Costly Mouse Damage

Back in October I left the house and the track was shifting hard (28k miles). After much Googling and a few calls to the dealer, and confirmed my a scope attached to my iPhone, a mouse had chewed the harness at the knock sensor causing the ignition to severely retard. The top of the engine, including fuel injectors, had to be removed. After a week at the dealer the bill was $2,900 - Geico covered it minus my $1,00 deductible.

Turns out, Toyota uses soy-based wire insulation (no doubt this is discussed somewhere already on TW). The dealer insulated the new harness with something that the mice don't like - fingers crossed!

 

this guy wants to start (or someone else, for him) a class action suite if you wanna join in on the fun

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rodent-damage.821603/

 

I thought this was a post about Richard Gere

 

Wrong species of rodent

 

I wouldn’t know. What do you recommend?

 

1) Oh yes you do
2) I don’t know your tastes well enough

 

Is he going to sue all the auto manufacturers?

 

I'm in the mountains of San Diego around my house we have EVERYTHING mice, rats scorpions frogs ants you name it.
Mice were very interested in my girlfriends Honda HRV leaving the hood open at night didn't help much. What I found to work best up here is a rodent spray off Amazon with PEPPERMINT OIL. I spryed the whole bottle in every place in the engine bay. Also soaked tissue paper with it and stuffed it in the tight spots of the fender and firewall.
It has worked amazing for us.

Once a month is what I do

https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Mint-Peppermint-Rodent-Repellent/dp/B07HYP6D5C?crid=27CPUZUKA0W8R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FIxaJDwGmcho6uUwyPA-yPUwAQyPYw_tlmvB3vj34hwvoAb_3iJMgNhfAgiPhvGnhHMTUwY8H4imJxBdhxoz-g.6ta6O3EJgXFZtsoOaCYq8tXyLAT3AxO76g1BKte83eY&dib_tag=se&keywords=peppermint+oil+spray+for+rodents&qid=1705013565&sprefix=peppermint+%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm

 

@trdtacomabob : enlighten us with this new coating for the prevention of vermin gnawing

 

Soy based wiring? ahh now it's starting to make sense.
Soy is thought to raise estrogen levels to some degree. That would explain the lack of power these trucks have under the hood.

 

They make rodent tape that is infused with capsaicin. Dealer put it on my truck after some rodent damage and I ended up also ordering a roll.

 

it took a moment to decipher this.

 

It's also peanut oil, sunflower and canola, instead of making them with petroleum. And guess what: it's an issue with the hoses on your gas grilles too. Mine got chewed. Yeah: nice of them just to save about 10-cents/hose. Turn the knob, push the clicker: Boom! Grille lands in the neighbors yard.

 

I’m a sucker for a good dancer.

 

They sure did, not after 2017 model year Tacomas. Almost all vehicle manufacturers used soy insulation at some time.


What is it?

 

Honda stuff?

 

Yep, if I recall it's made by Honda. Not sure if it works at all, haha. After my 3rd squirrel infestation I cleaned out the garage and the truck lives there, fixed the issue.

 

Get a cat

 

A rat crawled into my wife’s car and died between the fender liner and metal fender well and it cost us over $2000 to get the smell out.

One of our neighbors keeps chickens and the whole neighborhood is infested with rats because there’s chicken shit and chicken feet all over the ground.

 

Used to get mice and baby litters in the air cleaner and carburetor (remember those?) Regularly.
Ever since have modified air filter intake hose with wire mesh screen over cut end, held with hose clamps.
Recently had acorns fill up my cab filter area behind glove box. More wire mesh over any openings i could find in firewall, no prob since.

Marmots at high elevation are a known issue out west. Ate insulation off blue plastic ignition wires up on Mineral Pass CA. 8 or 10 of them came boiling up out of narrow hood and grille openings as I returned from backpack trip.
Drove 8000 ft down 4wd mining road wondering when the brake lines were going to fail. Planned each curve where to steer into cliff or bail before sailing off.
There are outfits in CA that rent out a giant metal mesh condom to fit around vehicle when you go on a high altitude hike.
Park rangers have a form just for this issue! ...."the vandals were short, squat, and ran away as I approached.."