[CP911]

I have a beagle dog in the garage (in a pen where he can roam about, but can't get to the car), and I think the mice aren't coming around because of him being there. I've seen them out back around the shed, and it's also cold in these parts, so I can't imagine why the rodents would avoid my heated garage otherwise. I put traps out anyway just to see what happens, but they've sat empty for a year now. They must be able to smell the dog or sense his body heat. Cats are great for mice, but they'll also jump on your car and cause damage to it.

[GrimJaw]

Wtf are you telling me I have to worry about rats now

[Neverlost99]

Setting traps. Thanks for the warning

[andrew6571]

Indeed, bmw sold me a car with a chewed wire problem for the oil sensor on my M235i. And now they want me to pay about 650 to get it fixed.

[ledpocket]

I had a similar experience. When my gramps passed away I bought his 535gt. It had sat for a year or so. He had cats and dogs, but they didn't go in the garage much.

Anyway, dead battery, so had it towed to the dealer. Spent about $6k chasing electrical issues before I gave up and traded it in for my first 230. Mice had eaten 2 or 3 different harnesses. Maybe unrelated but had to replace the I drive wheel/switch assy as well.

Gas gage still wasn't working when I got rid of it.

It was an extremely frustrating couple of months.

[arsdentrepair]

Thanks for the warning. Time to get mice traps!

[Jeff1024]

Originally Posted by DanG

Just took my M235i for its four year maintenance. The tech was unable to reset the service interval sensor.

After trouble shooting the problem, he discovered that the wire harness to the sensor had been chewed by rats. They ordered a new harness and said my bill will be about $1,100.

In all my years owning a car, this is a new problem to me.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Have not seen this, did see someone on the F150 forum melt a part of his main harness /w a torch. He was trying to heat a suspension bolt that he couldn't get loose.

He looked at cutting back to good wire and fixing the harness w/ butt connectors, ended up just going new harness. Cost was about the same as what you are looking at.

[dradernh]

I just found mouse droppings in my garage!

On the upside, I have this forum's thread to start me headed in the right direction. Thank you all for your great input!

Side note: We lived out in the woods in Northern New England for twenty years, and rodents would have taken over everything if we hadn't hired a pair of dedicated outdoor cats in conjunction with a pair of outdoor/indoor cats. Squirrels and chipmunks didn't stand a chance; mice and voles, however, were a constant challenge.

[thebmw]

Bounce sheets, peppermint oil, mothballs, and ammonia are all natural ways of preventing these pests short of decapitation with mouse traps, which I would rather not do.

[Shovelman]

So I tried an electric fence installed real close to the ground to keep chipmunks out of the flower bed. Worked on the rabbits but chipmunks are insane. Probably not worth trying for mice and rats.

[240Newbie]

I work for a Subaru dealer. It happens all the time. Also doesn't help that a lot of manufacturers are going soy based rather that using a silicone insulator. I feel it's attracting more mice to eat them but even before they made the change it was still happening. I just think they get out of the cold and eat whatever is there.

[cristo]

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by RoundelM3

Having a closed garage helps too...

And rat traps do a great job to steer them to a different focal point.

[Moflow]

Dont be this guy.

[raddoc]

Car is 7 years old. Mice or rats ate power steering harness. BMW doesn't sell the harness separate from the power steering assembly but his comprehensive covered all $3500 minus his $50 deductible. It also covered replacement of 4 wheels & tires last year when real rats (vandals) jacked it up, took wheels & tires, left car sitting on the ground - not even the decency to leave it up on milk crates. Guess he's lucky they didn't total the car......

[amutti]

This is a thing with all equipment. I've had to repair the electrical on riding tractors tons of times due to rodent damage. My recommendation is traps/poison in garage and sheds. I'm going to try some electric traps or the expanding pellets since I started reading about birds of prey have lots of rodent poison in them.

[MarcoZandrini]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

Get a cat.

Them cats is expensive.....ooops!

[pdx]

i also have zero interest in killing anything. the damage in my car was a touch over $2,500.

i tried this, and it did absolutely nothing to prevent further damage: Exterminators Choice Vehicle Defense Rodent Repellent

i bought two of these and have not seen any new damage: Loraffe Under Hood Animal Repeller

but it could be because i also got one of these: Tomcat Rat Killer

[morphomeman]

So you "have zero interest in killing anything" but you don't mind if the Tomcat Rat Killer does it for you!!

[German1967]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

So you "have zero interest in killing anything" but you don't mind if the Tomcat Rat Killer does it for you!!

Only a dead rat is a good rat!

[Efftooto]

My sister had mice chew wires in the door of her F-Type Jag as it stored through the winter. $1500 CAD to repair. Messed with her door handles extruding to let her open the doors.

Chris

[TrboMike]

We have chipmunks that sit on our engines and chew wires.... outside.

Every month we have to put rat traps on all the engines and catch one or two and they go away for about a month. So the far the cars in the garage are not touched.