What is this?
- Thread starter TitanTim
- Start date
Liverpool
mmm-five said:
:lol:
As I keep my cars stored in the garage sometimes for a few weeks at a time this post on the Facebook M135/235i site gave me the willys a little,
"Bit of a s**t thing to go through but I feel it may help some of you so here it goes:
Sent my M235i (14 plate) in for its service a few weeks back on a Friday. They called to say my oil level sensor was faulty, and had a new one in order. So I had to leave the car with them an extra day.
Saturday morning I had a call from them to break some bad news to me. They had changed the sensor, but the car was throwing the same fault. They investigated further to find that I had RODENT DAMAGE. Some little scrap rat/mouse had had a nice old nibble on part of my engine wiring. This of course is not a warranty fix.
Left with no choice, BMW Cobham had to fully investigate and the end result had me a lovely £600 out of pocket (I got away lightly). They also fixed a warranty job of the ZF box having a leak (common it seems). I got it back that following Thursday.
I've now done some research of my own and in short this is becoming more and more common. Basically manufacturers have used plant based products that are bio degradable...meaning they in fact attract rodents. So a little warning to all to be vigilant and perhaps order some peppermint oil, or setup what ever repellent you see fit. Personally I've ordered a sonic repellent and a massive bottle of proper rodent repellent.
If any of you have any further suggestions fire away!"
I've heard of this problem before so for the sake if 15 quid will put the repeller in the engine bay when the car is stored in the garage.
Tim.
I've had mice nest behind the battery in my Sierra about 18 years ago - and it was garaged - and my daily driver 
Since then I've had those electronic jobs that emit a clicking sound. Fortunately not had a repeat which is just as well as I now have nicer, classic cars in there. Just going out now to buy some more traps and peppermint oil ...
Since then I've had those electronic jobs that emit a clicking sound. Fortunately not had a repeat which is just as well as I now have nicer, classic cars in there. Just going out now to buy some more traps and peppermint oil ...
My garage is pretty anti rodent being brick etc but you never know as a mouse can get through impossible gaps. I remember there was a post on ZRoadster.net years ago where an owner of a Z3M has massive mouse nest ontop of the engine and they'd chomped through virtually all the engine ancillaries. Cost 1000s to put right.
Tim.
Tim.
TitanTim said:
Brick garage - yep so was mine, no food stuff stored in there and the car driven every day - damage was limited to the sound insulation on the bulkhead - only found the nest when I found a hole eaten in a coat I'd left in the car overnight with a chocolate bar in the pocket. Rest of the car untouched what a lucky escape.
North West Surrey
Wow, that is a worry!
Glad my BMWs are older ones with non-biodegradable plastics - I knew they were introduced for a reason!
Just hope house wiring doesn't go down the same path and revert from PVC insulation to natural rubber and braided fabric to keep the tree-huggers happy!
Glad my BMWs are older ones with non-biodegradable plastics - I knew they were introduced for a reason!
Just hope house wiring doesn't go down the same path and revert from PVC insulation to natural rubber and braided fabric to keep the tree-huggers happy!
Crazy Harry said:
I've made sure all garden bird seed has been moved as we had some bags of it stored in the lean too green house on the back of the garage and blighters had got in and swiped the seed. Hopefully the sonic repeller will help as it emits a high frequency sound every 4 secs or attract them :?
Tim.
Mr Tidy said:
I don't think it matters to be honest, the guy I mentioned earlier with his Z3M the mice had literally chewed through everything in the engine bay, mainly all the wiring, I think the main thing is to make sure theres nothing that attracts them, food, seed, anything that would help make a nest.
Tim.
TitanTim said:
Oh no - both of mine are a bit newer than a Z3M.
Maybe having no garage isn't such a bad thing after all. :lol:
I was just wondering if rodent problems are getting more common these days? I'd never had any until December 2015 when I found a dead rat in my loft - what a stink, but at least it was dead!
I think I would be baiting traps in the garage if I were you.
Mr Tidy said:TitanTim said:
Oh no - both of mine are a bit newer than a Z3M.
Maybe having no garage isn't such a bad thing after all. :lol:
I was just wondering if rodent problems are getting more common these days? I'd never had any until December 2015 when I found a dead rat in my loft - what a stink, but at least it was dead!
I think I would be baiting traps in the garage if I were you.
I never found any traces of mice in the garage but seeing the post on FB got me slightly worried as I tend to store a car in the garage over winter. Never really thought of it that much but thought getting a sonic repeller would be a precaution. I might get a few traps as well as a back up. I know it sounds daft and all that but if you store a car for months on end and don't check it regularly you wouldn't know until the damage was done
Tim.