Hi Everyone,

A few years ago, I had some rodents get into my engine bay and they destroyed some wires that have been replaced, but they also ate this small portion of the liner. Never thought too much of it because the previous Lexus dealership I always serviced my car never said anything about replacing it.

Today, I took my car to a different Lexus dealership for service (I was overcharged last time, hence going to a new dealership). The New Dealership recommended replacing the whole liner because it could potentially lead to a fire or something to that effect. It would also cost over $5000 as the entire engine needs to be removed to replace it.

Supposedly, my insurance will cover it under comprehensive coverage; we will see. The service advisor mentioned that there's no rush to replace it, but it should be done at some point. Currently, my deductible is over $500, and the repair is expected to take a minimum of 2 weeks. It will involve a lengthy process, including a claim adjuster visiting the dealership. I don't have the energy to deal with this right now as well as the additional cost of the deductible.

Since my previous Lexus dealership never mentioned replacing this, Am I being sold a bill of goods with this recommendation from this new dealership? Also, in the meantime, are there any hacks like putting something as heat shield insulation just to cover that exposed area?

Not sure if it matters but the CT200 gets around between 41-44 miles per gallon and has 45,000 miles on it.

Thank you.

 

I really can’t see that being a problem, and I would wonder if an insurance adjuster would say the same given the $5k price. I’m not seeing the high-risk scenario here.

My step-son’s Volvo S60 has rodent/something damage of a similar size, and in the same area, almost (slightly lower). I just put some black gorilla tape over it and we’ve been good for several years and 30k miles since then. If this were a real worry, I’m also sure some suitable material could be spliced in somehow w/o pulling the engine. Seems like a sledghammer/walnut type answer. Unless there truly is something non-obvious here, it also makes me question the dealership’s opinion and practices.

 

Great, thank you. I have realized that the last few times, having gone to two different dealerships, they recommend whatever they can or will overcharge me for service. Hence, I am questioning everything moving forward.

So Gorilla tape seems safe enough to put there?

Also, what do you think about maybe something such as heat shield tape?

 

If you wanted to be thorough, you could cut some Roxul insulation or fiberglass matting down to size and stuff it in as best as possible. Just as fire tolerant as OEM. I would not spend that kind of money to replace it. If I'm not mistaken, that insulation is more for sound than it is fire (hence the firewall!).
Edit: Just clicked your link, that heat shield stuff looks great.

 

It makes sense that the heat shield is more for insulation than for fire protection, especially since the service advisor backtracked on how urgent it was for me to get it done asap. Thank you for confirming that I can get the heat shield.

 

Those service writers must really need to make a big sale to meet their commission quota this month!
I doubt the insurance company would agree to pay for this unnecessary repair. Just follow the recommendations above, there is no fire hazard from this tiny hole. Heat shield tape from Amazon will work as would foil duct tape You don't need extra insulation, just tape it over and maybe spray paint it black to blend in.
Cars for decades never had any such insulation and it is mostly to muffle engine noise and keep things Lexus quiet in the cabin.

 

Great, thank you! I love this community.

 

That was also my thinking - it’s sound material for the most part. It’s fire-resistant for obvious reasons, but it’s not to save the passengers or vehicle in case of fire. Their sales pitch on the job sounds hokey.

 

Just to also chime in, that there is absolutely no issue here. No danger, nothing needs to be done. Seems like one dealership overbills, and another over sells. That tiny spot of lost insulation will have no effect on anything. Drive and rest easy!

 

Thank you. I also was an idiot by having them charge me over $130 for a new air filter, which I found on eBay for $30 dollars. Lesson learned.