Rodents ate my car!
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Rodents ate my car!
Well not the whole thing .. but they did do $1000 of damage to my fuel tank and evap line. ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS And there's no assurance rodents won't do the same thing next week.
I asked the Toyota service manager why rodents would want to eat a fuel tank and evap line. He claimed to have no idea but said it is quite common.
A little internet searching showed that rodent damage to recent model Toyotas is quite common. Apparently Toyota has switched to soy based plastic, a sort of rodent delicacy.
A relative told me to get on board a class action lawsuit against Toyota. I tried searching the web for such a thing. Whereas it is trivial to find articles such as 'Joe Sixpack initiated a class action lawsuit against Toyota for rodent damage', I can't find anything about how to join an extant class action lawsuit.
Any ideas? Thanks for reading!
I asked the Toyota service manager why rodents would want to eat a fuel tank and evap line. He claimed to have no idea but said it is quite common.
A little internet searching showed that rodent damage to recent model Toyotas is quite common. Apparently Toyota has switched to soy based plastic, a sort of rodent delicacy.
A relative told me to get on board a class action lawsuit against Toyota. I tried searching the web for such a thing. Whereas it is trivial to find articles such as 'Joe Sixpack initiated a class action lawsuit against Toyota for rodent damage', I can't find anything about how to join an extant class action lawsuit.
Any ideas? Thanks for reading!
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
That's kinda funny! But, stinks for you and other Toyota owners for sure.
One way to avoid it would be replace the lines with non-soy based plastic. Have you looked into that, if it's possible, and if you might be able to do it yourself? I'm thinking that would be much cheaper than the dealer sticking you with the same lines that could be eaten all over again.
One way to avoid it would be replace the lines with non-soy based plastic. Have you looked into that, if it's possible, and if you might be able to do it yourself? I'm thinking that would be much cheaper than the dealer sticking you with the same lines that could be eaten all over again.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
My neighbor loves rodents though they damaged 3 of his cars. He won't park his cars in his garage anymore, but he doesn't want to kill the rodent either.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Joseph Carter the Mink Man. Or get your own mink. But seriously, probably best to replace with the non-soy parts and get rid of the rodents as well.
https://www.youtube.com/user/josephdcarter
https://www.youtube.com/user/josephdcarter
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Trade the Toyota in for a Honda
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
I have a barn owl that lives in the barn where I garage my truck.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Buy a cat. Seriously.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
Oh, it's on! I know I have cute, fluffy bunnies and fat squirrels in my driveway. Locals are remarking on the squirrel population expoThere may be mice or scarier things that I have not (yet) noticed. I plan to ask the insurance man this PM if he any idea which type of rodent ate my car.But seriously, probably best to replace with the non-soy parts and get rid of the rodents as well.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
You usually don't need to be proactive to join a class action lawsuit. You are a member of the class because you own the defective Toyota. If the suit settlement requires Toyota to pay out, then you might need to proactively seek out the administrator or they might already know about you and send you a notification.Church Lady wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:47 am A relative told me to get on board a class action lawsuit against Toyota. I tried searching the web for such a thing. Whereas it is trivial to find articles such as 'Joe Sixpack initiated a class action lawsuit against Toyota for rodent damage', I can't find anything about how to join an extant class action lawsuit.
Be sure to keep any documentation about cost and cause of the damage.
A possibly easier path is to ask the dealership to cover this under warranty as a defect in materials. Since this is the subject of a class action suit, maybe Toyota has decided to cover this under warranty to limit their damages in the class action.
- oldcomputerguy
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
No. Go to the local animal shelter and adopt one.
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. (Christopher Morley)
- oldcomputerguy
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
It was an ROUS.Church Lady wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:31 pmOh, it's on! I know I have cute, fluffy bunnies and fat squirrels in my driveway. Locals are remarking on the squirrel population expoThere may be mice or scarier things that I have not (yet) noticed. I plan to ask the insurance man this PM if he any idea which type of rodent ate my car.But seriously, probably best to replace with the non-soy parts and get rid of the rodents as well.
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. (Christopher Morley)
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Been there, done that, got the insurance check as it was covered under our car insurance.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
Rodents ate my car too - twice! So far, I'm up to $4,350. I would ask "Can anyone beat that?", but I bet someone could.
My first experience was the same as the OP's. I left my Honda S2000 at the dealer one day because my Check Engine light was on for no obvious reason. They called me at work and asked if I was sitting down. They said I had mouse damage, and then they asked how much my insurance deductible was. I said "$1,000, but mouse damage could not be that much". They said a mouse, or more probably a mouse family, had made a nest next to my emissions evaporator canister. When they needed more space they ate through the canister and all the lines leading to it. Everything needed to be replaced, at a cost of $1,100 - and this is the less expensive story!
After the S2000 I bought a BMW 135i as a retirement present. Turn the clock forward five years. One morning I headed out for a meeting and found my car would not start. The battery was fine, there was plenty of gas in the car, and no history of starting problems - big mystery. First I paid $230 to have my car flat-bedded to the dealer. Two days later the dealer called to say the problem was that a mouse (or another mouse family) had built a nest under the engine cowling (that BMW puts over their engines to hide the thin electronic ignition wires that have replaced traditional spark plug wires). As with the S2000, as the mice needed more space they just expanded the nest, until one day they chewed through the wiring harness. The dealer said the cost to replace the wiring harness would be $1,000. They thought I would be shocked, but I explained I had previously paid $1,100 for mouse damage to my previous car parked in the same garage space - right next to the woods - duh!
I thought I was done with that mouse episode, but a day later the dealer called to say when they got the wiring harness replaced the car still would not start. Next they discovered that when the mice chewed through the wiring harness they caused a short that blew out a circuit in the engine control chip, which would also need to be replaced. That's when I learned the control chip is one of the most expensive components of the entire car after the engine itself - it would cost $2,000 to replace it. The total cost for flat-bedding and replacement of the wiring harness and the engine control chip came to $3,250. I called (wonderful) AMICA and asked if I was covered for mouse damage, and how much my rates would go up if I submitted a claim. They called the dealer to verify my story and then issued a check for $2,250 directly to the dealer. They said my rates would not go up at all since the mouse damage was just bad luck, covered under my comprehensive coverage rather than my collision coverage.
Needless to say, I never replaced the engine cowling on my BMW. Now the engine looks naked, with lots of skinny wires, but I can do a quick visual check to make sure the mice have not come back. Also, my wife has a great party story about how her husband has purchased every mouse trap and sonic mouse deterrent sold on Amazon.
My first experience was the same as the OP's. I left my Honda S2000 at the dealer one day because my Check Engine light was on for no obvious reason. They called me at work and asked if I was sitting down. They said I had mouse damage, and then they asked how much my insurance deductible was. I said "$1,000, but mouse damage could not be that much". They said a mouse, or more probably a mouse family, had made a nest next to my emissions evaporator canister. When they needed more space they ate through the canister and all the lines leading to it. Everything needed to be replaced, at a cost of $1,100 - and this is the less expensive story!
After the S2000 I bought a BMW 135i as a retirement present. Turn the clock forward five years. One morning I headed out for a meeting and found my car would not start. The battery was fine, there was plenty of gas in the car, and no history of starting problems - big mystery. First I paid $230 to have my car flat-bedded to the dealer. Two days later the dealer called to say the problem was that a mouse (or another mouse family) had built a nest under the engine cowling (that BMW puts over their engines to hide the thin electronic ignition wires that have replaced traditional spark plug wires). As with the S2000, as the mice needed more space they just expanded the nest, until one day they chewed through the wiring harness. The dealer said the cost to replace the wiring harness would be $1,000. They thought I would be shocked, but I explained I had previously paid $1,100 for mouse damage to my previous car parked in the same garage space - right next to the woods - duh!
I thought I was done with that mouse episode, but a day later the dealer called to say when they got the wiring harness replaced the car still would not start. Next they discovered that when the mice chewed through the wiring harness they caused a short that blew out a circuit in the engine control chip, which would also need to be replaced. That's when I learned the control chip is one of the most expensive components of the entire car after the engine itself - it would cost $2,000 to replace it. The total cost for flat-bedding and replacement of the wiring harness and the engine control chip came to $3,250. I called (wonderful) AMICA and asked if I was covered for mouse damage, and how much my rates would go up if I submitted a claim. They called the dealer to verify my story and then issued a check for $2,250 directly to the dealer. They said my rates would not go up at all since the mouse damage was just bad luck, covered under my comprehensive coverage rather than my collision coverage.
Needless to say, I never replaced the engine cowling on my BMW. Now the engine looks naked, with lots of skinny wires, but I can do a quick visual check to make sure the mice have not come back. Also, my wife has a great party story about how her husband has purchased every mouse trap and sonic mouse deterrent sold on Amazon.
Last edited by fourwheelcycle on Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Sadly, as with most auto mfrs, Honda also uses soy based plastics--at least on the electrical wiring insulation. I think my bill was about $300 for new tranny wiring on a Honda CR-V. While rodents have always been problematic with automotive wiring, I think the soy based materials are too attractive to them. The readily available food source encourages them nest there and they subsequently chew on other components as well, creating collateral damage. The answer is to keep rodents out of the garage and/or to not let cars sit undriven for extend periods outside.
Last edited by Frugal Al on Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
This forum is full of information. I have never heard of rodent damage to a car before and amazed that some have a recurring problem. If it were me, I'd leave a whole bunch of snap traps along the perimeter walls of my garage. Out of the way so I don't step on them. Bait them with a planters peanut, something that will last a long time. Or a glue trap.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
I'm an automotive technician working at a dealership all vehicles no matter make or model can have rodent damage and do. We repair rodent damaged vehicles throughout the year. I have seen major wiring damage, evap line damage, airbox packed with a nest, exhaust filled with dog food, interior damage. We have customers that have repeat damage. It's best to do rodent control where your vehicle sits the most, its not the vehicles fault.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
It's not just newer vehicles either, my father had problems with rodents eating the rubber hoses on his truck back in the 60's.jesscj wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:32 pm I'm an automotive technician working at a dealership all vehicles no matter make or model can have rodent damage and do. We repair rodent damaged vehicles throughout the year. I have seen major wiring damage, evap line damage, airbox packed with a nest, exhaust filled with dog food, interior damage. We have customers that have repeat damage. It's best to do rodent control where your vehicle sits the most, its not the vehicles fault.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
An alarm signaled a problem with the exhaust system. A local mechanic misdiagnosed the problem as to do with some sort of sensor. It was the most expensive fix and I suspected it was out of this mechanic's area of expertise. I went to Track Auto and they checked the computer system for free. I wrote down the error message and looked it up on the internet. The most common problem was an improperly fitting gas cap. Tightening the gas cap did not help. I bought a new gas cap but kept getting the alarm signal.
I went to a state certified exhaust inspection mechanic and they showed me where varmints had chewed into the exhaust system. Apparently gasoline tastes sweet and the mechanic said it was quite common a problem. My vehicle is not a Honda. The mechanic replaced the tubing and gave the old eaten up tubing. When the car was due for inspection the state did not even inspect the vehicle as it had been fixed by the certified mechanic and I just had to show the inspector the receipt. Cost was $750 and about $50 for a brand new gas cap. This was still less than what the first mechanic estimated for his incorrect diagnosis.
There are a variety of methods of discouraging varmints. I live on a farm and have experience discouraging deer and now smaller animals.
I went to a state certified exhaust inspection mechanic and they showed me where varmints had chewed into the exhaust system. Apparently gasoline tastes sweet and the mechanic said it was quite common a problem. My vehicle is not a Honda. The mechanic replaced the tubing and gave the old eaten up tubing. When the car was due for inspection the state did not even inspect the vehicle as it had been fixed by the certified mechanic and I just had to show the inspector the receipt. Cost was $750 and about $50 for a brand new gas cap. This was still less than what the first mechanic estimated for his incorrect diagnosis.
There are a variety of methods of discouraging varmints. I live on a farm and have experience discouraging deer and now smaller animals.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
I had a car parked outside on the driveway for months. Mice were living in the trunk. Yuck.
One can apparently make a barrier to they can't get into the area where the car is. This probably would not work inside a garage: they could just jump down from above. But it is an interesting idea.
See this link, it was just the first one I pulled up on Google; but I considered doing it after I had that previous problem. I just sold the car instead.
https://ucnrs.org/mice-barrier-cars/
scroll down about half way
One can apparently make a barrier to they can't get into the area where the car is. This probably would not work inside a garage: they could just jump down from above. But it is an interesting idea.
See this link, it was just the first one I pulled up on Google; but I considered doing it after I had that previous problem. I just sold the car instead.
https://ucnrs.org/mice-barrier-cars/
scroll down about half way
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.
- arcticpineapplecorp.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
we had a friend who had her brake lines eaten through by squirrels. it happens, unfortunately.
It's hard to accept the truth when the lies were exactly what you wanted to hear. Investing is simple, but not easy. Buy, hold & rebalance low cost index funds & manage taxable events. Asking Portfolio Questions |
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Toyota Facing Class Action Over Soy-Based Wiring Insulation
https://www.classaction.org/blog/toyota ... insulation
Toyota Knocked with Another Class Action Over Soy-Based Wiring Insulation
https://www.classaction.org/news/toyota ... insulation
https://www.classaction.org/blog/toyota ... insulation
Toyota Knocked with Another Class Action Over Soy-Based Wiring Insulation
https://www.classaction.org/news/toyota ... insulation
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
I've had mice chew through the thermostat wiring for a large air conditioning unit. Also chewed through the solenoid wire in an irrigation system box. Also built a home in an outdoor lighting transformer and chewed up the transformer wiring.
I'm not sure what the cure is.
I'm not sure what the cure is.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Several years ago chipmunks ate the wiring in my neighbor's garaged Mercedes. I recall a couple of thousand dollars worth of damage, perhaps over a couple of days.
Around the same time our air conditioner stopped cooling. The HVAC tech opened the condenser housing, came to get us to show us the dead chipmunk that had started to gnaw through the 220V power cable. It essentially became a fuse that shorted.
I understand that most/all rodents have to gnaw continually since their teeth keep growing. We also had several squirrels that would daily gnaw at the aluminum gutters around our house. It went on for months, waking us most mornings.
Around the same time our air conditioner stopped cooling. The HVAC tech opened the condenser housing, came to get us to show us the dead chipmunk that had started to gnaw through the 220V power cable. It essentially became a fuse that shorted.
I understand that most/all rodents have to gnaw continually since their teeth keep growing. We also had several squirrels that would daily gnaw at the aluminum gutters around our house. It went on for months, waking us most mornings.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
Hmmn. We have feral cats in my neighborhood. Maybe they can't keep up?
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
Feed them a little bit so they will hang around your house more often. Put the food near your car.Church Lady wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 5:12 pmHmmn. We have feral cats in my neighborhood. Maybe they can't keep up?
And trap them, get them fixed, and turn 'em loose. No fix; no food. That's our program for them.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Very common. Not sure if the comments to buy a Honda are supposed to be ironic as they are the original defendant in the first major class action lawsuit for soy based wiring and other components. Solutions that I have found in order of cruelty:Church Lady wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:47 am Well not the whole thing .. but they did do $1000 of damage to my fuel tank and evap line. ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS And there's no assurance rodents won't do the same thing next week.
I asked the Toyota service manager why rodents would want to eat a fuel tank and evap line. He claimed to have no idea but said it is quite common.
A little internet searching showed that rodent damage to recent model Toyotas is quite common. Apparently Toyota has switched to soy based plastic, a sort of rodent delicacy.
A relative told me to get on board a class action lawsuit against Toyota. I tried searching the web for such a thing. Whereas it is trivial to find articles such as 'Joe Sixpack initiated a class action lawsuit against Toyota for rodent damage', I can't find anything about how to join an extant class action lawsuit.
Any ideas? Thanks for reading!
1)If your car is parked outside, park it inside if possible. Clean out your garage to make room for it. If it is inside already, make sure your door is closed all the time (but you have other problems if you have rats inside your house).
2)Anti rodent tape. There is an official Honda OEM part for this. Or you can buy knockoff stuff for less money but make sure it doesnt melt. Tape the crap out of everything. Wiring, firewall, fuel lines, air lines, etc.
3)Pet snake in the garage. Get a young snake that still has a prey drive. The bigger the better. Most cats don't work. Cats play with mice. Snakes eat them. A snake in the garage really never bothered me.
4)Rat poison. Stick it in a jar if you have pets or children so it isn't reachable. I think the result of this one is pretty apparent.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
One suggestion is to leave your hood up to make the space less cozy, especially on cold nights when a nice warm engine is very inviting.
You can also, um, invest in predator marking: wolf or coyote urine sprays are available through Amazon & other Internet stores. A little spray on the floor every once in awhile if your cars are munched much.
You can also, um, invest in predator marking: wolf or coyote urine sprays are available through Amazon & other Internet stores. A little spray on the floor every once in awhile if your cars are munched much.
Ipsa scientia potestas est. Bacon F.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
An coat the rodent tape with the hottest pepper spray you can get.. or with extract of the hottest peppers available.
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+hot ... fox-b-1-ab
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+hot ... fox-b-1-ab
Re: Rodents ate my car!
I guess I'm lucky they just made nests in the upholstery. I had no idea this was such a common problem. I felt like one of the Great Unwashed
Do not adopt a cat unless you're going to keep it inside. Not only are they vulnerable to predators outside, but if your neighbors are putting out rodent poison, the cat can die a horrible death from eating a poisoned rodent.
Do not adopt a cat unless you're going to keep it inside. Not only are they vulnerable to predators outside, but if your neighbors are putting out rodent poison, the cat can die a horrible death from eating a poisoned rodent.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
^^^^ user name checks out - mouses don't want cats outside
Re: Rodents ate my car!
I had rodent problems with two of my cars. I live next to Potomac river and rodents are big problem.
Two winters ago, I did not drive my Boxster for couple of weeks and kept it covered with a cover in a car port. On a sunny weekend, I decided to take the car for a drive and started my Boxster. A message appeared indicating that oil pressure was low. I checked oil level and it was good. I called dealer and he asked me to drive the vehicle to dealership without stressing the engine. I drove not exceeding 4th gear to dealership. It felt odd driving Boxster at no more than 40 miles per hour on a highway. I got a a call couple of hours later stating that they found a nest and wires leading to oil pump were chewed away. They either can repair for $1700 or replace the harness for $3000. I chose to have it repaired. The car has been working fine for the last 18 months. I believe a rodent felt very secure next to warm engine in winter with darkness provided by car cover. The car was not driven for two weeks and the rodent never felt obliged to leave even though the engine became cold.
Three months later: my Mazda 3 started vibrating while driving. I could feel the engine was not balanced. I took it to the dealer and I was told wires leading to one of the cylinders were chewed away. Only three cylinders were firing causing imbalance and vibration. The bill came to $1500 with new harness and engine cover.
I researched the topic on the web and came up with the following useful tips:
1. Do not leave your car undriven for extended period of time. It only increases chances of a squater to settle in.
2. Do not park it next to woods, if you can avoid.
3. I read that anti-rust spray is NOT tasty for rodents. I sprayed it on the wiring of one of my cars. (Boxster is a mid engine car and wiring is not accesable for spray or taping)
3. Anti rodent tape is sold under Honda brand name. It is expensive and I am not sure if it is worth the cost. It is basically chilli powder infused duct tape.
4. Rodent control. I used rat traps.
5. Some amount of luck they do not decide to make my car their home, instead go to my neighbor"s
Two winters ago, I did not drive my Boxster for couple of weeks and kept it covered with a cover in a car port. On a sunny weekend, I decided to take the car for a drive and started my Boxster. A message appeared indicating that oil pressure was low. I checked oil level and it was good. I called dealer and he asked me to drive the vehicle to dealership without stressing the engine. I drove not exceeding 4th gear to dealership. It felt odd driving Boxster at no more than 40 miles per hour on a highway. I got a a call couple of hours later stating that they found a nest and wires leading to oil pump were chewed away. They either can repair for $1700 or replace the harness for $3000. I chose to have it repaired. The car has been working fine for the last 18 months. I believe a rodent felt very secure next to warm engine in winter with darkness provided by car cover. The car was not driven for two weeks and the rodent never felt obliged to leave even though the engine became cold.
Three months later: my Mazda 3 started vibrating while driving. I could feel the engine was not balanced. I took it to the dealer and I was told wires leading to one of the cylinders were chewed away. Only three cylinders were firing causing imbalance and vibration. The bill came to $1500 with new harness and engine cover.
I researched the topic on the web and came up with the following useful tips:
1. Do not leave your car undriven for extended period of time. It only increases chances of a squater to settle in.
2. Do not park it next to woods, if you can avoid.
3. I read that anti-rust spray is NOT tasty for rodents. I sprayed it on the wiring of one of my cars. (Boxster is a mid engine car and wiring is not accesable for spray or taping)
3. Anti rodent tape is sold under Honda brand name. It is expensive and I am not sure if it is worth the cost. It is basically chilli powder infused duct tape.
4. Rodent control. I used rat traps.
5. Some amount of luck they do not decide to make my car their home, instead go to my neighbor"s
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Same here. Back when I owned a 2000 Volkswagen GTI, I went on vacation and left my car in the garage for a week.
Upon return, I smelled gas and the check engine light threw a code that the fuel gas evaporation system had a low pressure leak. The usual cause is a loose gas cap. Nope, that wasn't it.
After calling the dealer and explaining that I smelled gas, they said to bring it in a few days later. (I'm still wondering why anyone would think that a gas smell does not deserve immediate attention...)
After ripping the car apart, the mechanic finally took an inspection mirror to the last place one would ever look - the small space under the back seat passenger compartment and above the fuel tank. What was in that space? A mouse nest and a chomped on fuel gas vapor circulation tubing.
Everyone in the shop thought it was hysterical. You found what? Really?
The mouse nest was also filled with cloth from various rags left in the garage.
After I got home, a number of mouse traps were set under each tire. I don't remember if we ever caught anything in the traps, but it was a lesson learned about leaving your car alone for week.
Upon return, I smelled gas and the check engine light threw a code that the fuel gas evaporation system had a low pressure leak. The usual cause is a loose gas cap. Nope, that wasn't it.
After calling the dealer and explaining that I smelled gas, they said to bring it in a few days later. (I'm still wondering why anyone would think that a gas smell does not deserve immediate attention...)
After ripping the car apart, the mechanic finally took an inspection mirror to the last place one would ever look - the small space under the back seat passenger compartment and above the fuel tank. What was in that space? A mouse nest and a chomped on fuel gas vapor circulation tubing.
Everyone in the shop thought it was hysterical. You found what? Really?
The mouse nest was also filled with cloth from various rags left in the garage.
After I got home, a number of mouse traps were set under each tire. I don't remember if we ever caught anything in the traps, but it was a lesson learned about leaving your car alone for week.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Mice ate vacuum lines in my BMW, causing the icon with a engine block with a red line through it to come on. It caused a loss of power.
The dealership figured it out on the second visit.
Now I put traps in my garage.
The dealership figured it out on the second visit.
Now I put traps in my garage.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
Ha, well at about $5k in 2004 I can problem out cost the lot of you.
I was on a cycle trip to Western Ireland with my mother and had to park my car outside because we were in the process of doing a kitchen remodel and the new cabinets were worth more than my then 12 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee. DH came to pick us up when the car caught on fire just as he was pulling into Sky Harbor Airport. As he likes to tell the story he got to meet the nice people from TSA, Phoenix Police and Fire.
Turns out a pack rat had built a nest on top of the exhaust manifold. During the time it took driving from N. Maricopa County to the airport, the nest had heated up and caught fire. DH hadn't noticed until a person exiting the garage told him that his car was on fire.
It was not great arrival news to be told that we would have to ride the Blue Van in 115 degree heat with our bikes, jet-lagged and take an hour plus to get home since we were last on the delivery route.
At least no one was hurt.
I was on a cycle trip to Western Ireland with my mother and had to park my car outside because we were in the process of doing a kitchen remodel and the new cabinets were worth more than my then 12 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee. DH came to pick us up when the car caught on fire just as he was pulling into Sky Harbor Airport. As he likes to tell the story he got to meet the nice people from TSA, Phoenix Police and Fire.
Turns out a pack rat had built a nest on top of the exhaust manifold. During the time it took driving from N. Maricopa County to the airport, the nest had heated up and caught fire. DH hadn't noticed until a person exiting the garage told him that his car was on fire.
It was not great arrival news to be told that we would have to ride the Blue Van in 115 degree heat with our bikes, jet-lagged and take an hour plus to get home since we were last on the delivery route.
At least no one was hurt.
Every day I can hike is a good day.
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
We experienced mice eating certain cables under the hood of a vehicle. It was winter and cold. Thus the mechanic stated this can occur when the rodents are looking for heat and warmth from the elements.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Google "Rolling Log Mouse Trap".
Maybe better than a cat?
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Rolling ... B071ZF2VZJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIlYiiCGLI (squeamish warning - images of dead mice)
Maybe better than a cat?
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Rolling ... B071ZF2VZJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIlYiiCGLI (squeamish warning - images of dead mice)
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Re: Rodents ate my car!
.....
Last edited by AlwaysWannaLearn on Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Yeah, a squirrel chewed through some of my Jeep cherokee’s fuel tank wiring about 10 years ago. Ended up costing about $600 IIRC. I contemplated the rodenticide route afterwards, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it to the cute little furry suckers.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
The cure involves dead mice.
Answering a question is easy -- asking the right question is the hard part.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Deleted
Last edited by Nicolas on Wed Sep 05, 2018 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Rodents love my Subaru. I've had a squirrel pack the engine compartment with straw, a mouse nest in the engine air filter box, and twice had a mouse nest on top of the cabin air filter in my Subaru. The filter got soaked with urine so the smell coming from the vents was the sign of trouble. I covered the inlet with steel mesh to hopefully keep them out.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Had placed some ketchup packets in my glove compartment. One day opened up compartment to find ……..well you know! Have had mouse bait stations all around ever since!
birdy
birdy
Re: Rodents ate my car!
This stuff works well. It's just clean little sealed packets you place around the bottom of your car near the tires. It has a nice aroma like a strong scented cedar chest. I had an issue and I never had another problem.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R ... ge_o03_s00?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R ... ge_o03_s00?
Re: Rodents ate my car!
Someone, most likely a mouse ate into the electronic parking brake mechanism on our Subaru Outback (which we never used but still cost $1400 to fix)afatcat wrote: ↑Thu Jul 05, 2018 10:05 am Rodents love my Subaru. I've had a squirrel pack the engine compartment with straw, a mouse nest in the engine air filter box, and twice had a mouse nest on top of the cabin air filter in my Subaru. The filter got soaked with urine so the smell coming from the vents was the sign of trouble. I covered the inlet with steel mesh to hopefully keep them out.
Re: Rodents ate my car!
The class action lawsuit was dismissed:
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/07/05/toy ... dismissed/
I get why they might want to use soy-based looms and hoses. But there are all sorts of foul-tasting deterrents that can be applied to stuff to make them unappetizing. If you have a Nintendo Switch, go ahead and lick a game cartridge. No reason they couldn't treat the wiring/hoses.
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/07/05/toy ... dismissed/
I get why they might want to use soy-based looms and hoses. But there are all sorts of foul-tasting deterrents that can be applied to stuff to make them unappetizing. If you have a Nintendo Switch, go ahead and lick a game cartridge. No reason they couldn't treat the wiring/hoses.