Marten damage: what does insurance pay for??

The number of marten damages is constantly increasing. In 2017 alone, the insurance industry registered 214.000 cases. But how can marten bites be prevented and what needs to be considered when dealing with the insurance company after a marten infestation?? CAR DRIVER’S PAGE.EU has done some research for you.

Source: AUTOFAHRERSEITE.EU

Source: AUTO DRIVER PAGE.EU

Marten bites are no longer an issue only in rural areas. Because also in the cities the marten strikes mercilessly. Behavioral biologists have studied in detail what really makes this cute little animal mess with the inside of our cars: the marten likes our cars so much that it doesn’t want to share them with any of its other mates. This should actually honor us, but the marten displays a tenant behavior that can not be tolerated in this form.

What is marten damage actually?

The common stone marten (martes foina), often referred to as the house marten, is a species of predator in the family mustelidae and belongs to the canine family of predators. As a cultural successor, it uses the engine compartment of our cars as protection from predators and as a personal larder. The animal displays extremely pronounced territorial behavior, which is reflected in the scent marking of "its" scent cars reflected. If now, by frequent change of location of the car, other martens set their marks in the engine compartment, the small comrade sees red. In order to reduce his frustration and to steal his territory from the supposed competitor, he shows his claim to ownership by the bite marks.

Where does marten damage occur more frequently?

Especially rubber and plastic parts, ignition cables, bellows on drive shafts and steering, plastic hoses, hoses for cooling and windshield wiper water, insulating mats and power lines are preferentially attacked by martens.

Marder - protected hose from HJS Photo/Source: HJS

Marten – protected hose from HJS photo/source: HJS how to recognize marten damage?

Often you can see marten damage with the naked eye. But that’s not always the case, because martens have needle-sharp teeth, so bite marks in soft material are sometimes barely noticeable. If the ignition cables are bitten, the engine will not run smoothly, indicating that faulty currents are occurring and that ignition processes are no longer taking place correctly.

Decreasing brake pressure is a high safety risk, but is often noticed by the driver or detected by the indicator light. Nibbled cooling hoses show up in the increase of the cooling water temperature. Unfortunately, there are also many electronic damages caused by marten bite. In many cases, however, the causes can only be discovered by measuring electrical lines.

take a close look at your car insurance policies

the direct costs for repairing marten damage are covered by partial coverage insurance. Indirect damage and consequential costs are a different matter. So it can happen that a marten bite on a brake hose is taken over, but the resulting accident is not.

be sure to include marten bites on cables, hoses and pipes and the resulting consequential damage in your terms of contract. Often, the maximum amount for consequential damages is limited to 1500 to 3000 euros per claim. Some insurers offer premium or comfort tariffs that cover consequential damage. But find out about the amount of coverage and the deductible. In most cases, the deductible is at least 150 euros per claim.

Can you fend off the marten?

every known method of marten defense has critics and supporters. At the end of the day, most of the repellent sprays, remedies, scent trees, etc., are just a "pest repellent". Rather ineffective. Good results can be achieved with harmless current voltage devices that give the marten light blows, or with devices that emit high sound frequencies that are imperceptible to us.

talk to your local car repair store to find out which marten repellent systems are suitable for your vehicle.

Conclusion

A real predator, this marten! No sooner has he dismantled the hose of the windshield washer system than the engine compartment insulation is on the line. The marten shows no mercy. However, this should at least be shown by your motor vehicle insurance company when it comes to settling claims. Because often enough it is a small marten bite that later z. B. To a capital engine damage leads. so find out about your insurance arrangements in good time, or you could be in for a rude awakening. If browsing has already occurred, contact your independent automotive repair shop immediately to have the damage repaired and to detect hidden marten bites. This also helps them in terms of marten defense systems incl. Installation.

ÜBy the way.. you can find a garage, which you can trust with your car, in our garage search

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