Easy rodent exclusion screen installation

In two days of work, I discovered the easiest way to install rodent exclusion screening on the rear air exhaust flaps on my Gen 3 Prius v.

My first attempt was to zip tie the screen to the vertical ribs of the plastic vent to the inside of the vent that was accessible in the 12 volt battery compartment. This method took 2 hours while working in tight quarters both in and under the car. I used a piece of black powder coated galvanized steel gutter screen cut to size.

When exploring the left driver's side vent, to use the same method, I would have to remove a large plastic inside panel. That, I did not want to do.

Working outside and under the car, I had to find an easier and better way.

Using a plastic pry bar, I found it easy to remove the plastic vent assembly, shown in this generic photo.

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Having done so, I realized that I could cut a piece of the same gutter screen to size and tie it to the inside of the vent with zip ties to the vertical ribs as shown in the following photos.

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That done, after clipping off the tails of the zip ties, the vent with the roden screen installed, just snaps back int place in the cutout in the rear quarter panel.