Rodent Decontamination - Engine bay
This Hyundai Tuscan was brought to us with rodent contamination, which appears to be rats. Thankfully, they had only entered the engine compartment and not the main cabin. We treat the entire car anyway because rats can transmit several diseases to humans, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. These diseases can be spread through contact with rat droppings, urine, or saliva, or by inhaling airborne particles contaminated with these substances. This is why you should always consult a professional to for decontamination and cleaning services after a rodent infestation in your car, especially in the engine-bay as modern cars cannot be jet washed and electrical components are prone to damage by water.
There is a myth that car manufacturers use electrical wires which are coated in a soy derivative rather than plastic, in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly. It's not true, but regardless rodents like to chew to control the growth of their teeth, and wiring seems to offers a tasty snack for all kinds of rodents, and has caused issues up and down the country. In this case, we don't think they are soy bases wires, but rodents love to chew through wiring anyway. Thankfully, the damage was minimal, and it was an easy fix for our auto-electrician.
This video is compiled of clips which we sent as video reports to the customer. As we often deal with insurance companies, we document everything and make video reports as we go, keeping the client informed and allowing them to make choices. For example, in the case of this car, the customer had us repair wiring which had been chewed through, but opted not to replace sound insulation foam which had been nibbled on.