Newbie here - maintenance suggestions?

Hi all,

Throwing this out there at the mercy of you all. I've been a lurker once in a while but now needing some advice.

I've got a 2020 TRD OR that's currently at the dealership because of, not just one, but two encounters of rodents chewing up wiring (back to back, like literally I didn't even have a full day when they struck again. I'm almost at the edge of paranoia... almost). I've scoured online on suggestions how to deter rodents and I'm taking the peppermint oil and electronic deterrent route. So my plan is to thoroughly clean the engine bay to remove any scents (and poops ) that are lingering that could possibly signal the rodents ok to return.

Anyway, as I'm looking this up, I was thinking that maybe I can handle some of the maintenance myself. I usually go to the dealership to take care of all of that. Am I biting more than I can chew? Quite possibly, but I'm willing to learn. So, that being said, I've got a couple of questions:
- other that using scents and lights (and I think sounds too? I'll have to look what I bought), does anyone else have any suggestions? I think I read mothballs in another thread. I was thinking along the lines of a physical barrier? That may not be a possibility as it may potentially interfere with something but, again, just wondering out loud (out soft? Unless you're reading out loud too)
- I've been watching Chloe Kho's videos on YT as well as a couple of others as far as what to start off. I know I'm going to have to get a decent jack along with some other tools if I attempt some of this. Any suggestions on "must have" tools?
- re: maintenance... Any suggestions on what to tackle first (ie get under my belt) before attempting the more challenging maintenance? What is a better value to do yourself and what is not worth and better off having someone else do it?

Really, this whole rodent thing was pushing me towards selling and getting something else (I needed a truck past couple of years but now it's more highway commuting) but I'm not really ready to let go yet. It's my first new vehicle and I would rather pay it off and then eventually get a commuter car.

Anyway, any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld! Sorry to hear about your rodent problems. Peppermint and electric deterrents are bunk. Honda rodent tape and/or capsaicin are things to look at. Lights are also good but more difficult to set up; if you can figure that out it might be your best bet. Start with the small things - park indoors if you can and remove anything they would consider a food source (i.e. don't park next to big bags of dog food or bird seed).

Tools: 6 ton jack stands and a 3 ton jack are a must in my opinion. Safety is first, end of story. A good socket set with both metric and standard sockets in 1/4" and 3/8" drive will be something you can use on every job. Wrenches are good. Screwdrivers are good.

Maintenance: If you have never done any maintenance yourself, start with basics like changing your air filter, cabin air filter, learning how to properly check your oil level, and even changing your wiper blades. YouTube will be your best friend. Once you get comfortable with those things you can progress to oil changes, differential/transfer case oil changes, etc etc. Learning how to grease your U joints (if they have grease fittings, some don't nowadays) is also a good thing to learn and many people overloook it - not hard to do either. We all started somewhere, no way to learn without just getting after it but research the job first and see if you feel comfortable with it.

Value of doing yourself vs dealership: That is a question you have to answer yourself. Lots of people here could rebuild a submarine blindfolded yet still take their truck to a dealership for oil changes. It's all subjective on what you feel your time/effort is worth versus saving money.

Good luck!

 

Moth balls in a pair of panty hose tied into a knot and secured under the hood never hurts.

 

Damn. I normally park outside but thinking about moving it into the garage so I've been spraying peppermint all over in preparation of bringing my baby home. At least it smells good in there. I did get the Honda tape and now just need to figure out where to put it.

Copy on the jack and jack stands. Any recommendations? Especially since it's just me most of the time (maybe my son if his gf permits him to leave her side - ha!) Just got some socket wrenches a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to use them. Actually, taking the next couple days off to take care of the truck. I'm hoping the cat shield that I ordered will come in soon as well so I can install that.

Ok I guess I have done some maintenance. I've pretty much done everything you mentioned up until oil changes so I guess that's my next one to tackle.

Thanks so much for the advice!

 

An outside cat.

 

Cats can be a great counter to rodents .

The only rodents I see now are being eaten the only down side is when the cat drags them into unreachable places. Once things dry out the smell is not to bad.