How Can I Keep Rodents from Chewing on my Car's Wires? Mike Shaw Subaru Maintenance FAQs
Pests like mice, rats and possums are just a fact of life, and we all work to keep them out of our homes and walls and away from the wires they often munch on. While they might not be able to get into your house for their next meal, your car is another story. Cars commonly provide shelter to rodents, especially in the winter as temperatures fall and the warmth of the engine block after driving draws them out. Cars routinely parked outside are even more susceptible to rodent damage.
Studies have shown that rodents like to chew on wires for the same reasons they like to chew on, well, everything else that's near their nesting area. It helps to wear down their front teeth, which would otherwise grow too long and interfere with their eating. With a little info from the team at Mike Shaw Subaru, you can take steps to help rodent-proof your car. We'll give you some practical tips and suggest some helpful products you can invest in to keep pests from wreaking havoc on your vehicle's wiring.
How to Keep Mice Out of your Car: Products and Tips
A car parked in a garage is better protected from pests than one parked in a carport, driveway or on the street. If you can park your vehicle in a garage, you might find typical home solutions -- like pesticides and mouse traps -- keep rodents from entering your home in the first place.
When parked in an area where rodents are a problem, it's a good idea to leave the hood open. This allows light in, and keeps these pests from taking shelter in the engine compartment. If you have a pet, their hair can be a natural deterrent to mice and rats. Other, somewhat-less-natural solutions include parking the car over a container of mothballs, using peppermint oil to keep pests away and anti-rodent tape. Anti-rodent tape can be used to seal up gaps and protect your vehicle's wiring harness. It's laced with capsaicin -- the chemical that puts the burn in spicy foods -- so, if a rodent does begin to chew on the tape, they'll get a rude awakening and avoid messing with your car for a while!
Let the Professionals Handle any Rodent Clean-Up
If a critter has already made itself comfortable in your car, you might be tempted to clean out the engine compartment once you've gotten rid of it. Our recommendation is to have all rodent mess cleaned up by a professional detailing crew at your local Subaru dealership. Rodent hair, droppings and nesting materials can harbor dangerous viruses. What's more, common household cleaners and power washers can easily damage the internal components of your engine. A professional detailer will use special tools and products designed for motor vehicle use that can give it a deep clean, without risking disease or damage.
Rodent infestations in cars are more common than you might think, and the factory-trained technicians and detailers at Mike Shaw Subaru in Thornton near Denver deal with them all the time. We'd be glad to help clean out your Subaru, and also to help keep it protected from pests in the future.
Mike Shaw Subaru
1650 W 104th Avenue
Thornton, CO 80234
- Sales: 720-724-9280
- Service: 720-724-9280
- Parts: 720-724-9280
