When the service adviser at Helena Motors asked Hal Fayant what the problem was with his van, he got an odd answer.

"I have a python stuck in my dash," Fayant told Steve Heinitz.

Fayant was on his way to a friend's house to visit and show off his beloved Burmese python Sweet Pea when the 5-foot-long snake apparently caught a chill, escaped from her pillowcase and shimmied up into one of the van's heater ducts.

"We knew she had to be in there someplace," Fayant said.

Thursday afternoon, Fayant took his van to the shop to see if they could remove Sweet Pea from his dashboard.

"There weren't very many volunteers for this one," Heinitz said.

Although most of the mechanics were too squeamish to extricate the python, they did stand by taking photos and videos with their cell phones.

"It was quite the entertainment for the afternoon," Heinitz said.

It took about an hour to disassemble the dashboard and retrieve the 2-year-old python.

Fayant, a semi-retired mechanic, said he was fortunate to find a mechanic who isn't afraid of snakes.

"I want to commend them for doing such a good job," he said.

Sweet Pea was not injured, just cold, according to Fayant. The dashboard also went uninjured.

Back safe in her Helena home Friday afternoon, Sweet Pea was nuzzled in Fayant's tattooed arms.

"She's my baby, my sweetheart, daddy's baby girl," he cooed as he stroked her shiny black and brown scales.

Reporter Angela Brandt: 447-4078 or angela.brandt@helenair.com