Clutch shop saga (rodent damage?)
 

I'd like some opinions.

A 2013 FRS with 68,000 miles was dropped at a shop who has a good reputation.

The throw out bearing was making noise, figured its time to do the clutch.

Purchased new clutch, fork, pivot, flywheel, clutch housing cover, redline trans fluid for the job.

Drop off car, no check engine lights everything is great other than minimally noisy throw out bearing when clutch is in.

Talk to the guy at the shop. Tell him I know these aren't the easiest cars to work on. A lot has to come off the car to do the clutch, including starter, exhaust, interior parts to get the trans out. I tell him the entire procedure is on several youtube sites, if his techs are unfamiliar with the car. The shop manual says its a 5 hour job but I'd understand if it took more time than that.

He says no problem.

2 hours later I get a message: "Theres lots of rodent damage to your wires, I'm gonna have to get my electrics guy and its going to be expensive and I need to buy a reverse lite harness and maybe some others."

I talk to him and he says on the phone, "Didn't you notice the check engine light? Thats from the rats".

I say, I had no check engine light in the car ever and I cant afford a new car, just figure it out and please send me a picture of the rat damage.

So the pics come to my phone.

I text back, " HMM, so Im pretty sure those harnesses are suppose to be unhooked before the trans come out but okay...."

I'm now wondering if the car will ever run again and if I'm going to have a dozen crappy butt joints in my harness that are all going to go bad after rain and dirt get in there.

Asking for help looking at these photos. Am I crazy or does it look like the two connectors on top of the trans were not disconnected. The other damage looks like it was from the harness pulling down against things straining until things broke as the trans was removed.

The gray stuff on the wires looks like insulation pulled from the the harness
and carpet.

Am I crazy? I've seen mice eat cars before. It didn't look like this.

What can I do at this point?

The car is disassembled at the shop. Original quote was $1600, ish for the labor, (I sourced all the parts) and now he says at least an hour at $185/hr for his "wire guy".

more
 

If the wires were that damaged I could have never even driven the car to his shop!! It would have been more than the non existent check engine light he claims was on.

I'm so damn angry right now. I really love this car and take very good care of it.

I don't think those wires being chewed up would cause a check engine light. Those are neutral and reverse switches. The only thing that might happen is getting no reverse lights.

Since the call was within 2 hours and the first picture is with the transmission installled I doubt they caused this issue. An hour to fix that is fair if they do not use but splices. I would just replace the transmission harness switch assemblies. those switches and harnesses are only $31 and $37 list price. Just make sure they repair the cassis side connector well.

I think it's pretty coincidental that only the wires to the transmission were "attacked".

Got lucky.

100% rodent damage.

Thanks for the replies so far.
To me the pic with the two top connectors circled, looks like the mating connector is still attached. With all the wires yanked out of them.

But maybe it’s reasonable that mice ate the wires right off the connector?
This is all so crazy.

Yea, my reverse switch has been out for 2 years, no check engine light.

Any turds?
They always leave turds.

Those wouldn't have thrown a code. Like 99% sure. Ones reverse indicator so your backup lights probably were not working. Can't remember what the other is for. Looks like something chewed it to me. Would be pretty hard to damage those pulling the trans unless they forgot to disconnect them, even then, doubt it would look like that.

The other switch is a neutral switch used in the cruse control circuit. You would never know unless you pushed your transmission into neutral without the clutch while cruse control was active.

rat turds
 

I only have the pics he sent attached below. Didn't see any but maybe they hit it with some compressed air.

Code
 

Thats very helpful.
I don't think i've used cruise control in many years.

Just repeating, I didn't have any codes before dropping it. Never other than a tire pressure light one time, years ago and thats not check engine. I don't know where the got that info about "didn't you notice the check engine light". I would have noticed. I'm the guy who changes oil every 5,000 miles and puts the date on the filter.