[balenoed_]

Rodents gave me a hard time the last weekend.

First time in 7 years, my car refused to start. Got the cranking, but engine does not start. After all basic checks, had to call the service center break down assistance and they came down. Figured out that the fuel pump is not working. Suspicion was either the pump failed or the wires are being cut by rats. Had to jack the car up and remove the fuel tank to get access to the fuel pump and their assumption was correct. The supply wires to the fuel pump has been eaten up!

[ANewExperience]

Recent rains in Bangalore had flushed out all the rats out of their holes in my street. I am sure at least one of them was involved in the following incident . Has anyone faced similar rat bite issues in this magnitude?

Car history: Hyundai elite i20 Sportz diesel 2015 -Registered and serviced in Erode, Tamil Nadu
Current location: BTM, Bangalore (closest service station is Advaith Hyundai, J P Nagar,, Bangalore)
Insurance: Private Car - Comprehensive Insurance Policy from BHARTI AXA GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY LTD
Current state: Car doesn't start even though the the dashboard units work perfectly.

Some of the questions in my mind include,
1. Should i go only for Hyundai Authorized dealer?
2. If yes, should i get it done in Bangalore itself or prefer my regular service center?
3. Can this rat bite be repaired or a replacement will be needed?
4. If a replacement is needed what will be a rough estimate(including parts, labor & GST)?
5. Most importantly, will it be covered by my insurer?

Any help is really appreciated .

Note: After noticing this rat bite, I placed tobacco leaves under the hood in few places. It has stopped the rats from further hurting my car.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by ANewExperience

Recent rains in Bangalore had flushed out all the rats out of their holes in my street. I am sure at least one of them was involved in the following incident . Has anyone faced similar rat bite issues in this magnitude?

If your car is under warranty I think it should go to the authorized dealer lest they refuse a claim in the future if the need arises. If a expensive replacement part is needed then it's possible to claim via insurance. HDFC Ergo had approved my claim for replacement when my Civic had suffered a rat attack last year. I however cancelled my claim when Honda said that parts (main ignition wire etc) that will be needed to replaced will take 15 to 20 days to come.

Below is what protects my car now. Tobacco leave may just deter them. Below method hurts them without killing them and make sure they leave at-least the covered parts alone. It cost me directly + indirectly ~ 21k to get my car fixed and be back on the road. Not to mention 18 days of inconvenience of my car being stranded at Honda's garage.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post3722102

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post4049067

[ANewExperience]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

If your car is under warranty I think it should go to the authorized dealer lest they refuse a claim in the future if the need arises. If a expensive replacement part is needed then it's possible to claim via insurance.

Thanks for your suggestions. I have dropped my car at an authorized dealer to avoid any trouble in future. They made it clear that rat bites will not be covered by insurance. So, I ll be paying the expenses from my pocket.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by ANewExperience

Thanks for your suggestions. I have dropped my car at an authorized dealer to avoid any trouble in future. They made it clear that rat bites will not be covered by insurance. So, I ll be paying the expenses from my pocket.

It is not for the dealer to decide whether the rat expenses can be covered by insurance. They probably just want to avoid the hassles. You can call up your insurance co and ask if you can claim the damages if they are too high.

[srinath34]

I too went through the ordeal of rat menace in my Ecosport Ecoboost leading to wiring harness being bitten off by rats. The recent rains in Bangalore have caused the drains to get filled with water hence cars seem to be like guest houses for the rats in the locality.

Cranked the engine after 2 weeks of being idle and it made a racket of noise. Immediately shut off the car and opened the hood to see my main wiring harness was bitten off and one of the cylinder cables was disconnected (it was literally a 2 cylinder car for a while). Called up Ford Roadside Assitance to help me tow the vehicle to Ford SVC.

Was told insurance cannot cover this and was given an estimate of Rs 8000 to repair the wiring. Replacement of the wiring harness and sensors was the only option in case damage was beyond repair and would have cost me Rs 63000 (Ecoboost=imported engine).

My SA called and informed that repair was possible and final bill was Rs 9500. Spent a few hundreds in getting tobacco leaves and camphor to deck up the engine bay in case the visitors come again.

Unnecessary expenses on the car which has been handled like a baby for the last 4 years.

[Skyline_GT]

Had a similar problem last monsoon when the rats nibbled down on the wires causing the engine to stutter while on idle.
Had the Maruti Home Assistance van called and he repaired the affected wires by giving a joint with new wires.
One very old jugaad to tackle rat menace is to tie tobacco pouches at various points in your engine bay. Before tying them puncture the pouches with a pen/needle. The strong smell of tobacco acts as a deterrent to rats. Suspend these pouches by a thread at various places inside the engine bay.
Replace them with new ones every 4-5 months.

This solution worked for me. Haven't faced any issues from rats ever since. Also it's the most cheapest and efficient jugaad!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ANewExperience

Recent rains in Bangalore had flushed out all the rats out of their holes in my street. I am sure at least one of them was involved in the following incident . Has anyone faced similar rat bite issues in this magnitude?

I'm sure that, given time and opportunity, they'd eat the lot!

I have twisted-and-taped one episode of rat-bitten wires to front lights. On another occasion, it took the service people to discover and fix the problem. They were able to repair individual wires and did not try to force anything expensive like a new wiring loom on me.

But your critters look like they have got their teeth into impossible-for-humans-to-reach places. I think you definitely need professional help there, and all best wishes for it not costing too much.

Generally... Apart from the cats, who have grown lazy as they grew up (it happens), I keep the car-port fully lit every night. I think I read here that light deters them. Under-car lighting might even be worth considering.

[avingodb]

there is a tiny little lizard that has entered my car and its difficult to shoo it out.
Any help?

I already read on egg-shells method and will try it first thing tomorrow morning.

[Tanveer_2558]

Guys,

Have posted several times, Regardless of anyone who still hasn't had the rats problem or not, Simple get the tar brushes fixed, Will cost you less than a few hundered rupees & you can always have peace of mind,

Go through the following post, I have been helping out several bhpain's to get this fixed, Its a simple DIY while wearing gloves.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post3722102

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by avingodb

there is a tiny little lizard that has entered my car and its difficult to shoo it out.

, that is funny, but why do you want to shoo it out? Lizards are helpful in eating small insects and worms and don't chew wires.

Also, if you leave it in the car and drive around, I m sure it will go away on its own. They are cold blooded creatures who dont like jumps and jerks.

[archat68]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

, that is funny, but why do you want to shoo it out? Lizards are helpful in eating small insects and worms and don't chew wires.

I once had a scary incident. I was driving at night suddenly something small jumped on my shoulder. For a moment I got panicked and lost control. The car swerved but as the road was empty there was no harm to anybody including myself. Stopped the car at side of the road and searched. Found it was a lizard.

[Captain Slow]

I have hired 4 guards to patrol my cars. These guards protect my cars from all kinds of rodents and pests!

Meet Guard 1



Guard 2





Guard 3 and 4


These guys are very friendly towards me and always roam around my cars. They have saved my car multiple times even when not used for weeks.

All it costs me is 400 Rupees a Month! (in Pet food) and some love

[Tanveer_2558]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

I have hired 4 guards to patrol my cars. These guards protect my cars from all kinds of rodents and pests!

Guess what, I have done the same thing, Even though i have tar brushes protecting my car's, I spotted a couple of cats around the building, Fed them a couple of times near my car & now i often see them there, They sure do work, I have not seen a single rat when the cats are around.

So yeah, They surely seems to be effective.

[adneeraj]

Had a rat incident a few months ago. I don't know if it was one or a team.. But it had spliced my ECU cable (had installed a RD box just a few weeks ago before the time of this incident).
This came to light as my friend who stays in the same building mentioned that his Audi was damaged and wouldn't start.
I decided to check just to be sure.
Cranked the engine and it started but it wouldn't move an inch as there was no ECU acting
Opened the bonnet, found the harness chewed up. Asked my friend from whom I had sourced the RD box, he said it'll take like 2k for the harness and it'll have to come from their headquarters in B'lore. I looked at the wire and told him I'd call him if I needed to order one. Inspected a bit and found that it was a clean splice. Got a wire cutter, joined them together.. Thanks for the color codes, and cranked the engine again..
Voila.. Started, the car picked up too...tested the 4 program modes on a short run and everything seemed fine.
My friend on the other hand had to spend 15k to get his wiring redone on the Audi

I looked up for a few rat kill options online and found this one.
Ordered it and found out to be extremely helpful. No rat incidents thereon. https://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/B01ELA...words=No+entry

Other people suggested a pack of tobacco kept at 2-3 places, literally stashed away, and that's supposed to help keep rodents and lizards away..