Rodent Damage to Car Wiring in Perth

This guide is for Perth drivers who have found chewed wires, droppings under the bonnet or a strange new fault after the car has been parked for a while. It looks at why rats and mice get into cars around Perth, the signs to watch for, what you can safely check, and how wiring damage is repaired properly.

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Why Perth cars attract rats and mice

Rats and mice live right across the Perth metro area, from the inner suburbs to the newer estates on the urban fringe. Homes backing onto bushland, wetlands and reserves, such as those around Lake Joondalup, Herdsman Lake and Bibra Lake, often see them. So do semi-rural blocks in the hills and on the edges of Armadale and Wanneroo, where sheds, hay, chook pens and stored feed give them food and shelter.

An engine bay suits a rodent well. It is sheltered, dark, often warm after a drive, and full of material they can use. When nights cool down, rats and mice look harder for warm places to nest, and a car parked in a carport or open shed is easy to get into.

Cars that sit still are the biggest targets. A FIFO worker's second car, a weekend four-wheel drive, a classic in the shed or a work ute parked at a depot over the Christmas shutdown can all go weeks without being started. That gives rodents time to move in.

Why they chew wiring

Rodents' front teeth never stop growing, so they chew constantly to keep them worn down. Wire insulation, foam, sound deadening, plastic clips and rubber hoses are all within easy reach in an engine bay. They also strip insulation and fibre to build nests, often on top of the engine, behind the battery or inside the air filter box.

The damage isn't always obvious. A single chewed wire hidden in a loom can cause an intermittent fault that takes time to trace. Damage to sensor wiring can trigger warning lights, rough running or limp mode. Chewed cables near the alternator or starter can cause charging or starting problems.

Signs your car has had a visitor

Some of these signs overlap with other faults, so don't assume. But if you see droppings and a new fault together, rodent damage is a strong suspect.

• Droppings on the engine cover, battery or under the bonnet lining.
• Nesting material such as shredded insulation, leaves, paper or pet food stashed in the engine bay or air box.
• Chewed or bare wires, cut plastic clips or holes in hoses.
• A burnt or musty smell through the air conditioning vents.
• New warning lights, a car that won't start, or electrical items that suddenly stop working after the car has been parked.
• Tracks or smudge marks in the dust on the engine cover.

What you can safely check yourself

With the engine off and cool, lift the bonnet and have a good look with a torch. Wear gloves and avoid stirring up dust from droppings or nests. Clear out nesting material, including from the air filter box, and check the cabin air filter if your car has one, since a nest there can foul the air conditioning.

Look along the main looms near the battery, fuse box, firewall and engine. If you find chewed insulation, don't just wrap it in tape and hope. Bare copper can short to the body, blow fuses or, at worst, start a fire. If you smell burning or see smoke, stop and read our guide on burning smell or smoke from car wiring.

A multimeter can confirm whether a simple circuit, like a light, has power. Sensor and data wiring is harder to test properly, and modern looms carry low-voltage signals that don't tolerate poor joins. Never touch orange high-voltage cables on a hybrid or EV. Damage to those, or near airbag wiring, is work for licensed professionals only.

How wiring repairs are done properly

A good repair replaces the damaged section with wire of the same gauge, joined with proper crimp or solder joints and sealed with adhesive-lined heat shrink. Joins are staggered so the loom doesn't end up with a lump, and the loom is re-wrapped and secured where it was. For small, simple circuits, our guide on how to crimp wire connectors explains the basics.

When a loom has many chewed wires, or the damage is inside a connector, a section of loom or a whole sub-harness may need replacing. Data and sensor wires, such as those for CAN bus, ABS sensors or cameras, need extra care. After repairs, any fault codes should be cleared and the car checked to make sure they don't return. See how to read fault codes with an OBD2 scanner.

Check your car insurance policy too. Some comprehensive policies cover rodent damage and some exclude it. Take photos of the damage and the nest before anything is cleaned up, in case you need to make a claim.

Keeping rodents out of your car

Prevention is mostly about making the car and its surroundings less inviting.

• Drive the car regularly, or at least start it and lift the bonnet every week or so if it is parked long term.
• Don't store pet food, bird seed, chook feed or rubbish near where the car is parked. Use sealed containers.
• Clear leaf litter and stored junk from carports and sheds so rodents have fewer places to hide.
• Park in a closed garage if you can, and block gaps around doors.
• Ask a licensed pest controller about baiting or trapping around the shed or garage, especially on semi-rural blocks.
• Be careful with baits around pets and children, and never put baits inside the engine bay.

Getting help

If you've found damage and the car won't start or has warning lights, a mobile auto electrician can usually come to you rather than you arranging a tow. Our national guide on rodent damage to car wiring covers the general background. For local help, start with our pages for Joondalup, Armadale and Midland.

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Questions Perth drivers ask

Can I just tape up a chewed wire?

It's not a lasting fix. Tape can lift with engine heat and vibration, letting the wire short or corrode. A proper repair cuts out the damaged section, joins in new wire of the same size with crimped or soldered joints, and seals them with heat shrink. For sensor, data or airbag wiring, get an auto electrician to do the repair.

Does car insurance cover rodent damage in WA?

It depends on the insurer and the policy. Some comprehensive policies cover it, while others list it as an exclusion. Read your product disclosure statement or call your insurer before repairs start. Take clear photos of the chewed wiring, droppings and nests first, as you may need them to support a claim.

Why do rats target my car and not my neighbour's?

Usually it's the setting rather than the car. A car that sits for weeks, parked near stored feed, a compost bin, bushland or a cluttered shed, is far more likely to be visited. Some owners also report certain models being targeted more often. Regular use and a tidy parking area make the biggest difference.

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