Critters in car engine

[Winchester]

Remember late last year/very early this year, I took Clarence (PT Cruiser) to the shop and found out that some critter had chewed through five wires in the engine area? (There were some emission control issues, too, at that time, but the biggie was the chewed wires.)

Well, Rick and I were out and about over the weekend and my engine light came on again. Car runs fine, but just to be on the safe side, he goes into the garage tonight and will be thoroughly checked out tomorrow. Since Rick's Tundra also had some chewed wires and since it's getting quite chilly around here at night, we're thinking that maybe the critters are at it again. I'll know for sure tomorrow.

Does anybody know how to keep rodents away from the vehicles? We don't have a garage; we keep the vehicles outside. Our driveway is not paved, it's stone, and we keep any weeds cut very short.

Would mothballs work? If so, where in the world do I put mothballs under a car? I Googled and found that Tabasco might work, but again, how do I get down under a car and rub/spray wires with hot sauce? And would I do that every time it rains? Somebody suggested mice traps up inside the engine, but that doesn't seem safe. And geez, we have a lot of rodents around here.

Any ideas? Please? (This may not be the problem, but I have a sneaky feeling...... Will find out tomorrow.) Thanks!

 

[mrblanche]

Mothballs seem to work, but not as well as they used to, since they now have a different formula. There's no perfect solution. Maybe dump used cat litter on the ground under the car?

 

[momto3boys]

Yikes!!!

I have no idea really but I hope you find a solution, this will get costly if you have to change wires every year because of critters...

 

[orangeishcat]

Ugh, I had the same issue with mice and my old car. It was in my garage, though, which made it even worse!

I'm not sure how to solve that issue outside... maybe put some poison or traps on your engine block? Just be sure you remove them before you drive... that may help!

 

[catlover19]

I don't know what you can do, but I just thought I would share what could happen. My father in laws truck went up in flames a couple of months ago due to rodents chewing through wires. Make sure if you think that anything is chewing wires, you get it checked. He ignored it and this is what happened.

http://s899.photobucket.com/albums/a.../truck%20fire/

 

[Winchester]

Originally Posted by catlover19

I don't know what you can do, but I just thought I would share what could happen. My father in laws truck went up in flames a couple of months ago due to rodents chewing through wires. Make sure if you think that anything is chewing wires, you get it checked. He ignored it and this is what happened.

http://s899.photobucket.com/albums/a.../truck%20fire/

Um....I think already said that I was taking the car into the garage tonight and that they're going to check it out tomorrow?

I would never ignore any problem with my car. Wow, your FIL's truck! That was nasty.

But it's dangerous in other ways, too: http://rochelle-frank.hubpages.com/h...-in-Your-Motor Wow!

I can try dumping used litter where our vehicles sit in the driveway...it's just stone, so it wouldn't hurt anything...other than the smell. I always wondered what to do with used cat litter! I wouldn't try mousetraps and the like; I know me and I'd forget to take them out before starting my car in the morning.

I was checking it out online....one guy's car harness was completely chewed through, to the tune of $3,700. He paid his deductible and the insurance covered the rest. Several months later? The same thing happened. Another $3,700 with another $1,000 deductible. (I think I'd be sitting up all night with a shotgun or something....and probably blowing myself up in the process.) Nobody seems to know what to do about this, even though quite a few people seem to be dealing with the problem. Tabasco, mothballs, poison, etc. Nothing concrete. It's frustrating.

Yeah, it's not just my car.....it's Rick's Tundra, too. We have to get to the bottom of this somehow.

 

[catlover19]

Originally Posted by Winchester

Um....I think already said that I was taking the car into the garage tonight and that they're going to check it out tomorrow?

I would never ignore any problem with my car. Wow, your FIL's truck! That was nasty.

I didn't mean it rude, sorry if it came off like that. I just think its crazy what can happen to a vehicle because of something chewing wires.

 

[my4llma]

I don't know what to tell you. Our cars stay out in the driveway all night, and we've never had that problem

 

[my4llma]

Originally Posted by catlover19

I don't know what you can do, but I just thought I would share what could happen. My father in laws truck went up in flames a couple of months ago due to rodents chewing through wires. Make sure if you think that anything is chewing wires, you get it checked. He ignored it and this is what happened.

http://s899.photobucket.com/albums/a.../truck%20fire/

OMG

 

[Winchester]

Originally Posted by catlover19

I didn't mean it rude, sorry if it came off like that. I just think its crazy what can happen to a vehicle because of something chewing wires.

You're right, of course. Sorry.

Rick and I were talking about it last night. I told him some of what I've learned online and I also showed him your FIL's truck. It's really scary. I didn't even think about fires or things like that.

Clarence is in the garage. I really hope it's nothing serious. We've lived in our house now for about 25 years and have always parked our vehicles outside. We've never had trouble with rodents. And now, it seems that they're all over the place! (Somebody suggested a black snake would take care of the field mice.....I don't really want a snake either!)

We're again talking new car (we do this every once in a while), but I really hate the idea of going back into debt for a vehicle. Rick wants to wait until spring to buy. I do have new car fever, but I still really like Clarence, too.

 

[3catsn1dog]

I dont know how Id feel about putting anything actually in the engine and stuff like that just because you dont know what could leak into your fluids and stuff like that. Im gonna ask DF what he would do or what he has done because I know his garage had mice in it and his dads did also and I dont know what they have done in regards to chewed wires or anything like that. But I will ask and find out and report back!!!

 

[capt_jordi]

if your light ever comes on you can also take it to autozone / advanced auto and they will run the computer code for free.
When Gary got the MG it had some chewed wires, but he just ordered the harness and replaced it himself for less that $100. But it is an MG.... those are known for electrical problems, so the wires are pretty darn cheap!
You may be able to get one of those sonic noise makers that is supposed to drive the rodents away, and put it under where you park. Not sure how effective it will be though... but may be worth a shot.
I've heard a lot of people use Irish Spring Soap. Apparently rodents and animals hate it. Just put a few bars in pieces around the cars and in the bay if possible . Or tape a few mouse traps to places in the engine bay with peanut butter on them.

 

[jcat]

We have stone martens here (similar to minks and weasels), and our neighbors' cars get chewed up regularly. So far they've tried sonic noise makers, rodent repellents, cat hair and used litter, dog hair, dog dirt and urine, mothballs and several other recommendations, all to no avail. The crazy things love certain makes of cars, especially Toyotas and Renaults, that are more "open" on the bottom. We haven't had trouble (touch wood!) with our VWs, except for chewed up windshield wipers.

Our next-door neighbor (Toyota driver) asked her mechanic what she should do, and he recommended getting another make car, because supposedly nothing stops them.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Originally Posted by Winchester

We've lived in our house now for about 25 years and have always parked our vehicles outside. We've never had trouble with rodents. And now, it seems that they're all over the place! .

I bet you have an increase in the area because of the flooding!! It probably chased them from the other areas to higher ground; which you live on right? My Mom said there was a fire at the dump for the area she grew up in and all the rodents and critters invaded the suburb she lived in. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking of it.

 

[Winchester]

Only two wires this time. And a faulty power steering switch. They said I can drive the car back and forth to work until Thursday night when it goes back to the garage for repair (they didn't have the switch and it will be in on Friday) and then I can pick it up on Friday night.

They also said that, if I'm driving around in a parking lot, the car could stall. But that it would start right back up (whatever that means). So......well, I'm at work today anyway. But who knows about tomorrow.

Rick is leaving for Oregon on Saturday morning and won't be back home until next Wednesday. I need my car. The garage was going to make an appt for me next week, but when I told them Rick wouldn't be home, the mechanic told me to bring it right in. Thank goodness.

When we dump and clean all the litterboxes tonight, the urine soaked litter is going under our vehicles. Ick. Just ick.

You might have a point about all the critters coming uphil to get away from the water!

 

[trouts mom]

What about spraying bitter apple around under there? Not sure if that is safe with hot engine components around though.

 

[gardenandcats]

What about setting mouse traps under or around your car?

 

[Winchester]

We have bitter apple spray...we got it when Mollipop was a Terror on Paws (back when she was a kitten). I can try that.

As for mousetraps, we're not sure if it is mice....could be a bunny, chipmunk, squirrel. We don't know and there are a lot of rodents around. I don't want to put mousetraps up inside my car because I'd forget to take them back out before driving off, especially in the morning, when I'm in such a hurry.

We do have a live trap and I've thought about setting it in the driveway with something something yummy in it, just to see if we'd catch something. In the past, when we've caught rabbits or chipmunks, we've taken them to another area and released them...we don't kill anything if we don't have to.

We did put used cat litter in the driveway last night....two boxes full (I took the poop out first). It smelled! Oy! But then it rained during the night and, while you can still smell it, the smell isn't bad at all anymore. (But I'm sure rodents can still smell the ammonia.)

We also have some leftover Liquid Fence from when we were putting it around the perimeter of our veggie garden and we may try that next.

Oh and the windshield wiper "idiot" light came on in Rick's truck now.

Last time that happened was because something chewed through the wiper hose. He's taking his truck into the garage when he gets home from Oregon next week.

Clarence goes back into the garage tonight and he'll be repaired tomorrow.

 

[feralvr]

I do remember you talking about this happenning before

. I have never had this problem either. Good that the garage is getting Clarence in beforre your DH goes out-of-town. And now Mike's car too - OH NO..... I don't know what to suggest putting in the engine to keep the critters out. Maybe the garage has some ideas as I am sure they have seen this before

 

[carolpetunia]

I wonder... is the undercarriage of the car structured in such a way that you might be able to cover it with "carpenter's cloth?" It's not cloth, actually -- it's a heavy wire mesh. Maybe it could be attached with wire along the outer edges of the car...? Of course, you'd have to redo it every time the car needs work... but with any luck, that would be less often!