Rodent Damage Brake reservoir wiring harness

Hi TW, I have a 2020 trd or. A few days ago, I noticed multiple warning lights displayed on the dash. I opened the hood and noticed a rodent nest and damage to the wiring harness itself. I brought it to the Toyota dealer and they said it would be best to change out the entire harness rather than repairing it. They said the bends in the harness may make repairing difficult and may break again down the road. I am looking for your advice here. Is there a way I can do this myself?

Replacing Harness: 4800$
Insurance Deductible: 1000$

 

I only see two wires that are damaged. Is that correct? Looks fixable for a DIY’er to me. At least take it to a auto electrical shop to get an opinion/estimate.

 

I hate to see these kinds of posts. Little bastards. Some great suggestions here on how to prevent this in the future. I would suggest you put in an insurance claim. Just my 00.2 cents.

 

Fking mice and deer....

You would think - if the Almighty had the power to create the heavens and the earth - at least get rid of the Mice, and Deer, and Flies, and Tics, and Mosquitos, Poison Ivy (etc)... feel free to add to the list.

 

You can do the repair yourself with crimp & seal connectors for under $100 tools included:

https://youtu.be/i5LBf19MqPk?t=273

The crimped part can't be bent sharply, so leave the wires extra long.

 

Brussel sprouts



I still eat them, but not happy about it

 

If this was a 2010 I’d DIY, it’s a 2020 I’d replace the harness.

 

You can do no harm by attempting a fix first, if it is just the wires shown in the pic.

 

Only thing is these insurance companies really suck these days, and they likely will raise your rates to get the $3800 back from you within a short period of time. All insurance companies suck these days.

Id consider if you still have a warranty if a DIY fix would mess that up. If out of warranty Id fix it myself if thats the only location. Couldnt be at an easier spot. Or if you have any friends who regularly do electrical work.

 

Yup, fair enough. Just me. Agreed about insurance companies. I'd be worried about hidden damage or any long term issues but that's just me as I don't have a garage or a place to do repairs.

 

Seems like absolute robbery ... fix the two wires and call it a day. Even at 1k it seems just wrong.

 

Why? This is the most elementary wiring repair. People install winches and add off-road lights every day on TW.

 

Same here. Happened on my brand new 2022 and used the insurance ($150 deductible for that kind of incident, total repair was $5000CAD).

 

There is no way from the provided 2 pictures anybody can make the determination that it’s an “elementary wiring repair.” Where else has the rodent chewed?

It’s a 2 year old vehicle.

A large number of drivers (I believe the majority) have never changed a tire. The fact that the OP is asking for advice on an “elementary wiring repair” leads me to believe this is better handled by a professional.

 

^Meh, I took a sawzall to my truck when it was 4 months old.

The strategy is to repair the damage you can see. If everything works afterwards and there's no CEL and no warning messages, carry on. Otherwise continue to troubleshoot.

If OP isn't capable of crimping a wire, take it to an indie shop and pay them half hour labor to do it. No need to spend $4800 on a replacement harness. The truck is just an assemblage of parts. There's nothing "sacred" about a factory build.