Cars and rodents .... ?
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,174
Likes: 19
From: London, UK
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Cars and rodents .... ?
First of all this is off topic.... and concerns my Landrover D3.
Well, I have just been told by the Service advisor that a rodent has managed to chew a hole in a pipe off the diesel tank. Not only has it chewed a hole in one of the tanks feeder pipes but apparently is a "common" problem in the UK. Not only is it the same pipe all the time, but only landrover. Also my car is always garaged and is my wifes DD, and has never been offroad.
I claimed
I am off to inspect the damaged parts tomorrow. I know some animals can get to brake lines etc but this I have to see.... needless to say they claim since its rodent damage its not covered under my warranty which expires in a week.
Any stories like this stateside?
Well, I have just been told by the Service advisor that a rodent has managed to chew a hole in a pipe off the diesel tank. Not only has it chewed a hole in one of the tanks feeder pipes but apparently is a "common" problem in the UK. Not only is it the same pipe all the time, but only landrover. Also my car is always garaged and is my wifes DD, and has never been offroad.
I claimed
I am off to inspect the damaged parts tomorrow. I know some animals can get to brake lines etc but this I have to see.... needless to say they claim since its rodent damage its not covered under my warranty which expires in a week.
Any stories like this stateside?
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 56
Likes: 6
From: Central Pa
X5M, CLS55, GLA45, Ultra Classic, V Max, HR Navigator.
About one month ago I took the E55 out for a quick spin, had it in the garage for a few weeks because the weather has been poor. No sooner than I gave it a couple of wot a cel popped up. Pulled over and opened the hood and tucked in at the back of the supercharger was a large mass of pink insulation. It appeared that a family of mice took the insulation out of a wall cavity in my heated garage and made a nest right on top of the motor. After cleaning it out and checking all the filters I cleared the cel and everything has been fine other than some chew marks on the hood liner. Why they didn't go after my truck or wife's suv I haven't a clue. I guess they just have good taste in cars.
Banned
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,735
Likes: 1
CLK 63 Black Series, 2009 S550, 2011 Range Rover Supercharged, BMW F800 GS Anniv Edition
Good trick to keep rodents away is use Bounce dryer sheets...they hate the smell and wont go near them. I stuff them all over the place in my boat when its in winter storage and it works great.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,064
Likes: 5
From: Northern Virginia / D.C.
01 LORINSER CLK 430 - 02 KLEEMANN CLK55 - 88 Euro / Jap AMG 560 SEC Widebody - 16 AMG GTS
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
Sorry to hear, but it's not b.s. See my thread from a few months back about my BMW getting attacked.
It's not unusual at all. We live on the ocean in an area with dense oak trees. Last spring there was a bumper crop of acorns. Where there's food, there's rodents.
Bounce sheets don't work, sorry. Neither does coyote pee powder or cayenne pepper. We called in a rat expert. The only way to get rid of them is to get rid of THEM. Baiting and trapping. Also if you aren't parking outside (my BMW was not in the garage), and still have rats then you have to seal the garage first before you do anything.
The problem with things like Bounce and powders is that rats pee constantly and mark their territory. The pheromones in their pee is how they communicate. It overwhelms anything else and attracts more rats.
Rat's teeth are 'open rooted' and don't ever stop growing. So they'll chew through anything to keep them from growing too big. They spend their ENTIRE life gnawing and wearing their teeth down. They can destroy a car overnight.
I became a rat expert after my ordeal with them.
It's not unusual at all. We live on the ocean in an area with dense oak trees. Last spring there was a bumper crop of acorns. Where there's food, there's rodents.
Bounce sheets don't work, sorry. Neither does coyote pee powder or cayenne pepper. We called in a rat expert. The only way to get rid of them is to get rid of THEM. Baiting and trapping. Also if you aren't parking outside (my BMW was not in the garage), and still have rats then you have to seal the garage first before you do anything.
The problem with things like Bounce and powders is that rats pee constantly and mark their territory. The pheromones in their pee is how they communicate. It overwhelms anything else and attracts more rats.
Rat's teeth are 'open rooted' and don't ever stop growing. So they'll chew through anything to keep them from growing too big. They spend their ENTIRE life gnawing and wearing their teeth down. They can destroy a car overnight.
I became a rat expert after my ordeal with them.
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,052
Likes: 2
From: PHX/PIE/OMA ---> Yes, all three
E55 then E63, now back to an E55
Sorry to hear, but it's not b.s. See my thread from a few months back about my BMW getting attacked.
It's not unusual at all. We live on the ocean in an area with dense oak trees. Last spring there was a bumper crop of acorns. Where there's food, there's rodents.
Bounce sheets don't work, sorry. Neither does coyote pee powder or cayenne pepper. We called in a rat expert. The only way to get rid of them is to get rid of THEM. Baiting and trapping. Also if you aren't parking outside (my BMW was not in the garage), and still have rats then you have to seal the garage first before you do anything.
The problem with things like Bounce and powders is that rats pee constantly and mark their territory. The pheromones in their pee is how they communicate. It overwhelms anything else and attracts more rats.
Rat's teeth are 'open rooted' and don't ever stop growing. So they'll chew through anything to keep them from growing too big. They spend their ENTIRE life gnawing and wearing their teeth down. They can destroy a car overnight.
I became a rat expert after my ordeal with them.
It's not unusual at all. We live on the ocean in an area with dense oak trees. Last spring there was a bumper crop of acorns. Where there's food, there's rodents.
Bounce sheets don't work, sorry. Neither does coyote pee powder or cayenne pepper. We called in a rat expert. The only way to get rid of them is to get rid of THEM. Baiting and trapping. Also if you aren't parking outside (my BMW was not in the garage), and still have rats then you have to seal the garage first before you do anything.
The problem with things like Bounce and powders is that rats pee constantly and mark their territory. The pheromones in their pee is how they communicate. It overwhelms anything else and attracts more rats.
Rat's teeth are 'open rooted' and don't ever stop growing. So they'll chew through anything to keep them from growing too big. They spend their ENTIRE life gnawing and wearing their teeth down. They can destroy a car overnight.
I became a rat expert after my ordeal with them.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: W Coast & E Europe
08 E63, 07 RS4, 04 GT3, 10 LR4, 02 Pajero
Sorry to hear, but it's not b.s. See my thread from a few months back about my BMW getting attacked.
It's not unusual at all. We live on the ocean in an area with dense oak trees. Last spring there was a bumper crop of acorns. Where there's food, there's rodents.
Bounce sheets don't work, sorry. Neither does coyote pee powder or cayenne pepper. We called in a rat expert. The only way to get rid of them is to get rid of THEM. Baiting and trapping. Also if you aren't parking outside (my BMW was not in the garage), and still have rats then you have to seal the garage first before you do anything.
The problem with things like Bounce and powders is that rats pee constantly and mark their territory. The pheromones in their pee is how they communicate. It overwhelms anything else and attracts more rats.
Rat's teeth are 'open rooted' and don't ever stop growing. So they'll chew through anything to keep them from growing too big. They spend their ENTIRE life gnawing and wearing their teeth down. They can destroy a car overnight.
I became a rat expert after my ordeal with them.
It's not unusual at all. We live on the ocean in an area with dense oak trees. Last spring there was a bumper crop of acorns. Where there's food, there's rodents.
Bounce sheets don't work, sorry. Neither does coyote pee powder or cayenne pepper. We called in a rat expert. The only way to get rid of them is to get rid of THEM. Baiting and trapping. Also if you aren't parking outside (my BMW was not in the garage), and still have rats then you have to seal the garage first before you do anything.
The problem with things like Bounce and powders is that rats pee constantly and mark their territory. The pheromones in their pee is how they communicate. It overwhelms anything else and attracts more rats.
Rat's teeth are 'open rooted' and don't ever stop growing. So they'll chew through anything to keep them from growing too big. They spend their ENTIRE life gnawing and wearing their teeth down. They can destroy a car overnight.
I became a rat expert after my ordeal with them.
Word of warning with using bait is if you have dogs (I have two big ones) and they find a poisoned rat and eat it they could likely be killed also.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
Yeah, that's a good reminder. We have a lot of blue herons around here and they sometimes eat mice, gophers, and small rats. Our rat man put out bait traps instead of bait stations. The rats would go in, eat the poison and weren't able to back out. He had to come out every other day and check (we hired him on a 3 month plan; they're pretty tenacious once they decide to hang out.)
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,174
Likes: 19
From: London, UK
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Saw the tank on Saturday and it must be an area of 1sqcm of tank breather pipe elbow that been chewed off. Cannot be anything else, but a farking rodent. It must have happened when parking the car at the Airport long term car parks I guess, none of the other cars at him have been had.
£800 for a new tank (incl re-re).. I dont think so. I am collecting the tank today to repair it tonight.
£800 for a new tank (incl re-re).. I dont think so. I am collecting the tank today to repair it tonight.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
Saw the tank on Saturday and it must be an area of 1sqcm of tank breather pipe elbow that been chewed off. Cannot be anything else, but a farking rodent. It must have happened when parking the car at the Airport long term car parks I guess, none of the other cars at him have been had.
£800 for a new tank (incl re-re).. I dont think so. I am collecting the tank today to repair it tonight.
£800 for a new tank (incl re-re).. I dont think so. I am collecting the tank today to repair it tonight.
Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
From: United States
Brilliant Silver CLK 320
A few years ago I had a diesel truck that was too large for the garage, so I let it sit outside. One morning, I was cleaning it out and I noticed the driver side turn signal wasn't working. I drove it to Autozone to get a new bulb and I noticed the truck was really low on power and smoking black out the tail pipe. I pulled over and popped the hood and saw that my hood insulation had been ripped up, I thought that was odd but upon inspecting the airbox I quickly found out why. A squirrel or chipmunk packed my lower airbox full of leaves, hood insulation, and butternuts. I mean it was packed in there tight; thank god for the air filter or I would've trashed my turbo, intercooler, and probably the motor. I learned my lesson and now only park in the garage, but yes they can be destructive little *******s. Oh btw, the turn signal wasn't working because the rodent had chewed through the signal ground wire 
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Mercedes E55 AMG (2006), Mercedes 560 SEL (1991)
Had a similar problem on my BMW 535i and MB 560 SEL when both were parked for a few months. Solved the problem on the 560 by washing it and moving it to a different part of my compound. Beemer's parked in same general area so the running battle continues. Rather like the post on 'pay-back' so I'm off to get some traps...!
Brgds
Brgds
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 2
From: Maryland
a Rivera...via a Custom 24, Strat and Les Paul
Just got back from an oil change and my guys say "you park inside or outside" - me incredulous "always inside". "Well you have mice in your garage". Me "bull*****". Him "care to explain the mice **** on your supercharger. . . you're actually lucky, they haven't gone after the insulation yet. . ."
Former Vendor of MBWorld
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 12,139
Likes: 295
From: Houston
2003 W211 E55, 2003 W220 S600
Just got back from an oil change and my guys say "you park inside or outside" - me incredulous "always inside". "Well you have mice in your garage". Me "bull*****". Him "care to explain the mice **** on your supercharger. . . you're actually lucky, they haven't gone after the insulation yet. . ."
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
sl500
Family of mice
I drove my lovely 2003 500sl when the navigator told me to put the key in the ignition or the car would stop altogether. Drove straight to my mechanic who ultimately found 5 mice living under the dash, using the seat slides as their highway. Damage and price still to be determined, but likely the main harness.
I garage the car, use the dryer sheets, will now get a cat.
My auto insurance will cover all of this after my deductible. My homeowner's isn't this comprehensive. I should live in my car.
I garage the car, use the dryer sheets, will now get a cat.
My auto insurance will cover all of this after my deductible. My homeowner's isn't this comprehensive. I should live in my car.
