RATS ARE EATING MY D3

[wardh]

WARNING! with the season we have had rodents have built up and with winter approaching they are seeking out warm shelter. Namely my much loved D3. Yesterday I lifted the hood and on top of the engine cover was a pile of foam, bits of plastic, paper and dry grass. To the right in front of the main battery compartment the wiring harness was chewed through exposing the copper in the cables. I removed the plastic cover from the top of the engine and the whole engine top was covered with chewed up foam, paper, and grass all packed around the oil filter and every little space you could see. Turning the engine cover over revealed 1/3 of the sound proof foam had been stripped off the cover.

Now the scary part is this all happened over ONE NIGHT the previous day I had been to Brisbane and as I aways do had done a complete under bonnet check before the trip.

So yesterday was spent removing the debris from the top of the engine, luckly there was no damage to the wireing or hoses on the engine. I then split the chewed harness in front of the battery and repaired the wireing, heat shrinking joins and tapeing the damage.

In the afternoon I went to the produce store and bought a large box of rat poison and 4 traps and set it all around the vehicle in the garage. I left the engine cover off because I will have to repair/replace insulation on cover and I left the bonnet up with a trap set in front of the battery.

This morning I checked the traps, nothing but bait had been taken from all the stations. A carefull look around the engine bay revealed no damage but plenty of droppings with a slight tinge of green, I sort of got a satisfied feeling hopeing that the bastered had a real gut acke, but it was then I spotted the pile of insulation and plastic on the floor under the D3 below the transmission.

Last night as far as I can see the rat has been working away at the foam and plastic above the transmission about where the selector lever is. Now I need help! How do I check this. Is it possible a rat could access the centre console from there and get inside the vehicle. How can I access and look inside the console.

Help please, "Rats are eating my D3"

Howard

[p38arover]

Ruddy heck!

Do you live in a rural area or on a farm?

I have no idea how you'd fix the problem. Will the insurance company cover the damage?

[Scouse]

Will the insurance company cover the damage?

We've had similar repairs through here go through insurance.

[wardh]

Ron,

We are rural, 56 acres outside of Stanthorpe, but be aware this can happen in town. Some 20 years ago on the Gold Coast a rat damaged my wifes car.

There is nothing to attract vermin around our property, we have no crops, fruit or veggies and the D3 is garaged in a clean New steel shed with no rubbish or long grass around it.

I also had a Discovery 1 once that had the turbo inlet hose eaten, a rat thought the ribs on the hose were a good thing to try out his teeth. Again this happened when the season started to cool.

Scott,

A good point about insurance I must admit due to being so upset by what is happening I have not thought about that. Thanks for the reminder I will check it out.

Howard

[roamer]

Common problem in rural areas ,we live about 500m from a macadamia farm, when they pick up the nuts the rats go crazy looking for food.

We always have baits out where cars and machinary are kept,
The rodents keep eating them I keep putting them back, they just love the stuff
If you don't like baits, some reckon leave the light on and the bonnet up
Cheers Ken

[nicho]

Try lighting a very smokey fire in a brazzier in the garage and leave the doors of the disco open Rats hate smoke if there are any in there they will hitail it.

[roamer]

Try lighting a very smokey fire in a brazzier in the garage and leave the doors of the disco open Rats hate smoke if there are any in there they will hitail it.

What The .. Smoke out the shed and the inside of the car.

This is a D3/D4/RRS forum...... please behave lol

Cheers Ken

[JohnF]

When I wanted a RR, and before I purchased my first one, I met two people who had given away old RR. One RR-- a bored dog belonging to the owner's lady friend had eaten the seats. So If you are going to give you D3 away, just because some of it has been eaten by rats give it to me It will be accepted gratefully.

But sorry for your problem. Perhaps a hungry carpet snake inside the D3 may help--years ago I got a mention in column 8 of the Sydney Morning Herald when someone saw the carpet snake I had loose in my car.

Chain a dog-- a good ratter species under the car also.

[Neil P]

Couple of saucers of bleach around the vehicle . They hate the smell.

[wardh]

Thanks Guys some interesting comments.

Ken, I also usually keep baits in the shed all the time, have done since the D1 turbo hose attack. Unfortunately this critter seems to want to fix up his living quarters and move in before having a good feed

Nicho, I love the leather smell of the D3 not so sure about smoked leather. Also glad I happened to check and find the nest otherwise the amount of rubbish plus engine heat and possible wireing shorts could have resulted in smoked D3

JohnF, Look up Stanthorpe Qld, known to freeze the balls off a Brass Monkey. No carpet snakes.

Dogs? mumm! got a dog I think she share's her dinner with the wildlife.

Lights? I used to have an old Disco ball but that might encourage the vermin to realy party. Might burn a couple of small kero lights on the floor either side of the vehicle tonight and still hope the buggers get a gut full of ratsack.

Anyhow you have cheered me up somewhat but does anybody know how to get into the centre console around the auto selector lever. Still need to see if there is damage or lf they can access the vehicle interier.

Cheers Howard