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.
SHARE
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.
Put a couple Mothballs in toilet paper tubes secure the ends with strips to keep the balls in but gaps to let the smell out.
Don’t put them near the cowl area where the climate air intake or inside the car, but a couple in the front by the core support area.
Under the car wherever you can secure them.
If you can, put them in containers where you park your car.
Everyone should check their AF box for kibble and or nuts.
I have seen them actually stuffed so full the engine can’t breath right.
Oh great.
Your mechanic is going to love you.
YRMV. Have been proactive on feeding mice and rats all the treated alfalfa they want on a periodic basis. Former time spent in Livermore and similar dry climates raises one’s awareness of Hantavirus vectors.
The anecdotal reports tout the essential oil extract as an irritant which repels rodents. That is why the post was written as an informative question. The peppermint oil is inexpensive and has the added factor of non-toxicity.
Ground squirrel’s chewed up 65 year old Mercedes-Benz wiring.
Our nearest rural neighbor has a cat who like to escape the neighbor’s house, and come visit to eat mice on our property.
I _love_ that cat!
Here kitty, kitty.
Prius has it. Has for many years.
It’s a real problem in the high desert areas.
I use mothballs to get rid of ground hogs and other rodents.
Seems to work but it stinks up the area for awhile.
It looks like she’s a giant bunny and those clackers could cut through hardened Inconel.
I’d trade you bunnies for my deer. We are overrun with them and they even breed faster than your bunnies.
In our area, some people really like the rat snakes for the same reason. They are like 5’ long garden snakes, but they eat mice.
Those snooty BMW mechs need it................
Peppermint. Rats hate it. Spray the engine compartment with peppermint extract.
Heh. I have a 1/4 mile long driveway. I had to stop for five deer crossing in front of my car ON MY DRIVEWAY on Tuesday on my way to work. They wreak havoc on my garden 0 and the front end of my cars.
Had my Nissan Murano in for service last week and rodents had made a nest under my air filter.
We have both rats and squirrels to deal with.
Both like to make a nest under the hood...................
We had a couple of Volvo cars in the late 80s when our kids were being born. Always liked their performance, braking, acceleration (even with a turbocharged four-banger). The station wagon developed an annoying habit of randomly activating the ABS when slowing below 15 mph. I kept taking it to the dealer and they could find nothing. They kept it for longer and longer periods to experience it. After 26 (yes, really, TWENTY SIX) visits to the shop, they finally called in an engineer from Sweden to diagnose it. He quickly found that the wiring harness was faulty. To Volvo’s credit, they kept extending the warranty for me and I didn’t have to pay a dime for all the diagnostic and repair work. They ended up changing out the entire wiring harness and the problem stopped.
I wonder if the wiring harness had been eaten by critters? I always figured it was poor weatherization that caused connectors to corrode, but maybe it was rodents.
I would not be surprised if it was rats, mice or squirrels.................
You an spray cayenne juice over the engine but, of course, your engine may run “hot”.
Now you open the hood of his truck and he has the engine compartment festooned with rodent repellent hang-tags. It looks ridiculous and smells worse, but the damage has stopped.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.