Just put this pic under the cars...................
Posted on 10/10/2019 11:07:08 AM PDT by Red Badger
It seems that making insulation out of an edible substance makes it more appealing to pests.
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In an effort to be more friendly to the environment, companies are making more and more automotive components out of renewable materials, such as soy or even cannabis. Unfortunately, a side effect of building cars out of edible materials is that rodents are eating them, reports the Detroit Free Press.
The use of soy in car parts is nothing new. Ford has been making seats out of a soybean-based foam for the past ten years. Ford also uses soy rather than petroleum for wire insulation. However, some owners have been running into unforeseen problems when rodents find their way into cars and eat the edible insulation.
Ford is not alone in suffering this problem. In 2016, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Toyota claiming the company should cover this type of damage after Albert Heber was forced to pay around $1,500 to fix the chewed wiring in his 2012 Tundra under warranty.
"We think the addition of soy in the insulation has taken the episode of rats chewing through the wires through the roof," attorney Brian Kabateck, who is involved with the class-action lawsuit, told the Detroit Free Press.
Toyota, however, denies that modern insulation is any more appealing to rodents than the old petroleum-based insulation. “Rodent damage to vehicle wiring occurs across the industry, and the issue is not brand- or model-specific. We are currently not aware of any scientific evidence that shows rodents are attracted to automotive wiring because of alleged soy-based content," the company retorted.
Toyota is correct that the problem is not limited to any particular brand or model. The use of renewable materials such as soy has spread across the entire automotive industry, which means that despite the class-action lawsuit applying only to owners of 2012 to 2016 Toyotas, similar issues could occur in pretty much any modern car.
Mouse infestations in vehicles, even those that are driven regularly, have been a problem for a long time. A furry visitor recently made a home in my VW Jetta Ute project, and I've cleaned rodent nests out of other cars in the past. Mice chewing wires and causing electrical problems is nothing new. But now that soy has become popular as an insulation, instances of this type of problem appear to be on the rise.
Yep, had rabbits chew through the wiring harness of my new ford last year. $1500 damage.
How can we find which manufactures use this soy based wiring?
They all do.
I had a dude chew through some wire in my vehicle, and then make a nest right on top of the engine. He never apologized (no surprise there), but the repair wasn’t a big deal, just buying the right connector (any decent mechanic, like me, can do that) and then splicing in the wire segment (which went to a fuel injector) and all is good.
But it could have been prevented - I had left the front of the vehicle parked over grass, rather than concrete. Needless to say, I never made that mistake again.
This has been going on since my 2000 ford focus............
A Friends Chrysler 300 was killed because mice at the wire harness. But hey the planet is being save so shut up.
Moths probably like it too
I park over concrete and they still did it...................
Article says pretty much everyone uses them.
“The use of renewable materials such as soy has spread across the entire automotive industry, which means that despite the class-action lawsuit applying only to owners of 2012 to 2016 Toyotas, similar issues could occur in pretty much any modern car. “
ALL of them.....................
Rat got into our garage and ate the wiring on my wife’s Toyota and my Genesis Coupe. Fortunately we caught it early during its feasting. Total damage was about 1K. Rat now in Rat heaven.
Who’d a thunk it?
A bunny chewed through the fuel line on my rider mower. Three gallons of gas created a bald patch in my yard for a year, and it was difficult to replace.
Seems to me that all they have to do is add an ingredient that is repulsive to the pests.
I would have covered it with a rabbit skin................
Yuck...actually, although I couldn’t confirm it, I think the dude chewed through my wire because it was in the way, rather than for a meal.
A friend of mine had(has) PEX plumbing in his house, including over his living room...(hint: take a guess)
Just put this pic under the cars...................
Once again paying the price for enviro-wackos errors. But hey, they feel and that’s all that matters.
I live in a rural area. Basically, my solution is to have mouse traps all over the place.
And we’re thick with bunnies up here. the first day I got ammo for my .22 I shot five bunnies from my front porch in five minutes. Yeah, they were that bad.
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