Last weekend I wanted to check out the airbox in the car. The car is new to me and I bought it with 125k miles on it. Overall, the interior, exterior, and the engine bay are super clean. It was detailed before I took delivery.
So I opened it up and found that the previous owner installed a K&N Air Filter. I’ve never used one so that was a cool find. But after lifting it out I discovered that the airbox was filled with a bunch of little colored rocks. I took one out and started searching online to see if this was some oddball mod. I figured if someone went through the trouble of an aftermarket filter, the rocks must have been placed there on purpose. Nothing.
I showed it to my wife. This had me perplexed. “Those aren’t rocks. That’s dog food!”
Of course it was dog food. We’re not pet owners but she has taken care of our friends dogs. So, I googled "dog food in airbox." Much to my to dismay, I discovered a lot of references online. The likely culprit? Mice…
So I pulled out the airbox and sprayed it with SuperClean, hosed it thoroughly, and let dry before reinstalling. Problem solved.
But then I started wondering. Could the mice have holed up anywhere else around the car? So, I went back to check with a flashlight, under the car, around the front lights, under the car. A definite plus of the Z4 is roomy engine bay. You can see a lot.
Then, I found this - dried leaves coming out of the hole beneath the windshield wiper. I tugged on it and a lot more leaves fell out!
I walked around to the other side of the car to get a better angle. I saw white cotton stuffing.
Tonight I had some more time to work on the car and decided to remove the windshield cowl. It’s old and brittle and needs replacing anyways. This is what I found after removing it.
I cleaned it out. Took out a bagful of leaves and stuffing. Sprayed it with alcohol. Shop vac. Cleaned it some more with a waterless wash. It looks pretty good now.
So this has been my introduction to my Z4. I love the car. It’s been so much fun to drive. I’m looking forward to some road trips. And on top of all of that, I now have a bizarre story to tell that started with finding “rocks in the airbox."