Wiring Harness Short

[GeneL]

After 10,000 miles the center console lights went out. The car was in the shop for 2 days and they coulod not find the problem. Then they called and told me that "apparently" a mose chewed through the wiring harness. This would not be covered by warranty and it would cost "thousands" and I should call my insurance company. It strikes me odd. To me it seems like they did not know what was wrong and decided that the easiest thing to do was replace the entire wiring harness and not cover it under warranty. Any thoughts? They said this kind of thing happens alot. I drive the car all the time and I don't exactly live in the sticks. When I asked how they could get into my console, they told me "through the tail pipe"!

Any help or info would be appreciated.

Thaks in advance.

G

[RX400h]

Wait a minute - did they show you chewed up wire as proof? You and your insurance company deserve that.

[katzjamr]

i agree on the pictures especially if they want the insurance company to cover it. I offer the following true story only as an example that a rat or mouse can get into the 400h cabin even though it is totally locked up tight. My commercial building houses my retail store and a closed restaurant and the garage where i park the Lexus at night. The three areas are under one roof separated by walls but with the same crawl spaces under the entire building. The closed restaurant had left food behind and we got rats. I have trapped 26 in a two week period using 5 rat traps baited with beef jerky and my springer spaniel has caught four himself. (you havent lived until you realize your dog has been coming up and licking you just after munching on a rat in his favorite hiding place).

Three mornings ago i noticed a half eaten small bag of trail mix was in the back seat, not where i left it and something had eaten all of it. Since the car was locked i thought perhaps the rat was still inside and i took everything out and looked for it. No rat. The next morning the remains of a muffin, including the paper wrapper, all of a granola bar and a one ounce sample of premium dog food were eaten. Nothing left but the plastic dog food wrapper. Yes there was a rat dropping and since we are commercial cleaners i totally vaccumed and wet cleaned the carpets. The last two nights i have been parking the 400h outside with no rat breakins. I guess tonight i could put rat traps inside the vehicle with it parked back in the garage.

I dont know how it gets in or out, i cant see how its still inside, perhaps the fact that i had food in there saved my wires. I am not proud of this story, however it is actually happening.

[Gryphon]

Obviously all Lexuses should come with an included bag of trail mix as a decoy.

Tom

[SKperformance]

LOL , it is not Lexus fault for not finding it right away or that you have a rodent problem.

It is a wiring short caused by them mouse and they are the hardest thing in the world to find.

Depedning on how many wires it hit you could repair them by cutting and lengthening them

BTW i had a cousin in Florida with blazer , i won't get into the story of me waking up inside it with cockroaches on me.

I decided to give him a going away gift before i left and bought a roach bomb for a house. I set it off inside the truck and 3 hours later i searched high and low and not one roach could be found around under or inside.

[shrewsburyite]

After 10,000 miles the center console lights went out. The car was in the shop for 2 days and they coulod not find the problem. Then they called and told me that "apparently" a mose chewed through the wiring harness. This would not be covered by warranty and it would cost "thousands" and I should call my insurance company. It strikes me odd. To me it seems like they did not know what was wrong and decided that the easiest thing to do was replace the entire wiring harness and not cover it under warranty. Any thoughts? They said this kind of thing happens alot. I drive the car all the time and I don't exactly live in the sticks. When I asked how they could get into my console, they told me "through the tail pipe"!

Any help or info would be appreciated.

Thaks in advance.

G

My 2006 RX400h (bamboo pearl) was in Valet Parking 5/13/08 to 5/18/08. When I picked it up, the power steering was bad. Gone. Took it to the dealer on 5/19/08. After the dealer replaced the rack and pinion AND the computer, they discovered that the fault was somewhere between the rear power supply and the power steering. New cable. No good. Then they discovered the eaten wiring in the wiring harness. Again, "not under warranty", and my insurance has to cover it.

How, I ask, HOW do varmits get into a rather high-end luxury vehicle and eat the wiring? Today is June 11, and I have not received my vehicle back.

How do we contact LEXUS of US and tell them that, since this seems to be a recurring problem, they need to fix it? My car is normally parked at home, where I've never seen ANY evidence of a varmit in or near anything; and at work, it's in a covered but open-sided garage. The Hotel is also investigating what might have gotten into the car, as it was parked in the Boston Commons garage for that time.

Seems to me it's an engineering fault ... error by design ... call it what you will. Not properly built/designed. I might go back to my other car - 1991 Mazda Miata, Special Edition, British Racing Green. In the meantime, the insurance adjuster has gone to look / photograph the wiring. I can't wait to see what it looks like! I'll post the photos if I can ever get them.

[LexRexBlue]

Sorry I didn't read your post earlier. Years ago I had brought my old RX in for service. I paid for it and left. I drove about 1/4 mile and the (I didn't know what it was because I had never seen it before) the check engine light came on. I called them and they said bring it back. They hooked it up to the computers--nothing. So they told me to try it again. This time I got about 1/2 mile away and it came on. They had me bring it back and gave me a loaner. It turns out a rodent (they never said what kind) had built a nest inside and chewed all kinds of wires! It took a week to fix!!! But, they covered it under warranty!!! Some dealers are better than others but if you're still disputing the issue I'd pursue it further!

[Gryphon]

I was in the service industry when I was younger. It is not difficult to lean toward the customer and get a repair covered under warranty if you are so inclined. Dealers that take a "hard stance" are quiite frankly fools.

Tom

[SW03ES]

How do we contact LEXUS of US and tell them that, since this seems to be a recurring problem, they need to fix it? My car is normally parked at home, where I've never seen ANY evidence of a varmit in or near anything; and at work, it's in a covered but open-sided garage. The Hotel is also investigating what might have gotten into the car, as it was parked in the Boston Commons garage for that time.

Seems to me it's an engineering fault ... error by design ... call it what you will. Not properly built/designed. I might go back to my other car - 1991 Mazda Miata, Special Edition, British Racing Green. In the meantime, the insurance adjuster has gone to look / photograph the wiring. I can't wait to see what it looks like! I'll post the photos if I can ever get them.

Go to car forums for other makes and search "rat" and read what you get. This is not a problem unique to Lexus vehicles, its a problem unique to people who have rats. Its not Lexus' responsibility. I'd go after the garage for not properly exterminating their garage.

If the dealer got it covered, they lied to Lexus to get it covered and said the harness was faulty, which some dealers will do for good customers. You can't blame dealers who choose not to lie.

The dealer doesn't care if the warranty covers it or not, if the warranty covers it Lexus pays them for the work, if it doesn't then you pay. Either way they get paid.

[ny10029]

afrer Go to car forums for other makes and search "rat" and read . finds out even not a problem unique to Lexus vehicles, but its looks a lots new car owner had this problem

we have 3 car park together , why only new 07es 350 cable been chewed.

read from other web - some of cable are made by soy base don't know its real or not ?

[SW03ES]

Who knows...ask the rat why they chose the ES.

Animals do weird and random things.

What you're saying is like claiming its Lexus fault because a tree fell on your ES, and didn't fall on your other two cars all parked together. Or because a vandal smashed all the ES' windows and left the other cars untouched. Its random acts of an outside force at work, and Lexus cannot be held responsible for that.

Thats why you have insurance