[narayanang76]

I came across this 'Engine Bay Rat Mesh Installation' solution as a prevention for rat damages to cars. Basically covering ALL potential 'bitable' wires, cables with mesh, and also installation of mesh in the inlets/outlets to cabins. It is a comprehensive installation work and also time taking and expensive. I think it will most likely prevent greater damages in case any future rodent attacks.

Cheers,
narayanang76

[GTO]

Originally Posted by narayanang76

I came across this 'Engine Bay Rat Mesh Installation' solution as a prevention for rat damages to cars. Basically covering ALL potential 'bitable' wires, cables with mesh, and also installation of mesh in the inlets/outlets to cabins. It is a comprehensive installation work and also time taking and expensive. I think it will most likely prevent greater damages in case any future rodent attacks.

This is a fabulous solution! If done well (right material + fitment), it will eliminate the problem. Plus, no headache of periodically spraying rat spray etc.

Please share full details + contact of who is providing this. I'd be very interested.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by narayanang76

... I think it will most likely prevent greater damages in case any future rodent attacks...

One potential downside, depending on how easily removable/refixable this stuff is, it'll make preventive checks and maintenance a nightmare.

[narayanang76]

Originally Posted by GTO

This is a fabulous solution! If done well (right material + fitment), it will eliminate the problem. Plus, no headache of periodically spraying rat spray etc.

Please share full details + contact of who is providing this. I'd be very interested.

Thanks GTO. I got it done at Nandi Toyota, Whitefield Bangalore. They showed me other vehicles like Innova Hycross and Fortuners where they did similar work and that is when I also went ahead with this. It takes approx 1.5 days of work and cost me 18K + Tax. I thought that any rodent damage can set us back way more than that amount, so it would work like an insurance, hopefully.

Materials used are good quality and it is also labor intensive, as they need to wear some strong gloves, and even after that their fingers start bleeding due to the sharp edges from the mesh used in this installation.

However my worry is future cleaning/services in the engine bays will have this additional meshes to be worked around. Also I feel it is better to still keep spraying repellent in future also (maybe less frequent), to deter rodents away from our vehicles.

Regards,
narayanang76

[DDIS_RE650]

I have got it done same in some local garage during 2015-16 for Ertiga. That fellow charged me around 6000 and it is worth.

[Aditya]

Rat Mesh Installation in Engine Bay - Posts moved to a new thread.

[HighOnSpeed]

Originally Posted by narayanang76

I came across this 'Engine Bay Rat Mesh Installation' solution as a prevention for rat damages to cars.

I have never seen this before. This looks like a nifty, one-time solution.
However, it would make maintenance a bit difficult. Some caution needs to be taken while working with this as the person handling this has a good chance of nicking themselves on some of those sharp edges, and you also mentioned how the installers even cut themselves while putting this on with safety gloves. We should also wait and see if it is possible to put all this back neatly together after dismantling the setup during regular checkup/maintenance. And I noticed that some bits are touching the engine components. This may cause the mesh to heat up, which may in turn lead to damaging some of the insulation/harnesses, so please do confirm with the technician in charge of this installation if this is not something to be concerned about.

[siren373]

Question: Aren't the rat repellent sprays that one can find in the market for around Rs 700 effective? Isn't that an easier solution, if it works?

[Maverick Avi]

Rats are really stubborn and some of them with weird personalities can really wreak havoc even with all these iron mesh coverings as so many parts still remain exposed. I have had 2 horrific instances which made it clear that the best defense against them is not allowing them to enter your engine bay. If they do then believe me you are at their mercy.

Things I do regularly nowadays is spray pepper spray once a week in engine bay. Keep changing my parking area once a while. Spray a strong termite insecticide (forgot the name) with a revolting smell around the car to keep rats and lizards away. I also keep inspecting the engine bay and even one rat poop or urine is a big red flag for me.

I am fine spending 20k to 30k if the rat proofing solution is foolproof. But this doesn't seem like it. Plus the added complexity of removing and refixing them during mechanical jobs. No. Not for me at least.

[pranavt]

Only the easily accessible hoses and wires seem to be rat-proofed. Were the pictures taken before the job was complete?

[Sedate]

Wont the wires heat up when the metal mesh gets hot? Hot wires increase the resistance to flow of electricity. Increased resistance again causes more heat when electiricty passes through wires.

Also the metal cage will act as an antenna capturing EMI and may feed it as nosie to the wires - even though very feeble, would cause issues for fine electronic components. Hope all the metal parts used are atleast touching the negative terminal/ground.

[dmaheshkumar]

Hi,
Inside the engine bay most of the wirings were sealed with this mesh. Good job, but 18000 is way too costlier.

In my uncle car, Rats entering Cabin via the Air in take system of Air conditioners. There was a sponge kind of material which was already damaged and Mesh was installed.

In Innova, the steering column boot rubber is also another place where Rats entering the cabin.

Once cats were deployed in our home, no Rats from then on. (Cats are different type of headache, but we can manage with that compared to Rats).

[dass]

Are these mesh rust proof? While the obvious problem once can foresee is the maintenance and especially when one of these hoses/wire needs to be changed and especially if needed to be done at a place which does not have expertise in dealing with a mesh.

The overall work seems to have been accomplished with high quality.

[Fastdriver]

This doesn't seem to be a solution. Rather it should give rise to newer problems for maintenance, disassembly /assembly, dust accumulation, getting cut by the sharp mesh ends, .... and what not, also not to forget that it looks ugly. Even after such fitment you are still at the disposal of rats. It looks really a mess. No offence please.

[sumeethaldankar]

Well Toyota's rarely breakdown so I guess the owner does not expect any of the wired parts to be replaced anytime soon . I am not sure though why it is so costly. The wire mesh I bought just last month costs Rs 40~ for two feet. I wanted to install a similar mesh inside my Swift but the mesh touched the battery point accidenty and it generated a spark. I then changed my mind on the mesh and instead decided to just keep using the Autoguard rat spray and pour dettol diluted with water on the engine guard floor at the bottom. The dettol does keep the rats from dirtying the floor engine guard with their urine and droppings which is probably how they remember their nesting area.