Rodent damage - £10,000 repair quote

[markjay]

It's not obvious that the problem was your local rat population.

There's been a huge problem this last decade or more with "Eco" plastics being used for car wiring and engine panels. "Eco" as in particularly tasty for squirrels, rats and other vermin. I'm aware of more than a dozen cars within 200 metres of my house that have lost wiring and panels to such rats.

The most painful example being new Porsche Cayenne that was off the road for three months while new obscure parts were chased down from the factory, at a cost of several thousand.

I've lost two sets of Mx5 ABS cables to the critters.

So, pest control is good. But it's not necessarily that your area is any worse than it has always been. Modern wiring is simply more "succulent."

Google around for more details. It's well documented, across many makes and many countries.

You may be right. However, I recall issues with small mice eating the insulation off electric wires and causing a short circuit going all the way back to my early working days in the seventies and eighties.

 

[Ted]

You may be right. However, I recall issues with small mice eating the insulation off electric wires and causing a short circuit going all the way back to my early working days in the seventies and eighties.

Correct. I had to rewire part of the engine bay and remove a mouse nest that was in the ‘V’ of an XJS in the late seventies/possibly early eighties.
This sort of thing was far from rare, especially in country areas.
The owner also confided that he had to have part of the interior of his XJ replaced due to mouse damage.

 

[Finbob]

It's not obvious that the problem was your local rat population.

There's been a huge problem this last decade or more with "Eco" plastics being used for car wiring and engine panels. "Eco" as in particularly tasty for squirrels, rats and other vermin. I'm aware of more than a dozen cars within 200 metres of my house that have lost wiring and panels to such rats.

The most painful example being new Porsche Cayenne that was off the road for three months while new obscure parts were chased down from the factory, at a cost of several thousand.

I've lost two sets of Mx5 ABS cables to the critters.

So, pest control is good. But it's not necessarily that your area is any worse than it has always been. Modern wiring is simply more "succulent."

Google around for more details. It's well documented, across many makes and many countries.

What you say about the plastic used for wiring was mentioned at the time by the Mobilo/RAC technician. There's no doubt that the rats were attracted to it. When we employed the pest control company, the survey they did in the sewers and around the garden showed significant rat activity - something we haven't had for a quarter of a decade. Now we've got one-way blockers in the sewerage and bait boxes all around the garden and in the garage. That has worked, thankfully. Mrs Finbob is no fan of the rat

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

You may be right. However, I recall issues with small mice eating the insulation off electric wires and causing a short circuit going all the way back to my early working days in the seventies and eighties.

For sure, mice aren't new. And wee beasties have always settled into old buildings and vehicles

What's new is the Eco plastics being used in car manufacture, that are far more attractive to wee beasties.

As I said, a quick google will provide background of the new problem, across different manufacturers.

How An Attempt To Be Environmentally Friendly Led To Several Embarrassing Lawsuits

The environment loves soy-based wiring insulation... and so do rats, apparently.

carbuzz.com

Rats! New Cars' Soy-Coated Wires Give Rodents Plenty To Chew On

No green deed goes unpunished. Newer models cars are using soy-based materials to coat wiring. Rodents are feasting - and causing havoc with cars sensors and electronics.

www.forbes.com

Help! A rat ate my car and it’s costing me thousands

I found rodents had chewed through the wiring, but my insurer insists on dealing with it as several different claims, each with a £400 excess

www.theguardian.com

 

[Finbob]

Correct. I had to rewire part of the engine bay and remove a mouse nest that was in the ‘V’ of an XJS in the late seventies/possibly early eighties.
This sort of thing was far from rare, especially in country areas.
The owner also confided that he had to have part of the interior of his XJ replaced due to mouse damage.

A neighbour of ours had her Porsche 911 written off because of the work field mice did while the car was parked up in her garage for eight months.

 

[DesireeE]

Back in February, I went to start my A238 E53 which had been parked in our garage for nine days. It wouldn't start and displayed "Cruise control and limiter inoperative". The technician from Mobilo/RAC diagnosed rodent damage to the wiring loom.

The car was transported to the Mercedes Dealership where I had it serviced. After an inspection they confirmed the rodent damage diagnosis and said that it would require the engine and gearbox to be removed to allow the wiring loom to be replaced. The bill for this would be over £10,000.

Being a little wary of this estimate, after paying the dealership £199 for their investigation, I had the car transported to my local Mercedes specialist - Winchester Auto Barn - who look after my W221 S-class. They performed their own inspection and reported that five wires had been chewed along with a sound-deadening panel. The wires could be repaired and the panel replaced. This was confirmed by an engineer from my insurer.

The total cost of the repair was £1,350 – replacing the panel was a tricky job needing four hours of labour.

The car's fine now, but this was a chastening experience for me. Firstly this is the first time is 26 years that we have had rats anywhere near the house let alone in the garage. I suspect that the problems we have had with sewerage in our village may be to blame. Engaging our local pest controllers has fixed that problem.

Secondly, what faith I had in the Mercedes Dealership I was using has evaporated. I have two years left on my Mercedes service contract and tomorrow the E53 will be going to another dealership for its next service. Ironically, this new dealership was recommended to me by Winchester Auto Barn - it is where they source their parts, and they get excellent service from them. Whether I keep servicing it at a dealership in two years time is a moot point though.

Still quite a hefty bill Finbob, but thank goodness you had the forethought to take your MB else where, many wouldn't have.

I remember taking one of mine to a specialist Indy when we got her, fully check her over please and service, bill came back and itemised - fair enough, had an inkling of what it would be but ended up being double that, probably be down to the fact I had 'IDIOT' written across my forehead.

Next full service was at our local trusted garage who looks after all our jalopies, and taking the service alone, the price was embarrassingly cheap if you get my drift? Oh yes, look elsewhere for you out of warranty service would be my recommendation, and ask around for someone trusty in your not too distant area if you don't know one already.

 

[Justintyme]

It's not obvious that the problem was your local rat population.

There's been a huge problem this last decade or more with "Eco" plastics being used for car wiring and engine panels. "Eco" as in particularly tasty for squirrels, rats and other vermin. I'm aware of more than a dozen cars within 200 metres of my house that have lost wiring and panels to such rats.

The most painful example being new Porsche Cayenne that was off the road for three months while new obscure parts were chased down from the factory, at a cost of several thousand.

I've lost two sets of Mx5 ABS cables to the critters.

So, pest control is good. But it's not necessarily that your area is any worse than it has always been. Modern wiring is simply more "succulent."

Google around for more details. It's well documented, across many makes and many countries.

Thats 99.9% of the problem.

 

[MSG2004]

I've not read the whole thread but would fully comp cover have covered this damage?
Having said that our daughters sports car that is often not driven for 4/5 days at a time as she works from home and or away on hols etc- her car parking, allocated place is next to grassed area that is properly managed but a rodent/s got in and built a nest - thankfully they'd only started chewing on the wires and the nest in the car - she had it professionally cleaned and I tapped up the wires and we use some type of rodent repleents balls and spray. She is also parking away from her allocated spot and in another bay that is vacant having received consent from the owners.

So, do fully comp insurance cover stuff like this?

Edit. I've just had a quick look on the net, and yes, rodent damage is covered by fully comp and yes, you pay the excess etc.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Get the rats to pay it!