Date:         Fri, 2 Jul 2004 11:31:46 -0400
Reply-To:     Dave Katsuki <dkatsuki@THEWORLD.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Katsuki <dkatsuki@THEWORLD.COM>
Subject:      Re: New Member Intro and Air Flow/Vent Q
Comments: To: DCPMSW@aol.com
In-Reply-To:  <117.34cfd222.2e16d12b@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Hi Diana, and welcome!

The vent connects to a flex hose which goes to the heater/blower box.
You can sort of feel the hose from underneath the dash, and (at least
on 87-90 vans) you can remove it if you take out the instrument
cluster and the radio and ash tray, and maybe the plastic front cover
for the foot-level air.   I forget what our 83 was like.

Unfortunately, a likely entry for mice is on either side of the fresh
air entry at the front of the van, which you can see if you remove
the front grill.   The plastic grating that covers the fresh air
entry doesn't quite cover the sides on the several vans that we have
had, and when the van sits outside...   I've covered the side gaps
with pieces of alum flashing, either taped on (temporary and doesn't
start rust) or screwed on (permanent, but you have to goop the screw
holes.)

Once the mice get into the heater box, there is a comfortable nesting
area inside the heater box (do you smell mouse urine when you turn on
the heater blower?), and the only way to really clean this out is to
completely remove the dashboard and then take the heater assembly
apart and clean it.   (Ask me how I know this...)

Try removing all the heater hoses and cleaning them/ vacuuming them
first, 'cause taking out the dash is a pretty big job.   Not hard,
but just takes time.

Dave
90 Westy


At 10:54 AM -0400 7/2/04, Diana Patterson wrote:
>Hi List,
>Brand new member here. I recently bought an '84 Westie 1.9L, was driving
>through northern Iowa and into MN when I came across a caravan of VW
>vans going
>the other direction. I turned around and met Budd, Darrell, Jim,
>Chuck, Julia et
>al. Truly a moment of divine intervention. My life will never be the same :)
>It was so exciting!
>I have an unusual situation. My Westie had apparently sat for some time and
>acquired at least one uninvited tennant (a mouse). When I acquired the Westie,
>I did my OCD cleaning job on it, going into every nook and crannie exploring
>and scrubbing. I found evidence of mice by the droppings found in some of the
>cabinets along the left side of the van. Needless to say it was
>gross. I put in
>a live mouse trap, but never caught anything so it must have been leftover
>from a previous occupation. I think the van hadn't been used, or
>loved for some
>time. So here comes the problem, when I turn on the air flow vents, the one
>just to the left of my steering wheel, really weird stuff comes out;
>insulation,
>stuff that falls off trees, stuff that looks like it may be moldy. It's
>really creeping me out. This must be where the nest was. I went to
>the car wash,
>removed the vent, and put the super powered suction vacuum to the
>hole and a ton
>of stuff came out. I thought I had it cleaned, but now everytime I use the
>vent stuff still comes out so I just don't use it. I want to use it! Okay,
>finally here's my question -- how do I totally clean out that vent?
>And, if I stick
>some suction deeper down in that vent, will I harm anything?
>Thanks to all to have any suggestions!
>-Diana
>'84 Westie