A mechanic asked to investigate a dead animal smell in a car posted a TikTok that has since garnered nearly 4 million views after revealing a rat was found in the vehicle's air conditioning unit.

In the clip, Brock Calvert, whose username is @brockcalvert on the popular video-sharing platform, shows a report that stated the customer claimed they smelled an odor of a dead animal in the car.

"We'll take a look around in here," Calvert says, before showing that he removed most of the car's interior. "I noticed it got stronger down this AC vent."

Using a probe camera to snake through the vent, the mechanic takes a look at what might be behind the offensive smell. When he opens the vent door, the body of a dead rat is revealed.

Some viewers wondered why Calvert removed the car's interior when looking for the odor. Responding to one of the comments that posed the question, he said he took the interior apart to find any potential damage that was done to the vehicle.

"There's other damage to the car throughout the entire interior including underneath carpets," he wrote to one viewer. "Had I not done that insurance wouldn't be aware."

A piece published by Utah State University Extension noted that small animals may seek out a warm place to live and sleep, especially during the colder months of the year—and that place may turn out to be someone's car.

However, rodents that cozy up in a car may cause significant damage and even build nests inside.

"These unwanted residents can cause electrical, air condition, heating and sanitary problems," the piece read, before listing the types of damage that may occur.

Rodents can cause electrical shorts if wires are chewed, air vents may be blocked if a nest is blocking them and feces, and urine from rodents can lead to a chance of disease transmission.

Food that is brought into a car can also pose a risk to humans if they come into contact with rodent saliva during a cleanup. And, anything that is not eaten may grow mold, leading to respiratory illness.

"Don't leave food in your car...seriously a rodent can total a car overnight by chewing on wires," one viewer wrote.

Some commenters shared their personal experiences with animals crawling into car spaces.

"I had an awful smell coming from my car once and turns out a cat crawled up into my car and died right next to the ac thing," one person claimed.

Another person who said they worked at a dealership said it is common for animals to find their way into cars when trying to get warm.

To ensure animals don't climb into cars, the piece from Utah State University Extension noted that people should park their cars inside a well-kept garage, maintain a clean car interior and block small entrances to the engine compartment with wire mesh.

Newsweek reached out to Calvert for comment.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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