Has anybody experienced mouse damage to car electrical plastic armoured cables and the wires within? I have an MB 200 K and have just experienced damage to the cambox sensor "armoured" cable that measures cam rpm. The damage is probably the result of recent low ambient temperatures, and the desire for the local mice life to find somewhere warmer!
I have just begun an anti mouse campaign using bait in boxes, traps and baited drainpipe, (I live next to woodland) but would welcome ideas as to how I protect the many cables on my motor!
Regards,
Julian Lindley
|
Leave a cat in the garage?
Rodents can (and do) cause some fairly serious damage to vehicle wiring looms.......seen it myself before.
--
groups.msn.com/honestjohn/problems.msnw?Page=1 - Pictures say a thousand words.....
|
|
|
|
Im afraid not.But have heard on household wiring that a chemical used to make the insulation.Is actually attractive/tasty to rat`s/mice.Not certain that is the case but has been mentioned on tv around a year ago.While on the subject.That appear`s to be the case with Fox`s there was a spate of fox`s destroying brake pipe`s around the same time but was in our local papers it was then said that the same thing applied.Ie the pipe`s taste good so why not have a munch.they don`t know it can kill.Or do they??Pests and annoying
|
|
|
Hi Julian,
Having worked years ago at Rover Cars (when they were based at Oxford) I worked in a dept called Tuning. The job was to repair major faults that happened after the cars left the production line. Part of this was to repair problems with cars that had been stored. An awful lot was rodent damage to wiring harness's. I've seen an Austin Princess harness insulation completely stripped off!!! However, the usual damage is'nt caused by the humble mouse- rat's are the most likely cause. Sadly in todays throw away society, rats have become almost epidemic. Use a good reputable rat poison - or employ Rentokil who are probably the best in the business.
Hope this helps...
--
These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am...
|
Maybe an old wives tale...
I used to live in the sticks and after the other half's Punto windscreen washer pipes were chewed. The neighbour said we should tape some of our cat's hair in various places around under the bonnet (low down near ground).
Apparently the critters won't go somewhere that smells of a predator... Seems logical, but we moved instead!
|
|
|
|
Thank you to all the contributors who provided feedback regarding my earliar post.
I undertook a search on the HJ site and discovered another unhappy soul whose Audi was substantially nibbled by the Marder - from the Marten/Weasel rodent family in Germany. His suggested solution, also recorded in HJ's Motoring Answers 1998 under Tools and Gizmo's, is to use an ultrasonic system supplied my a number of UK manufacturers. Mercedes and Audi offer a dedicated kit for their cars, which I assume is also based on the same principles. I intend to follow up with this line of action.
The woodland mouse population in my area has become significant, probably because of the excellent summer and mild autumn this year. My neighbours are all complaining about mice infesting there cottage roofspaces, and this is also true for my own.
This is all very frustrating really, because I suspect the mice are attracted to a hot engine after dark. This has forced my family and I to use our trusty Vauxhalls of 13 plus years old and one of 200 K milage as the mice appear to find them unattractive. Perhaps a good reason not to buy an expesive Mercedes!
Regards,
Julian Lindley
|
|
|
