Sorry, I have not been on here for a while. Our lives have been CRAZY! So we bought our 2005 rl back in August and things were going really great. As it turns out, we had the same problem that I have seen a lot of you post about and that is that there was apparently a mouse that had previously been living in the engine bay. We had to replace the headliner under the hood. We also began having issues with the VSA light coming on and losing ALL of the power in our throttle system. We took it to the dealership and they said that the battery was the wrong size. That was the brilliant mind of whoever owned the vehicle before us. So they replaced the battery and everything seemed to be working fine. Then we started having the same issue again. We will just be driving along and all of the sudden the VSA light will come on and were pressing the gas and nothing is happening. We have to pull over and restart the car in order for the throttle to work again. So we took it to the dealership again, this time they tell us that either the car was in a wreck that no one reported, or the mouse got to the wiring harness. Long story short, they said the splice job was a joke and the entire wiring harness needed to be replaced. They quoted us over $2000!!! My question is has anyone had to replace their wiring harness in their RL and how much should it cost? Is it better to have it replaced at the dealership or a mom and pop mechanic locally? My husband and I know a little bit about cars, but I wouldnt want to do it ourselves. Im afraid we might compound the problem. Thanks in advance for all of your help and advice.

 

That sounds about right to replace the whole cabin to engine harness that goes from the fuse box under the dash to the whole engine bay...this is not the same thing as the engine wiring harness that is considerably less labor wise. I would shop around though, say maybe a reputable body shop that is confident in wiring splicing or another dealer. The wiring may be repairable instead of having to spend $1k or more just for the harness and another 8-9 hrs labor to replace the harness. You have any pics you can share of the damaged wiring?

 

First, they probably sold you a battery you didnt need, but none the less sounds like you need someone you can trust for this fix.

My opinion on electronics is that there are a LOT of demons, there is no telling how far the rodent got or what all is shorted out so...

1. Pay the dealer price, negotiate a loaner and let them work it all out and make sure they warranty the whole deal so you can take it back if there are other issues
2. find someone cheaper and roll the dice they get it right in one try
3. Call you insurance company and try to get it covered under vandalism. (thats a long shot)
4. sell the car