Rodent attack repairs

[racali]

Following on from my recent expensive rodent attack, I’ve just had my van back on Saturday after two weeks at the dealer. I had a look underneath and found the following wires - is this common practice with VW? I’ve looked elsewhere and all the single wires are bunched in split plastic corrugated flexible conduit.
It seems to me that this is just asking for the buggers to return for another feast.
What is your opinion - should the garage have done better.

 

[Alan Andrews]

You can buy the split corrugated tubing on ebay. The split allows you to place tube over wires whilst in situ.

 

[racali]

You can buy the split corrugated tubing on ebay. The split allows you to place tube over wires whilst in situ.

Thanks - just checked - I’ll do it myself - I just thought it reflected badly on the dealer that they didn’t use a 50p piece of conduit to complete a tidy job. Perhaps I’m expecting too much.

 

[kurienp]

an unrelated question @racali - is that the rear underside of the van? Did you get TPMS fitted and is that the TPMS controller in the pic?

 

[SiCalist]

Happened to me twice in 4 months (parked in London, so never more than a few metres from a rat as they say)

Given the corrugated tubing does nothing to stop them - and in fact some may be rather partial to it, I spent an afternoon wrapping everything in anti-rodent insulation tape that's loaded with capsaicin (~£22) would have been a quicker job but the first repairer covered everything in copper anti-seize grease which didn't stop the vermin and was a bit of a faff to clean off so that the tape would stick...

Also sprayed some repellent on the topside of the cover while it was off as that's where they must have crawled and sat to have a good gnaw. It's only been 6 weeks so still a bit soon to call if it has worked and will need to refresh the deterrent every few months. Just hoping London rats aren't into "spicy"

 

[TripleBee]

an unrelated question @racali - is that the rear underside of the van? Did you get TPMS fitted and is that the TPMS controller in the pic?

Looks to me like the left front side, just behind the left front wheel.
The unit looks like a NOx sensor or something like that.
It certainly is something I don't have.

 

[westfalia]

What is your opinion - should the garage have done better.

I think that some garages are paying rodents,
i was stung last month for 300

Same old same old,
no new non chewable cables.

 

[GrannyJen]

The sweet little darlings have attacked mine as well. £100

 

[Shuftie]

Crikey! Is this a common problem then? Where should I look for damage on my van?

 

[WelshGas]

We have Mad Max , a ginger short hair, and judging by the number of “ presents “ he brings us ours and the neighbours cars are well protected.

 

[GrannyJen]

Crikey! Is this a common problem then? Where should I look for damage on my van?

My first ever incident.

I had been camping in a wooded, squirrel infested area two days before my oil sensor warning light came on indicating that something was wrong.

 

[Whistler]

I had 2 sensors fail at the same time with the van parked on our driveway.
One the Oil sensor and the other an exhaust gas sensor. The exhaust sensor wire looked as if it had been cut but the oil one looks like a clean break as well. Still trying to work out what could have caused it.

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

 

[TripleBee]

I had 2 sensors fail at the same time with the van parked on our driveway.
One the Oil sensor and the other an exhaust gas sensor. The exhaust sensor wire looked as if it had been cut but the oil one looks like a clean break as well. Still trying to work out what could have caused it.

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

Can't you see little pinches in the rubber? It might be a clean bite too.

Otherwise, a problem with a repair/service you had not long ago?

 

[Whistler]

Can't you see little pinches in the rubber? It might be a clean bite too.

Otherwise, a problem with a repair/service you had not long ago?

That could be the case for the exhaust sensor the other end is a little deformed but the break was right up in the exhaust tunnel. The oil sensor outer spiral casing looks crushed rather than bitten.

Anyway Mrs W is going leave something tastier for them on the driveway in future

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

That could be the case for the exhaust sensor the other end is a little deformed but the break was right up in the exhaust tunnel. The oil sensor outer spiral casing looks crushed rather than bitten.

Anyway Mrs W is going leave something tastier for them on the driveway in future

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

Leaving food for them might just attract more and make things worse. Poison and traps under the van may be a better option. BTW You can buy traps that birds can’t get into.

 

[Whistler]

Leaving food for them might just attract more and make things worse. Poison and traps under the van may be a better option. BTW You can buy traps that birds can’t get into.

Sorry, posion was the "tastier" option I was trying to imply. We use blue blocks inside a rat poison box so that other creatures can't get at it.

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[Elmo3]

If you are parking the Cali up for a while (or any vehicle), hang a few loo cistern blocks underneath. It’s supposed to help keep the rodents away.

 

[westfalia]

The sweet little darlings have attacked mine as well. £100

Try something like this, it worked for me.
I got a rechargeable one with a small solar panel on the top, the solar
won't really do much but the first couple of weeks i kept it charged up
and had it running on high pitch, now i rarely charge it so some nights its probably
not doing what it should but the local Marders don't come near anymore.

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[GrannyJen]

Try something like this, it worked for me.
I got a rechargeable one with a small solar panel on the top, the solar
won't really do much but the first couple of weeks i kept it charged up
and had it running on high pitch, now i rarely charge it so some nights its probably
not doing what it should but the local Marders don't come near anymore.

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Thank you.

On order.

Presumably I just prop it up somewhere close to the parked vehicle?

 

[westfalia]

Thank you.

On order.

Presumably I just prop it up somewhere close to the parked vehicle?

Its worth a punt.

The range on mine is about 15metres, i just sat it on the ground
and changed its position each day for the first few days.
Now i leave it in one position.
Good luck

 

[GrannyJen]

Its worth a punt.

The range on mine is about 15metres, i just sat it on the ground
and changed its position each day for the first few days.
Now i leave it in one position.
Good luck

Thank you.

Currently those little furry things are keeping SMG Cowfold on overtime.

 

[racali]

Follow up to my previous post - after a disastrous experience with my closest VW garage and VW Insurance after my first fox attack I staggered back on the road looking decidedly patched up for a van that had done only 2.5k miles. I then tried out a number of devices to protect my wiring.

First anti fox attempt

Layers of chicken wire laid over the driveway for van to drive over.

Very bright security movement activated light.

High pitched electronic deterrent.

Bag of dog hair soaked in urine.

Box of Bounce.

Didn’t work and I have trail camera video of two foxes partying underneath the van oblivious to it all.

Second anti fox attempt

Stiff waterproof material forming a skirt to bottom of door height tensioned with 8mm bungee rope top and bottom and a central anti sag support using both front doors.

Didn’t work and I have trail camera video of one fox sheltering underneath from a heavy downpour. No idea how it got in.

At this stage I discovered the oil warning light came on - fox attack no.2 - back to a different garage and another £180 patch up repair.

Third anti fox attempt

Bought a large heavy duty tarpaulin and drove the van on to it with the intention of pulling it up the sides to just below window height so there were definitely no entry points underneath. Waste of money as I couldn’t sort out the bunching of material at the corners. Also the van needed to be precisely located on the tarp as more material on one side just exacerbated the problem. Also potential problems with filling up with rainwater and it flapping about in the wind.

Fourth anti fox attempt

Bought ropes, clips and fixings to hold tarpaulin cut to size tight to the underside of the van. Easier said than done and trying to find suitable fixing points particularly at the front which proved its undoing. Too fiddly and time consuming and very difficult to remove any sag totally. I had the vision of the foxes using it as a hammock.

Fifth anti fix attempt

Same idea as the underside hammock but this time using chicken wire. I nailed it to battens which are held along each side just below door height and fixed in position by bungee bobbles attached to the alloys. After a couple of weeks it seems to be working. My rear dash cam is recording continuing interest in the van but none so far have attempted to get underneath.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Could close the gaps with these, they do various sizes:

Dunnage Air Bag - Fast Flow - Woven Polypropylene - 1200x600mm

Max Load: 8.9 Ton Material: Woven Polypropylene AAR Level 1 Approved

www.exportaglobal.co.uk

 

[AndyWT]

This is funny guys, cable covering that’s more environmental friendly is apparently very tasty, obviously no one anticipated the law of unintended consequences...

My T4 Westy is getting more valuable as modern versions suffer from modernism, I have a rat problem with my van, there’s a rat that likes to live on top of the battery leaving crap everywhere, but! he’s a benign guest and never eats anything including the provided rat poison, trying chili powder.

 

[racali]

Could close the gaps with these, they do various sizes:

Dunnage Air Bag - Fast Flow - Woven Polypropylene - 1200x600mm

Max Load: 8.9 Ton Material: Woven Polypropylene AAR Level 1 Approved

www.exportaglobal.co.uk

Yes certainly worth a look if latest attempt fails - a lot less than £5k for air suspension which is my ultimate solution