Rodent damage to vehicle wiring due to soy based insulation

Laelkhunter

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Anyone hear of the problems with rodents chewing the wiring in their vehicles due to the wiring insulation is now made from soy based material? My son's 2019 GMC had electrical problems, and the gauges went haywire. He took it to the dealer, and they found that mice had chewed the wiring in the dashboard, creating electrical shorts. The Service manager told him that since about 2005 electrical wiring started being made with soy based insulation, whereas the previous insulation was petroleum based. Since soy based is made from grain, it attracts rodents as a food source, and they build nests in the dashboard and engine compartment using the wiring as a food source. The service manager said that they have numerous vehicles in the shop with the same problem, and repair costs start at about $1000 and go up from there.
I checked it out on a google search, and found pages and pages of lawsuits filed by owners of many different makes of trucks and cars that had rodents chew through their vehicle wiring feasting on the soy based insulation.
So, just wondering if anyone else has noticed an increase in the rodent activity in their vehicles (check the engine compartment for droppings) or worse, electrical problems that just popped up.
 
Not wiring, but rodents chewed through the gas line in my dad's 2014 Silverado three times in Virginia. I bought it from him and haven't had any issues here in Wyoming.
 
The refuge I worked at previously had constant issues with this, due to both rabbits and mice. Numerous employee’s vehicles, station vehicles, trailers, a tractor. It was ridiculous. Thousands of dollars in damage to both government and personal vehicles over the 6 or so years we were there. We tried everything...even having things garaged on concrete didn’t completely solve it. We pretty much had a constant array of bucket traps running, and had to thin the rabbits around the compound to keep it sort of in check. Amazing how destructive those little critters were.
 
First I have heard of soy based wiring be the reason. Rodents chew constantly. They also like engines because they might be warm and have a lot of crevasses like rocks. They often set up shop. I guess they feel right at home so they chew on what is around.
 
First I have heard of soy based wiring be the reason. Rodents chew constantly. They also like engines because they might be warm and have a lot of crevasses like rocks. They often set up shop. I guess they feel right at home so they chew on what is around.

Yes, first I heard of it also when he told me. I did a search, and the results were numerous. Seems like the wire companies went to a soy based insulation to save money over the petroleum based stuff.
 
When I had the VW leased car the only issue I had in 3 years was a malfunctioning ecm for the dash (although everything was still functioning a warning light came on). First thing they did at the dealership was warn me that although it was under warranty, this was usually a rodent (rabbits mostly around here) chew problem and it would cost about $900 if that was the case. Lucky for me it was just the module. :)
 
Yes my buddy had an 06 and nice chewed up the harness. Supposedly soy based coating as well. Not that they don't chew anyway.
 
Apparently this has become a much bigger problem due to COVID. Essentially, people aren’t driving as much, which means cars a sitting unused for long periods of time, which means they are better targets for nest building rodents. I saw a piece on the news a couple of months ago. The recommendation was to take your car out for a drive at least once a week, and also to watch for rodent droppings where it was parked.
 
I live next door to my son, so the same rodents that visit his house could come to mine. I now have a dozen mousetraps and 2 dozen sticky pads in my garage hoping to catch any mice before they get to my vehicles. It's like walking through a minefield when I go into my garage.
 
I've heard of this but never seen it happen. If you're parking your car at a trailhead for awhile, apparently it helps to open the hood. They feel less secure that way and may leave your rig alone.
 
Last spring I was talking with an insurance agent and she said she had several clients whose vehicles had to be totaled because rodents chewed wiring and it was cost prohibitive to search for and fix the chewed wires. One of the stories I remember was a Toyota Prius. It was a vehicle that was only used here in the summer. During the winter it was stored in the garage while the owner was in warmer climates. When the owner returned and tried to start the car, nothing. I also remember the insurance agent specifically mentioning Toyota’s because of the soy based wiring.
 
Fried my heat pump on the house a few years back. Cost me a pretty penny in repairs due to an electrical short from mice eating the wiring insulation.
 
Yes, first I heard of it also when he told me. I did a search, and the results were numerous. Seems like the wire companies went to a soy based insulation to save money over the petroleum based stuff.
When did they switch, do you know? Rodents have been chewing on wires since the invention of the car. I wonder if the switch increased the problem? Maybe some extreme hot sauce would fix the problem. :)
 
rodent capture.JPG

Happened last summer in a 2016 Chevy 2500. They actually built a nest not chew on anything. I haven't parked at a trailhead for more than a few hours this summer but I have little cotton bags full of moth balls that get placed in areas on the vehicle. Moth balls are considered a pesticide by land management agencies so don't dump them on the ground or you could find a ticket attached to your rig when you get back
 
When did they switch, do you know? Rodents have been chewing on wires since the invention of the car. I wonder if the switch increased the problem? Maybe some extreme hot sauce would fix the problem. :)

I believe it started around 2005 or so. Some auto makers used different suppliers for wire, but it seems all wiring comes with the soy based insulation now, so all auto makers (in the US anyway) are using it. Not sure about foreign auto makers. Someone does sell electrical tape with Capsicum (same ingredient as pepper spray the Police use) to deter the mice from chewing on it. It would be really difficult to wrap all of your wires with it though.
 
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