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Rear Ended and Rodent Damage

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by WiscPriusc, May 7, 2013.

  1. WiscPriusc

    WiscPriusc Member

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    Decided to get an oil change as my 5k maintenance light was on. I'm old school and feel it's good to get that first oil out a little early due to new engine metal, etc. Ten minutes later the techs call me over and show me that 1/2 of my engine blanket is destroyed and now laying all over the ICE. Luckily no nest nor live mice. New hoodliner pad $232 at dealer. I am unsure if I should just tear the thing off and be done or spend the cash and wonder if the mice will return?

    I was wondering if any other Prius C owners have had rodent damage? I park in an urban area with a covered garage - open no doors. I drive every other day, have heard about moth balls, peppermint oil, pepper spray, etc. Any suggestions for prevention? Thanks, WiscPriusC
     
  2. B2FiNiTY

    B2FiNiTY Active Member

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    I kept reading for the rear ended part but it never came.

    For that price, I would just keep whatever hood liner you have left on there. Doesn't seem worth it to replace it.
     
  3. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    Did the mice return and rear end you?
     
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  4. B2FiNiTY

    B2FiNiTY Active Member

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    lol, that just doesn't sound right.... :eek:
     
  5. minkus

    minkus Active Member

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  6. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    They rear "ended" him indirectly by the means of dealer raping him by the engine cover replacement price.
    I'm glad I could help.
     
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  7. WiscPriusc

    WiscPriusc Member

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    Actually, the rear-ending was the precursor to the discover of the mouse destruction. Luckily the rear-ending only resulted in two small scratches on the bumper-cover - so it seems the Prius C is tougher than it sometimes feels.
     
  8. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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  9. Bec98x

    Bec98x Junior Member

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    It also acts as a fire suppressant. If the engine catches on fire the pad drops on top of the engine/fire giving you a little extra time to get out of the vehicle.
     
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  10. dick_larimore

    dick_larimore Member

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    The hood blanket serves to reduce the heating of the hood from the engine ( thermal insulation). There is no engine cover on the Prius C and without the blanket, the paint on the hood may be damaged (finish is dulled) over time. Apparently, you don't check your engine oil, etc and lift the hood from time to time so as to notice mice chewing away on stuff. For some strange reason, mice like to chew on hood insulation and make nest material from it. I wonder if these little critters built a nest under the hood or in the air intake into your HVAC.
     
  11. NaptownPrius

    NaptownPrius Getting Greener....

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    I wonder if bags of mothballs under there would help.
     
  12. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    The car would have a serious design flaw if he has to check his oil in the first year. I would almost guarantee that the majority of people on this website haven't opened their new cars to check the oil in the first year. Will there be a few? Absolutely, but not the majority.
     
  13. WiscPriusc

    WiscPriusc Member

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    Actually, prior to this I opened my hood about 1x month. It really only takes a day or two of work for a rodent to do significant damage. I will now be opening my hood at least every weekend :)
     
  14. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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  15. Rob.au

    Rob.au Active Member

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    Aren't you meant to check it weekly? :eek:

    I'm not saying I do... but normally about once a month or at worst, every second month, I will check. I expect not to have to top up oil between my half-yearly servicing, but if there's an issue I do want to know about it.
     
  16. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    You shouldn't have to... some people do and that's their prerogative... but with a new vehicle, you shouldn't ever have to. Maybe when the car is 5 or 6 years old, but even then, the newer cars are very well sealed.

    But I don't have to worry about it. I drive 5k miles in 3 months, so the dealer gets plenty of under :oops: hood time with my car.
     
  17. Ashley7

    Ashley7 Active Member

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    Yeah, uh, I never open my hood. Once when I first got it and a self described "car guy" wanted to look at it. I'm a lazy car owner. I follow the maintenance schedule, but do none of it myself. Sorry car people. Shake your heads and/or fists at me if you'd like. Part of the reason, though, that I bought a Toyota was the reliability and lack of constant maintenance.
     
  18. minkus

    minkus Active Member

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    I don't have to do any maintenance for another 1.5 years. I've opened my hood several times, mostly to see what's going on under there and ooh and ahh at the shiny stuff before it gets dirty. It's also good to know where fuses, jump points, fluid check locations and such are, as well as to be sure there aren't any rodents under there.
     
  19. Rob.au

    Rob.au Active Member

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    Also good to remove any leaves that collect in the tray-like area at the rear of the engine bay, below the windscreen. Easiest car to remove leaves from given they made it a tray rather than a deep canal like most cars.
     
  20. Rob.au

    Rob.au Active Member

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    Argh... it's happened to me now... rodent damage! It/they attacked my washer system in multiple places. I can't be sure of the exact timing but it appears I discovered the washers weren't working around the same time they did it. At first it was simply that the windscreen jets were not operational.

    I had been away for a month in June/July and it wasn't until a few weeks later that I had an instance where I went to use the washers. I had forgotten that I normally avoid using them at night because with the headlights on, the headlight washers are used as well. The headlight washers serve no purpose at all other than to leave spots all over the front of the car... but on that night the illuminated water fountains told me that part of the system was working. I also tested the rear washer successfully.

    washer_damage_1.jpg
    Looking in the engine bay I immediately saw the problem. Clearly there's a break around the hose joiner, but also there's clearly bite damage with holes on the underside of the upper hose. I don't know if the diagram on the right is accurate for my model (it comes courtesy of Google searching) but if the part marked 85389B is meant to be there, there's no sign of it now.

    I also noticed the level of the washer reservoir was far lower than normal. I normally just keep my windows clean and rarely use the washers. I refilled it, but soon discovered the car was leaking washer fluid, taking about 5-6 days for the 4.7L to leak out completely. I was about due for a service so I waited until last night to refill the reservoir before taking the car in today, but by the time I got home from the service station where I filled it, it was already empty again. The official verdict was that as well as the above, they have to order two hoses marked below (from the headlight washer system) from Japan. They're not expensive, but I'll have to wait about three weeks.

    washer_damage_2.jpg
    I guess I can be thankful that they chose to gnaw on a non-critical system... I just hope they/it is actually gone now!