Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats?

jomson13 · 24th October 2018, 21:41

Hi guys,
Came across a really bizzare incident just now.
My cousin from kerala called and sent me pics of a damaged radiator from the family's one year old Ford Aspire.
There was coolant leakage which went un-noticed and eventually led to the car overheating and stalling on the road.
Currently the car is at the authorized service center.
As per the SA, the radiator and the surrounding foam have been damaged by rats! Pictures attached for reference.

Is this even possible? I always thought that rats attack the wiring or other plastic parts? Can such damage to the radiator be done by rats?

The images clearly show damage to the radiator fins - but how does that lead to coolant leakage? The underlying tubes would have to have been punctured for the coolant to leak out. I just cannot believe that this was the handiwork of a rodent!

Any pointers would be appreciated here.

R2D2 · 24th October 2018, 21:49

Rats generally don't bite into metal. However it's possible they bit it because they smelt or tasted coolant from a leaking radiator and give the metal a nibble. But this would have happened after the leak developed. Depending on how much the rat(s) consumed they will not live long as coolant is toxic.

Blow Horn Ok · 24th October 2018, 22:58

I guess they have chewed the soft metallic fins and tubes of the radiator. Change of radiator is fine but do ask for a thorough check of the engine as it stalled after overheating. They have the tendency to chew just to control the growth of their teeth.

GTO · 25th October 2018, 09:35

I wouldn't disbelieve it. The big rats can be nasty. In my building, I have seen them dig massive holes in a solid concrete floor as well as bite their way through metal meshes.

Time for your cousin to read these two threads:

1. Autoshine

2. Protect your car from rats

3. Rat-proof borders (Rat-proof Fencing as a solution for the rodent menace?)

bigben · 25th October 2018, 09:40

Wow!! This is the first time I am hearing of this. Questions I have are:

1)Has the car been unused and parked in one place for a long time?
2) Were there any signs of the foam on the ground below where the car is parked?
3) Overheating- was this gradual or just suddenly one day the car overheats?

dhanushs · 25th October 2018, 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomson13

....have been damaged by rats! ...

Wow. How unlucky can a man get! Rats chew the radiator fins, coolant seeps out later, the engine seizes on the road.. Almost like an old Bollywood flick.

In my experience, if you use the car daily or at least once in two days, you won't have the problem of rats. Of all my cars the only car which i've had a rat problem is the Palio 1.6 sports, only when it wasn't used when it had a starter problem. Also, I've heard popping up the hood at nights works, since rats prefer closed spaces to open.

jomson13 · 25th October 2018, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigben

Wow!! This is the first time I am hearing of this. Questions I have are:

1)Has the car been unused and parked in one place for a long time?
2) Were there any signs of the foam on the ground below where the car is parked?
3) Overheating- was this gradual or just suddenly one day the car overheats?

1. The car was parked in a new place (near a relative's house) for a couple of days. That is when this could've happened. The place where the car is usually park is free of such problems. We have not had any such issues in the past decade!

2. This is what we missed to check. There could've been traces of coolant also on the ground, but the driver missed to check this.

3. Nothing gradual about it. They started on a 40 - 50 km trip and it car overheated almost immediately. I guess the coolant tank would've been empty when they started. It shouldn't take any time for the car to overheat in such a situation.

jomson13 · 26th October 2018, 14:30

Today's update:

The ASC guys will be putting in an insurance claim and seem hopeful to get some part of the cost covered under the insurance.
I didn't know that rodent damage is also covered under insurance!!

Still no talk about checking the engine and related parts. The ASC center guys seem content to replace the radiator, perform a coolant system flush and go!

What do you guys suggest about the engine? Do we need to open up the cylinder head and check for damage? What kind of damage should we expect?

I'm told that there was a good amount of smoke when the car had to be pulled over - What is the cause of the smoke? Is it the head gasket burning?

24th October 2018, 21:41	#1
jomson13 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Pune Posts: 261 Thanked: 602 Times	Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats? Hi guys, Came across a really bizzare incident just now. My cousin from kerala called and sent me pics of a damaged radiator from the family's one year old Ford Aspire. There was coolant leakage which went un-noticed and eventually led to the car overheating and stalling on the road. Currently the car is at the authorized service center. As per the SA, the radiator and the surrounding foam have been damaged by rats! Pictures attached for reference. Is this even possible? I always thought that rats attack the wiring or other plastic parts? Can such damage to the radiator be done by rats? The images clearly show damage to the radiator fins - but how does that lead to coolant leakage? The underlying tubes would have to have been punctured for the coolant to leak out. I just cannot believe that this was the handiwork of a rodent! Any pointers would be appreciated here. Attached Thumbnails
	(5) Thanks

24th October 2018, 21:49	#2
R2D2 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 3,236 Thanked: 5,781 Times	re: Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats? Rats generally don't bite into metal. However it's possible they bit it because they smelt or tasted coolant from a leaking radiator and give the metal a nibble. But this would have happened after the leak developed. Depending on how much the rat(s) consumed they will not live long as coolant is toxic.
	(6) Thanks

24th October 2018, 22:58	#3
Blow Horn Ok BHPian Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bokaro Posts: 811 Thanked: 987 Times View My Garage	re: Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats? I guess they have chewed the soft metallic fins and tubes of the radiator. Change of radiator is fine but do ask for a thorough check of the engine as it stalled after overheating. They have the tendency to chew just to control the growth of their teeth. Last edited by Blow Horn Ok : 24th October 2018 at 22:59.
	(3) Thanks

25th October 2018, 09:35	#4
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,570 Thanked: 310,018 Times View My Garage	Re: Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats? I wouldn't disbelieve it. The big rats can be nasty. In my building, I have seen them dig massive holes in a solid concrete floor as well as bite their way through metal meshes. Time for your cousin to read these two threads: 1. Autoshine 2. Protect your car from rats 3. Rat-proof borders (Rat-proof Fencing as a solution for the rodent menace?)
	(3) Thanks

25th October 2018, 09:40	#5
bigben BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 360 Thanked: 290 Times	Re: Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats? Wow!! This is the first time I am hearing of this. Questions I have are: 1)Has the car been unused and parked in one place for a long time? 2) Were there any signs of the foam on the ground below where the car is parked? 3) Overheating- was this gradual or just suddenly one day the car overheats?
	() Thanks

26th October 2018, 14:30	#8
jomson13 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Pune Posts: 261 Thanked: 602 Times	Re: Ford Aspire: Apparent radiator damage by rats? Today's update: The ASC guys will be putting in an insurance claim and seem hopeful to get some part of the cost covered under the insurance. I didn't know that rodent damage is also covered under insurance!! Still no talk about checking the engine and related parts. The ASC center guys seem content to replace the radiator, perform a coolant system flush and go! What do you guys suggest about the engine? Do we need to open up the cylinder head and check for damage? What kind of damage should we expect? I'm told that there was a good amount of smoke when the car had to be pulled over - What is the cause of the smoke? Is it the head gasket burning?
	(1) Thanks