testtest

My Jeep versus rodents

Warrior9(Ret)

Warrior9(Ret)

Custom
Hey Ya’ll,
Got the news from my insurance company that my 2017 Jeep Renegade latitude 4WD has been changed from “Repairable” to a “Total Loss”.
Rodents were nesting in the engine compartment and chewed up the main wiring harness. While they were preparing the vehicle for the new harness they found that the rodents were pass the firewall and did similar damage to the wiring in the dashboard.
I’ve never had this problem before. I park in our concrete driveway. We don’t have a rodent problem but for the past few weeks or so there’s been a construction team behind our property moving earth and foliage. I haven’t been able to drive it on my typical dairy basis because of my detached retina surgery.
It’s paid for with only 45k miles on it. I’m not happy about it. Now it’s wait and see how much the Insurance company will give me🙁
 
my 2 day old 2024 f250 spent a week in shop right after i took delivery
rodent...aka squirrel had eaten most of the main 12 volt harness and emissions actuators tubes.
dealer covered the cost as they parked the trucks under a big oak tree...
yep
but the bill was over 12k in parts and labor
capsacian cream works good on wiping under hood wires, but let techs know as it will burn thier eyes
if finger touches area around eyeballs

its terrible they can do so much damage in short order
 
powerboatr said:
my 2 day old 2024 f250 spent a week in shop right after i took delivery
rodent...aka squirrel had eaten most of the main 12 volt harness and emissions actuators tubes.
dealer covered the cost as they parked the trucks under a big oak tree...
yep
but the bill was over 12k in parts and labor
capsacian cream works good on wiping under hood wires, but let techs know as it will burn thier eyes
if finger touches area around eyeballs

its terrible they can do so much damage in short order
Click to expand...
Yep👍
 
We’ve lived in our rural home for years. Never had a single issue until LAST year. Freaking tree rats at the wiring to the fuel pump AND the fuel line on my ‘20 Jeep ($2800) last spring. Son and daughter in law stayed with us 2 months late summer. The lil SOB’s at His Gladiator ($1900), they then chowed down on my DIL.’s Subaru Legacy ($1200 first time, and $2650 the Second time!). We’ always had squirrels around and never had an issue. Called in a professional trapper-who they completely ignored😳, got ONE in three weeks-I thought he’d get a half dozen first day. He told me of a local, hi end delearship that had a new $100k car TOTALLED while sitting on their lot for 5 weeks-wiring under hood and then through the firewall and all the interior wiring😳. Per him. Once they discover the soy based insulation used on modern cars ( gotta wonder who the rocket scientist trying to green up the world and came up with the idea of edible insulation was) , they develop a taste for it AND somehow “tell their friends”. Per the trapper they will keep it up as long as any of them who “Know” are still alive. I declared war on the tree rats, and have used .22, .17 HMR and 12 gauge #5 to seriously deplete the population. In the meantime all vehicles have to be stored inside the garage or barn or…. Death to tree rats!
 
Lo-Profile said:
Mice, rats, squirrels ..... Especially if there's any antifreeze spilled.
They especially like the coating on some spark plugs wires.
Click to expand...
leave it running and no problems with them 🤣 . irrigation engines get ruined by raccoons, mice/rats, opossums and a few birds. my son had all of his airbags go off on his '16 silverado with a few minor exterior damages when hitting a deer about 2 years ago. airbags alone were 25k. the insurance company 1st listed it as totaled, but then declassified it from totaled to repair it as the mileage was low and made the vehicle worth more. not sure what type of ins. you have that covers that kind of damage for an 8yo vehicle, but maybe pay for some of the damage out-of-pocket to keep it off the totaled list. jeep must have a really bad depreciation rate? i really don't see how jeep co. is still in business! my brother had a '77 or '78 cj7 that was decent for "the back in the day" and that was the vehicle he died in also while wearing his seatbelt (no rollover or t-boned).
 
We had a lil red squirrel that picked our in ground 6 foot deep pumphouse at the hunting cabin for a home. Whenever we were not there for a couple months in fall the Lil bugger would fill the pumphouse completely full of a acorns pine cones etc. Literally full a pit about 6 foot deep and say 5 foot square.

It would take an hour to shovel out. We had quite the war with that Lil bugger for about 3 years. I think he probably died of overeating...
 
Last edited:
My 2002 Ford Ranger sat for 2 months last summer waiting for a part that had been eaten by rodents. My pardner's 1991 Ford F350 Dually's wiring harness was also chewed up and cost $850 to repair. Some say automakers use more plant-based biodegradable materials to reduce waste. Several class-action lawsuits have been filed against major automakers in recent years alleging that soy-based products were to blame, but these court cases were later dismissed.

www.consumerreports.org

How to Protect Your Car From Rodents - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports tells you how to protect your car from rodents and deter squirrels, mice, and other rodents from chewing through the wires in your vehicle.
www.consumerreports.org www.consumerreports.org
 
Warrior9(Ret) said:
Hey Ya’ll,
Got the news from my insurance company that my 2017 Jeep Renegade latitude 4WD has been changed from “Repairable” to a “Total Loss”.
Rodents were nesting in the engine compartment and chewed up the main wiring harness. While they were preparing the vehicle for the new harness they found that the rodents were pass the firewall and did similar damage to the wiring in the dashboard.
I’ve never had this problem before. I park in our concrete driveway. We don’t have a rodent problem but for the past few weeks or so there’s been a construction team behind our property moving earth and foliage. I haven’t been able to drive it on my typical dairy basis because of my detached retina surgery.
It’s paid for with only 45k miles on it. I’m not happy about it. Now it’s wait and see how much the Insurance company will give me🙁
Click to expand...
sorry to hear that, but rest assured the insurance company will make out good when they sell it to the junk yard...then the junk yard will double if not triple thier costs in buying that jeep, in all those wonderful used/spare parts....

its you that loses

thanks too, to the manufacturers in using soy based wiring insulation, that gives off a scent that attracts rodents, and they make a meal out of the vehicles.

don;t matter where you park, rodents travel and can climb...they can actually climb walls, siding, concrete, bricks..

so getting into your vehicle is so easy.

there are numerous products to try, like sonic wave devices that are claimed to ward off rodents with a high pitched sound, we humans cannot hear.

bait stations all around the perimeter of the property, and peppermint oil (i believe) soaked rag in your engine bay "may help", keep them out.....

above all else, try and keep the area as clean as possible...2 times a month i wash out the garbage and recycling bins with Pine Sol, and bleach to kill any food smells, and of course the run off water smells of this mix and gets into the blacktop, which lasts only for a short time.


sorry about your vehicle, best of luck with your next replacement
 
Old_Me said:
sorry to hear that, but rest assured the insurance company will make out good when they sell it to the junk yard...then the junk yard will double if not triple thier costs in buying that jeep, in all those wonderful used/spare parts....

its you that loses

thanks too, to the manufacturers in using soy based wiring insulation, that gives off a scent that attracts rodents, and they make a meal out of the vehicles.

don;t matter where you park, rodents travel and can climb...they can actually climb walls, siding, concrete, bricks..

so getting into your vehicle is so easy.

there are numerous products to try, like sonic wave devices that are claimed to ward off rodents with a high pitched sound, we humans cannot hear.

bait stations all around the perimeter of the property, and peppermint oil (i believe) soaked rag in your engine bay "may help", keep them out.....

above all else, try and keep the area as clean as possible...2 times a month i wash out the garbage and recycling bins with Pine Sol, and bleach to kill any food smells, and of course the run off water smells of this mix and gets into the blacktop, which lasts only for a short time.


sorry about your vehicle, best of luck with your next replacement
Click to expand...
Thanks. The irony of this situation is that I bought the sonic device and Peppermint Oil canisters for the car. I thought since they said it was repairable I would be prepared when I got it back.
That was before they found out my jeep had turned into a Chuck e Cheese🤬
 
Old_Me said:
sorry to hear that, but rest assured the insurance company will make out good when they sell it to the junk yard...then the junk yard will double if not triple thier costs in buying that jeep, in all those wonderful used/spare parts....

its you that loses

thanks too, to the manufacturers in using soy based wiring insulation, that gives off a scent that attracts rodents, and they make a meal out of the vehicles.

don;t matter where you park, rodents travel and can climb...they can actually climb walls, siding, concrete, bricks..

so getting into your vehicle is so easy.

there are numerous products to try, like sonic wave devices that are claimed to ward off rodents with a high pitched sound, we humans cannot hear.

bait stations all around the perimeter of the property, and peppermint oil (i believe) soaked rag in your engine bay "may help", keep them out.....

above all else, try and keep the area as clean as possible...2 times a month i wash out the garbage and recycling bins with Pine Sol, and bleach to kill any food smells, and of course the run off water smells of this mix and gets into the blacktop, which lasts only for a short time.


sorry about your vehicle, best of luck with your next replacement
Click to expand...
I guess my “High End 1911 Government model” funds that I’ve been stashing away will now go into getting another vehicle.
It just seems like every time I get close to having enough saved up life smacks the idea down.
I don’t currently have a 1911. I really miss having an Old War Horse ready for whatever. Oh Well, maybe next year ☹️
 
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