do choose to invest, be sure to make a cardboard template. shame to waste such fine material.