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Last week I started my car and it began to shudder and shake. It was running perfectly fine the day before. Looking under the hood, I noticed a wire coming off the engine that was exposed and partially broken. Brought it to the garage and they replaced the wire. ($110 later, it's running fine).
This morning, I start my car and it's shuddering and shaking again. This time, instead of the "check engine" light, it's the "check transmission" light that is on. Once again, I open the hood and it is a mess of chewed and disconnected wires.
Obviously something is getting in the car and chewing wires. I'll have to have it towed tomorrow and dread hearing the price tag to replace all those wires. I simply can't have this happen on a regular basis. Any suggestions to prevent it? I have parked my car outside in the same place for 5 years and never had this happen before. Why now? What is going on???
Its a pack rat or field rat. I have seen first hand these things get into a car and completely jack the wiring up in just a few weeks. It starts small like you are seeing. Soon the chewing will be in places that are going to be impossible to reach without pulling the entire dash apart.
You need to take immediate action to get rid of the rat. Most likely it has a cozy new home in your car somewhere.
Last week I started my car and it began to shudder and shake. It was running perfectly fine the day before. Looking under the hood, I noticed a wire coming off the engine that was exposed and partially broken. Brought it to the garage and they replaced the wire. ($110 later, it's running fine).
This morning, I start my car and it's shuddering and shaking again. This time, instead of the "check engine" light, it's the "check transmission" light that is on. Once again, I open the hood and it is a mess of chewed and disconnected wires.
Obviously something is getting in the car and chewing wires. I'll have to have it towed tomorrow and dread hearing the price tag to replace all those wires. I simply can't have this happen on a regular basis. Any suggestions to prevent it? I have parked my car outside in the same place for 5 years and never had this happen before. Why now? What is going on???
Had a customer's Toyota 4-Runner towed in because wires were chewed through at the main engine harness bulkhead plug. There really wasn't much to work with at the plug to splice onto so we advised her to contact her insurance. They covered a $400 new main engine harness and about that for labor. One year later, all chewed up AT THE EXACT SAME SPOT!
Its not the most common automotive repair we do by any means, but we see a handful of these every year and some are parked in the garage. I believe its mice, rats and squirrels.
Makes for interesting diagnosis because the symptoms are generally one of a kind.
And here's my story: Got into my almost new Honda Civic Hybrid to drive to work and saw a check engine light. When I got to work I put the scanner on it and saw a bunch of variable valve timing codes I had never heard of! WTF are these?? Oh well, car is under full warranty so I took it to my friendly Honda dealer and I never even opened the hood! Got a call that it would be about $300 to repair rodent-damaged wiring -- not a warranty item obviously. I told them, "Thanks, but no thanks. How much is your minimum charge?" They waived the minimum charge. Four severed by tooth variable valve timing solenoid wires were apparent when I opened the hood. I had to work with the barest of a nub of the wires coming out of a plug housing but managed to solder on the necessary splices. Covered my work with "Liquid electrical tape" (useful stuff) and fix held fine, but did see the beginning of damage to other wires a few months later!
I have had mice get under the hood of my car too, but no damage to wiring, they just seem to like to gnaw the plastic parts, like the air filter box. I leave my garage door open because my dogs bed is in there he goes in and out as he pleases. Well, he doesn't always eat all of his food at once, and when I opened the hood of car one day I noticed mice droppings as well as pieces of dog food on the top of my engine. Ever since then I never leave dog food out overnight.
We had the same problem with mice chewing wires and plastic so got couple of cats. Haven't had any problems since although one was found inside the engine while being worked on at the dealer.
Just make sure you honk before starting the car or else it could get real ugly like it did to one of the cats. Poor kitty.
For us it was a ground hog or woodchuck. I may have had damage from squirrels too. I've had damage on 3 vehicles. The longer they sit unused the more likely the damage. With three vehicles for 2 people the truck is not often used.
I startled the woodchuck in my driveway and he ran right up into the engine compartment of my truck. I popped the hood and poked at him with a stick and he ran out, not to the woods but up into my car parked beside. I poked at him under the car. He kept moving to another spot. It took 20 minutes of poking before he left.
I've seen some mouse or squirrel nesting debris under the hood of my truck so the ground hog is not the only critter that's been there, but he's been sited at the scene of the crime. After a ground hog was killed on the road, we've not had any more damage for a while. I've done all the repairs myself. Some of it is functional but not pretty.
Last week I started my car and it began to shudder and shake. It was running perfectly fine the day before. Looking under the hood, I noticed a wire coming off the engine that was exposed and partially broken. Brought it to the garage and they replaced the wire. ($110 later, it's running fine).
This morning, I start my car and it's shuddering and shaking again. This time, instead of the "check engine" light, it's the "check transmission" light that is on. Once again, I open the hood and it is a mess of chewed and disconnected wires.
Obviously something is getting in the car and chewing wires. I'll have to have it towed tomorrow and dread hearing the price tag to replace all those wires. I simply can't have this happen on a regular basis. Any suggestions to prevent it? I have parked my car outside in the same place for 5 years and never had this happen before. Why now? What is going on???
This is becoming a common problem as some manufacturers are using wires coated with vegetable-based polymers (often made from soy) instead of traditional plastic. Once mice or other rodents realize that the wire coatings are edible, they start using them as a convenient food source.
My father's neighbor had the same problem with a riding lawnmower and this is what the mechanic told him was the issue. I'm not exactly sure how he resolved it. I would try using traditional methods to eliminate any mice from the garage and see if that resolves the problem.
Here in NYC especially Manhattan rats camping out under the hood is common, especially during the colder times of the year. You can sometimes see the things climbing up into the motor area of parked cars from underneath.
FWIU the area provides warmth, sanctuary and if you are unlucky a nesting site.
Yes, they can chew wires but persons have attempted to start their vehicle only to have it half turn over then a horrible sound and smell. Pop the hood and there you have it; crispy fried rat.... That or there is a mess of poultry and other animal bones (remains of meal time).
All rodents love to and must gnaw at things; while in the perceived safety of a vehicle's engine they will make work of the wiring and things made of plastic, rubber and other soft materials. Metal OTOH is too hard.
You'll either need to exterminate the area where you are parking your vehicle, or leave it someplace new. Long as you keep leaving it in the same area whatever rodent or rodents will continue to return.
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