Rodents!

[Maddogaxl]

So I've had my lariat lightning truck for 2 weeks and have barely driven it (brutal covid). Last Friday evening, had "Shift Fault Failure" and the truck just died. had to get towed etc etc.

Got the call this AM that Rodents had apparently chewed wires.

a) this is ridiculous. do the wires just hang loosely? (and yes I live in the suburbs but thought I had better Karma than that and thought may be designed a little better)
b) they say its not covered. It sat at the rail yard for a week - how do i know it didn't happen there?

Now, going forward, I will be parking this truck outside. don't have a choice.

Is there anything I can do? Hang garlic under the car, spray the bottom of truck every week, etc.

Welcome any and all thoughts.

Bill

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[TaxmanHog]

Peppermint oil spray for rodents!

 

[Maquis]

I have no personal experience, but people seem to very happy with recent repellant from Grandpa Gus.

If not warranty, your insurance may cover it.

 

[Danface]

Put some peanut butter on the big battery terminals and pop goes the weasels

 

[Barrels]

Popular topic. Consensus has been to get an outdoor cat (we encouraged our neighbors cat to visit and it may have helped).

second most common approach is reppellents. I am using ground cayenne around the tires. Seems to work. Cheaper than some commercial blends. Sometimes I add chili flakes for the heck of it. Mint oils are popullar tho I havent used them yet. Do they smell up the truck? But I think the cat is more effective.

I do put lights under the truck - leds - when in storage. As well as cayenne.

The hi tech approach may be the rat mat.
https://www.hammertechltd.com/blog/...looring-environmentally-friendly-pest-control

I was sorely tempted but this thing is expensive (so are repairs!), not an easy install and I havent seen it hooked p to my Pro power yet.

oh, those sonic repellers (small things that emit irritating noise and light) dont work. At least havent for me. One broke loose from its zip ties and is on top of a skid plate in a Honda right now telling me to change the batteries. How long til it dies??!!??

Bottom line - make friends with the neighborhood cats but dont put out cat food.

 

[rtk11226]

I have the same problem here with raccoons. Raccoons have torn the under hood and A/C insulation out of two trucks in past years. If I'm going to let the trucks sit for any time I usually put aluminum foil around the engine compartment. In the case of a Lightning... I have no clue. I'm certainly open to any creative ideas. Of course it may be time to get another dog now that I think about it.

 

[RickLightning]

Mothballs under the hood in net bags, just keep them away from the air intakes.

We had chipmunks eat wires on my son's car years ago. Now my F-150 has been outside since the Lightning came home, and no issues yet. Knock on wood.

Why would Ford cover this under warranty? Your insurance company does, FYI.

 

[Danface]

Popular topic. Consensus has been to get an outdoor cat (we encouraged our neighbors cat to visit and it may have helped).

second most common approach is reppellents. I am using ground cayenne around the tires. Seems to work. Cheaper than some commercial blends. Sometimes I add chili flakes for the heck of it. Mint oils are popullar tho I havent used them yet. Do they smell up the truck? But I think the cat is more effective.

I do put lights under the truck - leds - when in storage. As well as cayenne.

The hi tech approach may be the rat mat.
https://www.hammertechltd.com/blog/...looring-environmentally-friendly-pest-control

I was sorely tempted but this thing is expensive (so are repairs!), not an easy install and I havent seen it hooked p to my Pro power yet.

oh, those sonic repellers (small things that emit irritating noise and light) dont work. At least havent for me. One broke loose from its zip ties and is on top of a skid plate in a Honda right now telling me to change the batteries. How long til it dies??!!??

Bottom line - make friends with the neighborhood cats but dont put out cat food.

Hey Taxman, now we all know when you drive by (or that there's a taco truck in the area!!)

 

[brownhousechris]

This brings up something I've had on my mind. In our other cars mice frequently build nests on the cabin air filter. Anyone have any idea where the cabin air intake is located? I'd like to put a screen over it to keep guests out

 

[TaxmanHog]

Mint sprays around the inside & outside perimeter of the garage helps, it's that time of year when these critters are looking for warmer nesting spots and tasty vinyl / plastic wire dinners.

 

[TaxmanHog]

This brings up something I've had on my mind. In our other cars mice frequently build nests on the cabin air filter. Anyone have any idea where the cabin air intake is located? I'd like to put a screen over it to keep guests out

in front of windshield to the passenger side, look down through the grill around the wiper arm, leads downward to the cabin air filter behind the glove box.

 

[Sarila]

So I've had my lariat lightning truck for 2 weeks and have barely driven it (brutal covid). Last Friday evening, had "Shift Fault Failure" and the truck just died. had to get towed etc etc.

Got the call this AM that Rodents had apparently chewed wires.

a) this is ridiculous. do the wires just hang loosely? (and yes I live in the suburbs but thought I had better Karma than that and thought may be designed a little better)
b) they say its not covered. It sat at the rail yard for a week - how do i know it didn't happen there?

Now, going forward, I will be parking this truck outside. don't have a choice.

Is there anything I can do? Hang garlic under the car, spray the bottom of truck every week, etc.

Welcome any and all thoughts.

Bill

My ICE 1999 F150 had the same problem. My mechanic HIGHLY suggested dryer sheets, the smelliest you can find. I tied them everywhere on the outside (as not to be seen) and problem solved. Replaced every 6 months. Having said that, I’ve not done this with lightning. I’ve been watching and haven’t seen rodent damage…yet. I don’t let her sit for more than a day without driving. For holidays, I park in the garage with a swamper to guide as it is a very tight fit.

 

[H3IMDALL]

Simple Green, dryer sheets, mothballs .. those work. Rodents did 35k of damage to one of my Porsche’s since they used vegetable based rubber substitutes for the wiring. Needed a new wiring harness and 8 months in the shop. Insurance covered all but 5k of the damage. Afterwards I had traps set and am trying very hard to make this a bad place for rats to be lol.

Also, keep the truck indoors if you can. If you have this problem it doesn’t go away until the rats do.

 

[SilverKlister]

Any thoughts on trucks which are undercoated against road salt? For example, Woolwax, Fluid Film, oil, etc? I just had my truck woolwaxed. I guess there are at least two schools of thought. One, that the lanolin in the product would be tasty to members of the Rodentia family. Two, that it sure would be difficult for a critter to climb up into the tuck with all that sticky stuff on it.

I've changed the cabin filter on my 2018 Bolt EV, and there were half eaten acorns in there. So far, no problems with critters eating any wires. They do like the sound deadening material on the underside of the hood though...

 

[The Weatherman]

Any thoughts on trucks which are undercoated against road salt? For example, Woolwax, Fluid Film, oil, etc? I just had my truck woolwaxed. I guess there are at least two schools of thought. One, that the lanolin in the product would be tasty to members of the Rodentia family. Two, that it sure would be difficult for a critter to climb up into the tuck with all that sticky stuff on it.

I've changed the cabin filter on my 2018 Bolt EV, and there were half eaten acorns in there. So far, no problems with critters eating any wires. They do like the sound deadening material on the underside of the hood though...

I do. I used a brand on my Mavericks after a rabbit chewed trough harness at the differential.

I am away from home but will get you name shortly.

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