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Thread: Rodent Wiring Damage

  1. #1
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    Rodent Wiring Damage

    Recently I noticed some rat droppings on top of my engine (car parked outside) & some damage to the wiring cover
    as shown in the picture.
    Soy based wire insulation damage by rodents has been in the news lately affecting several car brands.
    Not sure if Nissan uses this insulation?
    The wires themselves look OK just the plastic wire covering which I taped up with more electrical tape.
    I read somewhere that if you are storing a vehicle put a bar of Irish Spring soap under the hood, the rats hate the smell.
    So I decided what the heck & installed one.


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  2. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to jimwilly For This Useful Post:

    Daox (12-06-2017),MetroMPG (01-22-2018)

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    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    Very interesting. I hadn't heard of the soy based sheathing or soap rat repellent. Thanks for the info!

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    I like to visit the TorqueNews website, I suggest checking it out.
    Here's a link to the recent Subaru lawsuit;
    https://www.torquenews.com/1084/suba...-attracts-rats

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    The link above refers to a Consumers Report article; here is a copy and paste of part of that report:

    We found a clever solution in a TSB from Honda: rodent-deterrent tape, essentially an electrical tape treated with super-spicy capsaicin, which Honda describes as “the stuff that puts the fire in a bowl of five-alarm chili.” The tape (part number 4019-2317) is available through dealers for about $36 for a 20-meter roll, about 22 yards. You'll also find it online.

    We bought a roll of rodent-deterrent tape to check out. Beyond the cute rodent graphics and gray color, it deceptively seems like regular electrical tape to us humans. There is no tear-inducing odor, but it does carry a label that warns against prolonged exposure to skin. Despite dares and double dares, we did not taste it and will trust that it is potent enough to deter even the most ravenous varmint.


    How could you possibly protect all wires and hoses?

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    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    I have more junky cars than I care to think about, and they go through a rotation of being driven or being parked sometimes for many months. I found mouse damage to wiring on one of them (my 98 Firefly) after it was parked for the winter last year. Probably not made with soy-coated wires back then.


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