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-   -   Rat damage to cars | Protection, solutions & advice (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/2729-rat-damage-cars-protection-solutions-advice-62.html)

Help! I lead a nomadic existence and shuttle between three houses in different places. I have no option but to park my cars (covered with tarpaulin) in porticos for two to three months at a time. I disconnect the battery and overinflate the tyres and usually, I get the car going in a few minutes.

Yesterday, for the first time, I had rats bite some of the wiring in my Alto after it was parked for 15 days. The Service Advisor said ideally I should replace the wiring which costs Rs. 5000! I convinced him to repair it instead which took an hour and only about Rs.300.

I kept mouse pads and rat poison under the car last night. But I can only do this when I am in town.

Thankful for any other suggestions that can work on a 'mothballed' car.

The latest issue of Autocar magazine has an ad for a Anti-rodent spray called Autoguard. I looked it up on the net and found that it costs close to Rs.2,000 per bottle (seems a bit steep!).

Has anyone tried out this product?

I keep getting SMSes from the Bimal (Maruti dealer in Bangalore) about a rat protection mesh for Alto. Price Rs 500/-. Check whether something similar is available.

Repairing any cut wires using tape/aluminum or with some other 'jugaad' is never advisable. I would personally suggest you replace the wires that have been chewed on by rats with new ones. Short-circuiting is the primary cause of cars catching fire and a sum of Rs. 5000 is a small amount in ensuring peace of mind.

Regarding the rat menace, I would suggest you get new rat-traps and place them near your cars. That is the best way to get rid of any rodents, instead of going for expensive sprays and rodenticides. Products such as Mortein Rat-Kill are a strict no-no when it comes to automobiles; a dead rat would be a bigger hassle than some cut wires.

It is time, vehicle manufacturers think of getting wires insulated with rubber material with which domestic LPG hoses are made of which has some rodent repelling odour and taste.

I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. What you are saying, implementing that will hit the income of the service centres big time - Something that the manufacturer does not want. Also, we hardly blame the manufacturer when a rodent chews up our car wires; hence, I think for the time being, auto companies can turn a blind eye to such problems faced by we customers.

Has anyone from bangalore tried rodent-repellent.

I remember replying to this thread long time back on how to get rid of a lizard from the car( see page 49 of this thread). As luck would have had it tgeres really a lizard inside my car and its driving ne nuts. I spend an hour everyday jumping around the car only to see it disappear under the dashboard. It pops out at odd times from nowhere...please help. Can the workshop do some magic to get rid of this reptile.

Do we get such things for cars in India. Will be grateful if you could provide the contacts.

One of my drivers suggested me a chemical to keep rodents away. It's a coarse powder mainly used by farmers to keep rodents away from their fields. It's available at any local pesticide / fertilizer shop for around 70-80 bucks per kg.
I've put it in a cloth sachet and placed it inside the bonnet of my Figo and it seems to work well. No more rat feaces on the engine cover! One sachet is effective for 30 to 45 days so it's an extremely economical option!
A warning though, this chemical smells really bad so ensure you are in an open space when opening the packet to make the sachet.

Insect sprays like Hit should help, but you'll need to spray liberally to drive the lizard away, into every nook and cranny. Bonus - it will drive away the insects too, which in the first place are the reason the lizard came in - to eat them.

Rather, like bikes' with steel braided brake hoses, I'd like every wiring harness on cars and bikes, to be steel sheathed. I doubt rats will gnaw through metal.

Please do share the chemical name and/or commercial name of the same.

To avoid the rat menace near my building, I rented a parking spot at another apartment block close by, but rats found their way into my car's engine bay anyway:Frustrati

I started putting in rat-kill cakes in the engine bay, and the bits would disappear, but the buggers are too smart for me. I got my car serviced today, and the air-intake box was full of rat-poop and assorted stuff the rodent had dragged in, and chewed off part of the air filter too.

I got the electricals checked thoroughly, no damage thankfully.

Procured the Varna ultrasonic rat repellant device. Pretty handy device and easy to install. Though it can be connected to the car's ignition system for auto on/off, my SA suggested I use it by attaching it directly to the car's battery every time, to avoid any electrical issues.

Comes with two crocodile clips, attach in loop to correct battery terminals and leave in the engine bay facing upwards (works best with non-insulated hoods). I hope it works. My car is sparingly used, and parking for days at a stretch is becoming a huge headache.

Please share the chemical name


I really hope it works please keep us posted on the performance

This chemical doesn't really have a specific name. I'm happy to share some with you if you happen to stay somewhere near Borivali!

My God, Its such a big issue that one has to cover his new Audi like that! Lol and at the same time feeling pity for him (Ritesh). I can understand the pain.

So, rats are interested only on petrol vehicles? Asking this as I have noticed long time back that our Diesel Amby wouldn't be touched by those culprits but our fiat and Merc 190 Fintail's wires and interiors was always damaged :Frustrati That might also be due to the fact that Amby was running daily while Benz was not that much.

Having a Dog might help to an extent to keep away rat movements at night? I mean at least in a landed house as it might not be feasible in an apartment.

He really is a reluctant reptile eh? Seems to have decided on your car as his long term home. Miserable creature.

I wonder what the workshop can do about him, short of ripping out the dash and stripping down the vehicle.