How to Keep Animals Out of My Car Engine
It’s a common problem: you park your car, and when you come back to it, you find that an animal has gotten into your engine. This can be a major inconvenience, and it can also be dangerous if the animal has caused damage to your car.
There are a few things you can do to keep animals out of your car engine:
1. Keep your car clean
Animals are attracted to food and shelter, so keeping your car clean will make it less appealing to them. Be sure to clean up any food or crumbs, and vacuum the interior of your car regularly.
2. Close all windows and doors
This is a simple but effective way to keep animals out of your car. When you park your car, be sure to close all windows and doors, even if you’re only going to be away for a short period of time.
3. Use a car cover
A car cover can help to keep animals out of your car by providing a physical barrier. When you’re not using your car, cover it with a car cover to make it less appealing to animals.
4. Park in a garage
If you have a garage, parking your car in it is the best way to keep animals out of it. A garage provides a secure, enclosed space that animals can’t get into.
5. Use animal repellents
There are a number of animal repellents available on the market. These repellents can be sprayed around your car to deter animals from coming near it. Be sure to follow the instructions on the product label carefully.
6. Make your car unattractive to animals
There are a few things you can do to make your car unattractive to animals. For example, you can avoid leaving food or trash in your car, and you can keep the interior of your car clean. You can also try spraying your car with a citrus-based cleaner, which animals find unpleasant.
7. Call animal control
If you’ve tried all of the above methods and you’re still having problems with animals getting into your car engine, you may need to call animal control. Animal control officers can help to remove animals from your car and prevent them from coming back.
By following these tips, you can help to keep animals out of your car engine and avoid the inconvenience and expense of having to repair it.
10 WAYS TO KEEP ANIMALS OUT OF YOUR CAR ENGINE
1. MAKE REGULAR CHECK-UPS
To learn how to keep animals out of your car engine, now that prevention is one of the best ways.
Spotting the problem on time and taking action before anything bad happens is the best scenario.
For cats
Sure tell-tale signs will be traces of paws and fur. Look for traces on the engine cover, behind the engine, under the engine, or any other convenient or big enough part of the engine bay.
For mice, rats, and other rodents
Traces of straws, rags, or perhaps little pieces of plastic bags are a sure sign you have a rodent problem. Rodents use these for making nests.
Check the hidden and secluded places in the engine bay like the wiper mechanism compartment, fuse boxes under the hood, pockets near the headlights, the plastic casing for the battery, and so on.
Also, you may encounter nibbled or damaged wiring installation, rubber seals, plastic parts, or else. If you see this, tend to the problem immediately so it doesn’t cause any further damage (like short circuits, leaks, or else).
One more obvious sign is a strong odor coming from the ventilation system. Mice tend to find their way inside it and die there. The strong smell of decay eventually gets to the passenger cabin.
So, if you change the cabin filter, disinfect the ventilation system and there is still a foul smell, you might want to start searching for this.
A definite sign that you have a rodent problem is feces all over the engine bay or inside the passenger cabin.
Making regular checkups is something a lot of drivers don’t have a habit of doing. For learning more about check-ups you can watch our YouTube video or visit the page dedicated to that.
2. BE ALERT WHEN YOU NOTICE THE PROBLEM
As mentioned, animals have habits and needs and act accordingly to them.
With some luck, you’ll be able to spot the animal running to or from the car.
They will have to leave their shelter in search of food so sometimes take a glance (just a minute or two) and see if you can spot the animal.
On this part, I would also like to mention that small puppies have a nasty habit of curling behind the wheel making them almost invisible. If you have one and it walks around freely, take a look before you start driving.
Bigger animals are, of course, easier to spot, rodents are somewhat trickier. Nevertheless, if you pay attention you can catch them in the act.
3. USE THE CAR HORN BEFORE YOU START THE ENGINE
Pretty basic tip but very effective, especially for larger animals like cats, squirrels, or even dogs.
Before you start the engine and start driving, honk the horn two or three short times.
Animals don’t like strong and unexpected noises and if there is one it will surely run away.
4. HIT THE HOOD BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
Same principle as with the horn. The strong and sudden sound of hitting the hood should certainly drive the animal away.
Do this before starting the engine or driving, best before you enter the car.
Don’t use too much force so you don’t damage the hood. Rather make a slight slap with an open fist.
5. USE A NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL REPELLANT
How to keep animals out of your car engine? Using some sort of repellant is one of the best ways.
Most repellents function on the principle of having a strong odor that, when put in proper places, drives the animal away.
There are two basic types: natural and artificial.
I would recommend trying natural ones first. Most of them are widely available in most countries and are harmless.
For the artificial ones, best consult a veterinarian or an expert in the field before using any.
For cats
For mice
Try with pepper, cloves, peppermint, or oils from any of these plants.
These strong scents tend to drive the rodents away.
One of the best ways to distribute these is by using an old woman’s stocking and filling it with one of the mentioned repellents. If you’re using oil, best to take some cotton balls, soak them with the oil, and put them in the stocking.
Leave it inside the engine bay or passenger cabin for some time. Best overnight or as long as you won’t drive the car. Just don’t forget to remove it before you start driving.
Also, if possible, leave the hood or passenger cabin open for some time before driving so the scent can evaporate.
Doing this for a couple of days or perhaps a week should be enough to drive away from the animal for good.
On this part I must mention what I did to stop the cat from resting on the engine cover: I used cockpit spray, both for cleaning and repelling. First I cleaned the engine cover with a wet cloth and used the spray. Seems the scent drove the cat away for good and the engine cover was as good as new.
Worked for me so maybe you can try it.
6. USE AN ELECTRONIC SOUND REPELLANT
These gadgets are very popular both for their effectiveness and because they are pretty easy to install.
Electronic sound repellents produce an ultrasonic sound that animals find disturbing and run away from.
For cars, the sound repellant works by connecting it to the car battery (in most cases).
There are usually clamps or connectors for easy installation, usually near the car battery.
The sound, in most cases, is strong enough even to reach the passenger cabin.
Perhaps the best part is that there isn’t any odor and it’s easy to use.
7. USE MOUSE TRAPS
Old fashioned way but if you want to know how to keep animals out of your car engine, you should have this in mind.
I would recommend the plastic mouse traps with the bate already attached. These are cheap, pretty effective, and have less possibility of causing damage in the engine bay.
You should put them in suspected pathways of the rodents.
But make sure that you don’t put them anywhere near sensitive installations like wiring, connectors, fuel lines, or else. When sprung, the trap may cause damage to the surroundings in the engine bay.
If the rodent is inside the passenger cabin, best to leave the trap in the footwells.
Again, don’t forget to check and remove the traps from the engine bay before starting to drive.
If you’ve set more than one, be sure to account for all of them. The last thing you want is for it to fall into the serpentine belt or something like that.
8. AVOID PARKING NEAR GARBAGE CANS AND DUMPSTERS
If you want to know how to keep animals out of your car engine, then best avoid parking near garbage cans or dumpsters.
These are some of the favorite places for mice, rats, and other rodents as they are an excellent and regular food source.
If you have a regular parking place near a dumpster or garbage can, know that it’s only a matter of time before you get an unwanted visitor.
Your car might be in their path, they may scent something in the car or may seek shelter.
What’s even worse, just one night spent near a can or dumpster can cause mice or rodents to nest in your car.
All in all, avoid parking and leaving the car near them whenever possible.
9. KEEP THE PASSENGER CABIN CLEAN
This tip is not directly for how to keep animals out of your car engine but it is connected.
From what I’ve encountered, mice and rodents in most cases like to nest inside the passenger cabin while the exit is through the engine bay.
So, if you prevent nesting, you’ll probably reduce the possibility of damage.
One of the best ways to do this is to cut the food source.
What is a good food source? Leftovers in the passenger cabin.
Greasy wrappings, crumbs, little pieces of meat, vegetables all may give off a strong scent that will attract them.
This goes double if you don’t regularly clean the passenger cabin and leftovers are always present. Then the rodents will make a habit of visiting and feeding.
So, to avoid this, clean the car interior regularly, especially from food leftovers.
For instance, a good practice is to immediately clean the car after every takeout, especially with kids. Get rid of all the packaging and if possible use a vacuum cleaner for the interior.
Also, any kind of food/drink spilling should be tended to immediately.
If you have to clean your car interior and want to do it at home, click here for a separate article on that topic.
10. CHECK THE THINGS YOUR LOADING IN THE CAR
This last tip is from personal experience. You don’t have to necessarily use it when learning how to keep animals out of your car engine.
The story goes like this: once I loaded a protective mesh for our greenhouse in my station wagon not checking if there was anything inside. It was folded multiple times and was under the shed for days.
That made it a perfect temporary hideout for a mouse. So, it came into the car with the mesh.
Luckily, later when I was waiting in the car for my wife I heard a weak scratching noise coming from somewhere inside the passenger cabin.
As I live in the countryside, I knew pretty much immediately what it was. So when we arrived home, I set up a few traps overnight and the problem was solved.
To be honest, I was lucky, sometimes solving the problem takes much more time and the rodent can cause damage before it’s caught.
Lesson: whenever loading things that may contain rodents, inspect it, give it a bit of a shake, or unfold it. The rodent will certainly run away.
Do this especially if the things were stored in places where mice, rats, or other rodents may be present.
CONCLUSION
I must emphasize again that prevention is the best solution. Spotting the problem and reacting on time is the best way to keep animals out of your car engine and the whole car.
If you neglect it, know that something as small as a mouse can cause some huge damage which is both dangerous and expensive to repair.
As mentioned, these tips apply to the most common situations with the most common animals.
Other animals that are known to cause problems are raccoons, squirrels, snakes, other types of lizards or insects. In this case, it’s best to look up habits or ways of feeding for each animal to find a solution.
With more aggressive or dangerous animals don’t hesitate to call specialized services that know how to handle this in a safe and professional manner.
In the end, when it comes to situations like these, the best outcome both for you and the animal is a safe and sound parting.
Written by: Sibin Spasojevic
Former car technician, life-long car and DIY enthusiast, author for Despairrepair.com
HOW TO KEEP ANIMALS OUT OF YOUR CAR ENGINE? YOUTUBE VIDEO
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HOW TO KEEP ANIMALS FROM INVADING YOUR ENGINE COMPARTMENT
It’s odd, but to a wild animal (and even some domestics), the warmth of a car engine just minutes after you’ve parked it can be very inviting. Cats, rats, raccoons, and squirrels have been known to climb into engine compartments and set up a home in that tight, forbidding space.
To a small animal, it’s protection from other predators and a pretty smart fort to set up in. So our furry friends will climb up into your engine compartment and nap away, only to experience distress and horror when kind, unknowing you climbs in the car and drives with them still stuck in the engine the next morning. Engines run hot and are full of moving parts and belts, so it’s life-threatening for them and no laughing matter.
Here are some tips you can take to avoid an unexpected, accidental engine occupation by a critter:
- Keep the hood up at night. If you are parked somewhere that you feel is safe from miscreants who might tamper with your exposed engine, leaving the hood open at night will ensure that critters won’t try to nest in it, as it offers no protection from the cold after a few minutes. And if they should try, you can quickly see where they have if your engine is open and you have to close it properly to drive.
- Knock three times above the wheel mount. If a critter is in there, this is a warning that chaos is about to reign, and gives the animal time to run for its life.
- Let your engine run for a minute before your start. We already advise clients to do this, because it ensures that oil is getting to all parts of your engine, but it can give cats and rodents a moment to realize, Hey, this is getting a bit too hot, too noisy, and I think I want to run. If you get in your car and push it to 55 suddenly, you are hurting your engine and potentially surprising a sleeping stowaway who won’t get out once the car is in motion out of fear.
- Don’t keep food near your car. If you have pet food in the garage, it can attract animals. If you have fast food in your car that hasn’t been thrown away, throw it away. Food + warmth are the two strongest motivators of a wild critter in the wintertime.
Things you shouldn’t do:
- Do NOT start the engine and rev it up to scare the animal. It is more likely to scare the animal into thinking you are already moving and cause it to freeze up.
- Do NOT try to remove the critter. It could have rabies, and it is likely to try to climb deeper into the engine to avoid you.
- Do NOT use pepper on your engine block. We’ve seen good-hearted people suggest this, but let me remind you that you do not want pepper invading your engine’s intakes and clogging your car’s fuel system. And it can wear down in strength, and then actually ATTRACT some rodents to the engine.
- Do NOT call a mechanic to remove an animal. Animal Services will do this for you.
We hope you don’t have any issues this winter with animals entering your engine block and setting up a home. But if you do, we hope you’ll take steps to safely see them out of the space. If disaster strikes and an animal should have an unfortunate end in your machine, contact us about what steps to take next, Just click on this embedded link to schedule an appointment with an auto mechanic who will look over the damage for you. We’re located at 8608 North State Road 19, Etna Green, IN 46524, and it’s our pleasure to serve your needs.
