Rodent damage...

M

Mark Tucker

Messages
3
Anyone had their fuel tank, or more specifically, their fuel tank breather pipe, eaten by rodents?
The clue was a surge of diesel all over the forecourt when trying to fill up.
Little blighters have already eaten part of the wiring loom on the inside too.
Not bad for a June 2017 California Ocean.
VW declining to accept any responsibility, but dealer made a small gesture of goodwill.
Apparently I should keep the Cali in a garage, hermetically sealed, obviously.
Think VW should add a mouse trap to the options list!
Interested in others' experiences
 
Mark Tucker said:
Anyone had their fuel tank, or more specifically, their fuel tank breather pipe, eaten by rodents?
The clue was a surge of diesel all over the forecourt when trying to fill up.
Little blighters have already eaten part of the wiring loom on the inside too.
Not bad for a June 2017 California Ocean.
VW declining to accept any responsibility, but dealer made a small gesture of goodwill.
Apparently I should keep the Cali in a garage, hermetically sealed, obviously.
Think VW should add a mouse trap to the options list!
Interested in others' experiences
Click to expand...
A Cat?:rolleyes:
 
E
Mark Tucker said:
Anyone had their fuel tank, or more specifically, their fuel tank breather pipe, eaten by rodents?
The clue was a surge of diesel all over the forecourt when trying to fill up.
Little blighters have already eaten part of the wiring loom on the inside too.
Not bad for a June 2017 California Ocean.
VW declining to accept any responsibility, but dealer made a small gesture of goodwill.
Apparently I should keep the Cali in a garage, hermetically sealed, obviously.
Think VW should add a mouse trap to the options list!
Interested in others' experiences
Click to expand...
I’m curious. Exactly what part of this is VWs fault?
 
There have been quite a few threads about the underside wiring being bitten through by foxes, squirrels or whatever.

It happened to me, I posted a possible solution to prevent it happening in the technical section here

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...wiring-from-damage-caused-by-foxes-etc.10864/

(First time I’ve heard of it happening to fuel lines/breathers. Maybe it was rats who were hooked on diesel fumes after being locked in a gas chamber attached to diesel exhausts ..... by VW ..... ;) )
 
motacyclist said:
Maybe it was rats who were hooked on diesel fumes after being locked in a gas chamber attached to diesel exhausts ..... by VW ..... ;) )
Click to expand...

or Monkey's
 
Weve got something living in the engine bay in front of the battery. Found a few empty nut shells when i changed the lights
 
We had mice nesting in the battery storage compartment. Persistent little blighters... I saw them at the tyre and opened the bonnet only to have 4 pairs of eyes look up at me before scattering... They destroyed the ‘carpet’ in the battery box to build a nest...
 
jason.oneill4 said:
We had mice nesting in the battery storage compartment. Persistent little blighters... I saw them at the tyre and opened the bonnet only to have 4 pairs of eyes look up at me before scattering... They destroyed the ‘carpet’ in the battery box to build a nest...
Click to expand...

Off topic but:

Very nice Avatar. I may make it over for this year.
 
Mice started to nibble the insulation on top of the cylinder block.....garage said not to worry, but I keep warfarin in the battery compartment now.
 
Ive just re-visited mine after cleaning it out, buggers back in there. So I've set a mouse trap with a nice bit of cheese on it, see if we catch anything
 
Markm said:
Ive just re-visited mine after cleaning it out, buggers back in there. So I've set a mouse trap with a nice bit of cheese on it, see if we catch anything
Click to expand...
Mice prefer chocolate in my experience (or Nutella)!

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
 
RoB5urf said:
Mice prefer chocolate in my experience (or Nutella)!

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Not totally sure it’s a mouse to be fair given that’s they some sort of shelled nut/seed with a small hole in it left behind

We’ll see, have a big surprise when I open the bonnet and find something caught underneath
 
Markm said:
Ive just re-visited mine after cleaning it out, buggers back in there. So I've set a mouse trap with a nice bit of cheese on it, see if we catch anything
Click to expand...
Chocolate cake works far better than cheese, unless they are cartoon mice ;)
 
The technically minded may correct me on this but...

I'm given to understand that, some while back, VW-AUDI, in compliance with new TUV (German DVLA equivalent sort of) requirements concerning level of vehicle components being recyclable, i.e. all of them, wiring looms were changed to an insulation material that would meet that requirement. Thereafter, AUDI owners started experiencing rodent damage to wiring looms, seems the insulation was eminently recyclable by mice and rats. AUDI naturally, disclaimed any knowledge of, or liability for same. AUDI owners, by dint of perseverance and investigation, discovered that AUDIs sold in Germany were fitted with a little gizmo that sets up a field on the vehicle to which rodents are averse. To my knowledge, there has yet to be an admission of culpability for the damage, or indeed an offer to fit these parts retroactively on GB registered AUDIs.

As VW and AUDI are one and the same company, it naturally follows that the overwhelming probability is that the same change of insulation material was made to all VW vehicles, with the concomitant result. I'm lucky, in that our newly acquired 2009 T5 SE is probably still fitted with original specification wiring insulation, but you may care to investigate this issue with the Augsberg Stonewall response, sorry customer relations department; who knows, once knowledge of the problem's cause is laid before them, an 'ex gratia' gesture might be forthcoming.
 
 
Last edited:
Update
He’s took the cheese without setting the mouse trap off, clever thing

Whatever is in there seems to be living in front of the battery and back of the top of the engine
24db790dc8d3e5043877682037d5e26e.jpg


I’ve moved the van, vacuumed the mess up, so let’s see what happens
 
I've just discovered all sorts of chewn up stuff inside our Cali, in the cupboard under the hob, in the drawer under the bench seat, significant chewing of the tailgate rubber seal.

Have yet to explore the engine bay. Chewn cable insulation and the like could be much more serious.

We've set some traps but are inclined to order an electronic rodent deterrent, such as Welsh Gas has provided a couple of links to. Has anyone any experience of such devices, in which case how effective are they? If they work it would seem a small price to pay to protect our precious vehicle, let alone our stuff.

Our Cali is parked outside the house, for several months on end at this time of year. Haven't seen rats on our island for years (which does't necessarily mean there are none of course) but there are certainly mice.

The other thing I've not done yet is to examine the place where the waste water discharge pipe exits the vehicle. I think someone suggested this as a possible point of entry.
 
In order to get in the vehicle I presume they must climb up, which means they must climb up the wheels I presume?
So something surrounding the wheels?
 
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