imported_Tex Star Detail
New member
I'll keep the story as short as possible. I was contacted about an odor removal job in a Chrysler Town and Country, in which other 'detailers' failed miserably. The vehicle was an hour away, so we opted to meet in a central location. I was informed there was a dead mouse that was removed from the van by someone else and then shampooed. I meet up with the lady and I can smell death from 5-6 parking spots away. I get closer and pretty much start dry heaving, real professional huh? lol
I catch my breath and look around the van, MAGGOTS EVERYWHERE. I was also informed that the smell has been in there for a week and a half now, and only getting worse. After catching my breath I decided to see if there were any mice dead on the cabin air filter. I brush the maggots to the side, lay on my back on the passenger side, and remove the carpeted piece under the glove box. Maggots dumped all over my face. Back tot eh dry heaving, I told them I spotted a tail WAY up in the dash. Next step, besides puking, I told them to contact the insurance company.... It was a dead FULL SIZE CAT!
Maggots:
Animal Tail:
The Insurance company agrees to me doing the job and had the van towed to my house a few days later. As if the smell was gonna get any better.
The wanted me to pull some of the dash so the adjuster can see if there was any wiring damage.
All Geared up and ready to get in the van.
It didn't take long for the smell to go right through the filters... I had to stuff dryer sheets in it.. haha
Time to get dirty.....
I will skip all of the pics of removing the pieces one by one and skip ahead a little.
Here is with all the plastics stripped away.
EVERY SINGLE plastic piece removed was cleaned and sanitized with an enzyme cleaner.
In addition to removing all of the plastic pieces, some had electronics that had to be removed and cleaned individually.
As you can see, the fluids from the cat were on everything.
Still tearing into it to to get to the cat
And the pile gets bigger
By this time, the adjuster pulls up to check out the van....hahaha, his face .....I was dying laughing. Basically said charge whatever.
All of the seats were removed and the carpet was pulled up. Under the carpet.....Maggots and Fluids from the dead cat. All the padding had to be stripped and replaced..
Found the cat, in the worst place.....behind the heater/AC box, stuck between that and the firewall. Crap
Look away now if you get sick easy......
Here's the culprit
The cat started decomposing on the heater/AC box, all the wires were pretty much 'in' the cat.
I gathered enough courage to pull it out....sort of. It was stuck. I grabbed the head (wearing gloves of course) and the head started coming off. I had to reach down with my other hand to grab the body....which squished right through it..... nice.....
Got it out.
After it was removed, the van was a mess. More had to come out.
Looking straight down
Bye-bye metal dash support....and steering column.....and wiring harness
Had to order new firewall padding
After further inspection, the entire heater/AC box had to be removed and completely dismantled. The fluids leaked into it.
I had to call a mobile mechanic to come remove the Freon so I could remove it. I called him back when I had the van back together to re charge the system after an hour vac on the system.
Everything was taken out, cleaned, sanitized. I ran the ozone machine in the van for a several hours to kill the smell. Everything was shampooed from the headliner down.
After making sure everything was taken care of, it was reassembly time.
I was lacking on afters, as I wanted to get it done.
Here is the heater core assembly and dash support back in. (as well as new firewall padding.
I stopped here to ozone the van again for a few hours. Then re-shampoo the carpet, new padding. (seated were shampooed out of the van)
After the carpet was laid back in, the seats were put back in, then ozone for another 2 hours.
DONE
I bought her a stuffed dog and set it on the dash as a joke. Told here it will keep the cats out of her van.....and to keep her windows rolled up!
Delivering it back..
Thanks for reading!
I catch my breath and look around the van, MAGGOTS EVERYWHERE. I was also informed that the smell has been in there for a week and a half now, and only getting worse. After catching my breath I decided to see if there were any mice dead on the cabin air filter. I brush the maggots to the side, lay on my back on the passenger side, and remove the carpeted piece under the glove box. Maggots dumped all over my face. Back tot eh dry heaving, I told them I spotted a tail WAY up in the dash. Next step, besides puking, I told them to contact the insurance company.... It was a dead FULL SIZE CAT!
Maggots:
Animal Tail:
The Insurance company agrees to me doing the job and had the van towed to my house a few days later. As if the smell was gonna get any better.
The wanted me to pull some of the dash so the adjuster can see if there was any wiring damage.
All Geared up and ready to get in the van.
It didn't take long for the smell to go right through the filters... I had to stuff dryer sheets in it.. haha
Time to get dirty.....
I will skip all of the pics of removing the pieces one by one and skip ahead a little.
Here is with all the plastics stripped away.
EVERY SINGLE plastic piece removed was cleaned and sanitized with an enzyme cleaner.
In addition to removing all of the plastic pieces, some had electronics that had to be removed and cleaned individually.
As you can see, the fluids from the cat were on everything.
Still tearing into it to to get to the cat
And the pile gets bigger
By this time, the adjuster pulls up to check out the van....hahaha, his face .....I was dying laughing. Basically said charge whatever.
All of the seats were removed and the carpet was pulled up. Under the carpet.....Maggots and Fluids from the dead cat. All the padding had to be stripped and replaced..
Found the cat, in the worst place.....behind the heater/AC box, stuck between that and the firewall. Crap
Look away now if you get sick easy......
Here's the culprit
The cat started decomposing on the heater/AC box, all the wires were pretty much 'in' the cat.
I gathered enough courage to pull it out....sort of. It was stuck. I grabbed the head (wearing gloves of course) and the head started coming off. I had to reach down with my other hand to grab the body....which squished right through it..... nice.....
Got it out.
After it was removed, the van was a mess. More had to come out.
Looking straight down
Bye-bye metal dash support....and steering column.....and wiring harness
Had to order new firewall padding
After further inspection, the entire heater/AC box had to be removed and completely dismantled. The fluids leaked into it.
I had to call a mobile mechanic to come remove the Freon so I could remove it. I called him back when I had the van back together to re charge the system after an hour vac on the system.
Everything was taken out, cleaned, sanitized. I ran the ozone machine in the van for a several hours to kill the smell. Everything was shampooed from the headliner down.
After making sure everything was taken care of, it was reassembly time.
I was lacking on afters, as I wanted to get it done.
Here is the heater core assembly and dash support back in. (as well as new firewall padding.
I stopped here to ozone the van again for a few hours. Then re-shampoo the carpet, new padding. (seated were shampooed out of the van)
After the carpet was laid back in, the seats were put back in, then ozone for another 2 hours.
DONE
I bought her a stuffed dog and set it on the dash as a joke. Told here it will keep the cats out of her van.....and to keep her windows rolled up!
Delivering it back..
Thanks for reading!
