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-   -   Rat damage to cars | Protection, solutions & advice (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/2729-rat-damage-cars-protection-solutions-advice-101.html)

Even I am not 100% sure, but I think there might be an in-built battery in it. There is no way to know for sure as it is completely sealed.

When I turn on the engine, it stops, it starts working once the engine is turned off. There is a mode choose switch in it, you can change intensity of sound and led lights blinking frequency. 3 modes available, at the moment I kept it at low mode to avoid load on my new battery. The manual says it is safe for 2 months standby use before draining the battery of a 60AH capacity.

It has been only 3 days, in which 2 days my vehicle was at service center for bumper re-painting. I have not noticed any rat droppings or any signs of their moment in vehicle. I think it is safe to say it is working well. I will monitor it for 1 week daily before giving final verdict.

I think more than the ultrasonic sounds, the rats will be scared of the blinking of led lights. They are small but very powerful. Attached the picture below, also still keeping rat chocolate as backup just in case this machine is not working.

I would say avoid keeping any combustible material like the newspaper inside the bonnet lest you forget to remove it while driving out. You can keep the cakes on top of the battery etc to lure the rats. For a deadly kill I would apply rat poison paste on top of the cakes and I have found it an effective way of securing a kill within a day or two. I stopped the practice a long ago due to other methods of preventing rats described on our forum.

I remove the paper when using vehicle. Due to lockdown, not using frequently.

Can you share what methods you are using to prevent rats?

A combination of below works for me. I do check once a week for any intrusion.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/mumba...ne-mumbai.html

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ml#post4601409

I got the Bardahl rodent repellent sprayed inside the engine bay of my Seltos a few days ago. MRP is Rs.1149 and the dealer says only half can would do per application.

The car smells like fresh mint from outside. lol:
So far so good. Let me see how it turns out.

I have the mint flavored spray as well. I spray it on a bag of sawdust and tie it inside. The smell stays good for a month. You can smell absolutely nothing after a month. You need something powerful to keep them away.

lol: Hahaha - we are two of a kind! In my building, I have also declared a nuclear war on the rascals.

- Spike guards around my car
- Varna Suraksha rat repellent device
- AutoShine rat repellent spray
- Honda rat repellent tape
- Rat poison cakes
- Filling all their holes up with cement

While the problem has been controlled to a 90% level, it is still 10% there. Reason = they multiply in such large numbers & due to surrounding buildings not being as particular.

rl: You laid it out for them like one does pizza on a cardboard box.

Good luck with the battle. Remember, it's a constant one. There is no permanent solution.

While filling such holes, the fellow who does the job for us crushes a bottle and mixes the glass shards before filling.

So I have been checking everyday since the rat repellent machine has been installed in my vehicle for signs of rats. I am happy to say the machine is working well. I have not noticed any new rat droppings, biting marks or their movement in the engine bay.

I have noticed rat movement outside my house (we have open drainage system here and a huge open plots on both sides of our house :Frustrati), so these little devils are still there, and staying away from my vehicle. Monitoring will be continued daily like GTO said it is a continuous process.

Lockdown diaries, Chapter 2.

A lockdown out of the blue, roads dug up to install new pipelines, torrential rains and a completely miscalculated time to do unneeded DIY stuff has landed me in the rat soup :eek:

My dedicated car parking space was undergoing rejuvenation, which abruptly came to a halt midway due to lockdown. So the car had to be parked out in the open on the road. It's parked on the road since March. In late June, our municipal corporation decided to dig up the roads to install new pipelines. They dug up and filled them with the same debris. So it's a muddy road. And now it is monsoon. A heavy spell of 2-3 hours after every 12 hours like. And due to the lockdown a DIY bug bit me. I have removed the front bumper, dismantled the grille completely to paint it.

The worse part - I see rats joining the DIY. It must have been 6-8 days since rats have introduced themselves to the engine bay. And as of now they're dismantling the sound insulation firewall from the left side. I can't move the car since it is a complete lockdown over here.

So, I plan to paint the grille, etc, fix it today itself and park it somewhere else for few days. Question : How to eradicate the rats from the place? Would they stop coming as there would be nothing for them?

Edit - In my area, these rats are new to the place. Would they start chewing wires straight away or would they first develop a liking towards wires and then feed on them? 6-8 days are enough for them to develop their taste buds?

Unfortunately, rats have been causing a lot of issues in my Next Gen Verna. I have a history of issues caused by rats in my Verna going back to last 12-18 months, but nothing major.

However, this time (rains multiplied by less usage due to lockdown) they seem to have caused a huge problem. I had given the car to SC (it is still under warranty) for the following issues:

1. AC not working (compressor wouldn't turn on)
2. Airbag sensor light staying on
3. Wipers not working

They got back to me saying Rats have damaged a lot of wiring and are giving me an estimate of 42k :eek:

The advisor told me they have taken all pictures (but he hasn't sent those to me yet). I got a shock when I saw this estimate and it seems like they are trying to fleece me.

Estimate they gave:


On receiving this, I told them not to do ANYTHING not covered by warranty and I will collect my car as is. To this, he responded saying let me speak with my seniors and see what can be done regarding estimate.

Need help, advice. What should I do next?

I am getting conflicting views about claiming this in insurance - the advisor telling me we can claim this in insurance and the other specialist in the same Service Centre saying we can't claim this in insurance.

Rats can cause a lot of damage in the engine bay of a modern car, as it is very easy to get in, but very difficult to get out for them due to the acres of tubing, plumbing, wiring etc. I myself have faced a rodent issue in my car, but the damage was not that bad, so I got it fixed from a reliable mechanic who had some experience With Mercs.

But in your case, the damage seems to be pretty severe, as it involves the AC and airbags. Trust me, the 42k you will spend will be well worth the peace of mind, since your car is still under warranty. From the bill, I can make out that they are mostly replacing, wires, air con pipes, parts related to the wiper mechanism and other important rubber parts like the cowl panel etc.

The only thing that I find strange is that they have mentioned dashboard dismantling charges twice, once as 4005 and once as 2200. I remember, when I had sent my car to the MBASS for the rodent damage estimation, they had quoted 28k just for opening the dashboard. But I didn’t get the work done from them.

Also, please ask them to properly explain that if they have already mentioned ‘passenger airbag wiring’, ‘wiper motor wiring’ As individual items, then why have they also mentioned “all other wiring”for 17999 Rs. is it for the AC?

EDIT: inspect your wiper blades, if they are visually damaged, but functioning all right then don’t replace them. Even my wiper blade is chewed up at the edges, but is working fine. Also, why on earth have they written 250Rs as labour charges, just for replacing the wiper blades? How much labour does it even take to snap on a pair of wiper blades?

Hope this helps

Sanidhya

Thanks. Yes, the 17,999 amount is for AC wiring. Actually my warranty is valid only until September so I am wondering if I should get it checked/repaired through a reliable local garage instead of service centre. Also I am trying to figure out if I can claim this under insurance.

Best and most foolproof way is to get a Cat.

I have had issues whenever i visit Mumbai in rains, ( Have had my fuel pump wire, windshield washer tube chewed )My parking is on road and we know some spots where you are guaranteed rats will enter your bay.

The best way to deal with it is swap parking spots with a friend on regular basis. You simply cannot fight them if you keep your car idle at one spot for long time.

Coming back to topic of cats, Even if you dont have a desire to maintain one ( I am sure many dont ), you can get in touch with some cat owner and request their pet cat to spend some bonnet time.( This is extreme measure but i would have done it if menace was severe ).

Another thing which comes to my mind is to get some cat hair and spread it inside bonnet on regular basis.