Mice chewing on car wiring...

[harry]

We've had very costly damage caused by mice (or maybe voles - they didn't confess). They liked to chew off the wires right at the O2 sensors, leaving them too short to splice. More recently a wiring harness on our Prius was chewed through and cost a tow and a couple of hundred dollars to fix.

We now buy fox urine crystals online, hang a small bag under the hood, and have had no further problems. If you want to keep small rodents away, that works. We bought from PeeMart.com (not a joke). They have urine from an large variety of creatures. I don't have any connection with that site -- in fact, I was amazed to find it.

[TEG]

Yes, I think it is well known that mice tend to like to chew on electrical wiring, and they find plenty of that in EVs.
There are many stories floating around of EVs having to be torn apart to have their rodent chewed wiring harnesses repaired.

[bonnie1194]

Wouldn't mice chewing on electrical wiring be a problem with ICE vehicles, too?

[jerry33]

Wouldn't mice chewing on electrical wiring be a problem with ICE vehicles, too?

Some people have reported mice chewing on the Prius and other ICE vehicles. So yes, it's a problem for all vehicles. The mice like to eat, or at least gnaw on the plastic--particularly bio-plastic--so the more wires you have the more attractive it is. In some places you can purchase wire with rodent resistant flavouring.

[bonnie1194]

Some people have reported mice chewing on the Prius and other ICE vehicles. So yes, it's a problem for all vehicles. The mice like to eat, or at least gnaw on the plastic--particularly bio-plastic--so the more wires you have the more attractive it is. In some places you can purchase wire with rodent resistant flavouring.

Thanks for the confirmation, Jerry. So really, it's something that could happen to any car you own & not specific to EVs.

[jerry33]

I'd think that the Model S would be less vulnerable than most cars to mice because from all I've heard, mice like to use the vents as their entranceway to the rest of the car. The Telsa vent's aren't near the motor or inverter and if you live in an area where mice are a problem, it should be fairly easy to cover the bottom of the motor with 1\4" screen to keep them out.

[pete8314]

?.. We bought from PeeMart.com (not a joke). They have urine from an large variety of creatures. I don't have any connection with that site -- in fact, I was amazed to find it.

. Once again proving there's nothing you cannot find on the Internet, including, apparently, a wide variety of frozen pee. The supply-chain logistics for that business must be interesting!

[TEG]

MIce eat car wire insulation because biodegradable - Topic
Vehicle Rodent Damage - Car Rodent Damage Prevention Tips and Advice
Mice in Cars: Solution
How to Prevent Mice From Eating Automotive Wiring | eHow.com

[NigelM]

^^^ Don't forget this thread: Cats-on-my-Roadster!.

[bonnie1194]

^^^ Don't forget this thread: Cats-on-my-Roadster!.

I was just thinking that the garage kitties keep my place mice-free, since I've never seen one near the house.

(That thread is closing in on rickrolling. Love that thread!)