Mice in dashboard issues and Soy.

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whizbyu

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Toyota Camry 2016 apparently has soy based coatings on their wires that act as insulation. They went this route because in 2007, Nat Geo said that "The end of cheap oil" was here.
Turned on the ignition and started the AC and this stench of death came through the vents. Went away after a minute. Then days later the stench came back.
Took out the cabin filter that was changed about 7000 miles ago and there's nasty mouse fur and a dead baby mouse and I think a mama mouse. Cleaned out the fan area, used a dentist's mirror to look at the fan area and did not see any other dead critters.
A week or so goes by and then another blast of urine odor comes through the vents. Changed out the filter once again, and this time no fur but there are brown stains which I think is dried urine.
Read somewhere that there is some issue with soy based insulation that mice like to nibble on. There are acorn shells next to the master cylinder in the engine compartment. Car is garaged.
Are soy based insulation used in wires an issue? How about the fact that mice get into areas of the dash and have liberties at my inconvenience? Is this a design flaw in the design of the ductwork?
A friend suggested I place mothballs all around the inside of the car and in the engine compartment.
Now the car smells like mothballs and some mouse funk. Any suggestions welcome.
 
Honda sells a capsaicin (active ingredient in hot peppers) (spelling?) based wire wrap band.
Also you can get by a pet store for a black light and some odor fighters...
if DYI, you can make your own black light with you phone , some transparent plastic sheet and some markers.
also some vodka/rubbing alcohol or vinegar may disperse the smells.
 
Originally Posted By: pandus13
Honda sells a capsaicin (active ingredient in hot peppers) (spelling?) based wire wrap band.
Also you can get by a pet store for a black light and some odor fighters...
if DYI, you can make your own black light with you phone , some transparent plastic sheet and some markers.
also some vodka/rubbing alcohol or vinegar may disperse the smells.
I wonder if a squirt of pepper spray, wear goggles! would do the trick. Or the bug spray that is just garlic extract. Once cut properly with water, there is no smell. But a sniff of the pure stuff, is overpowering. I have a pair of '16 Camrys and kill 2 dozen deer mice a yr in the house. Whatevr, I learned something today. Thanks guys.
 
^^^ plus leave the hood up.

We are out in the sticks. Same problem. Tried it all; essential oils, mothballs etc.

Make sure the cabin filter doesn't have a chewed/hole in it.

Country problems...
 
I just watched a recent episode of MotorTrend magazine and the issue of how to keep rodents from eating the soy based wiring was a big topic.

Capsaicin tape is probably your best bet and making sure that the car is stored well away from other food sources that attract rodents. Once you apply the tape, make sure that mechanics who work on the car know about it! (touch tape, rub eyes, not a good thing!)
 
Wait doesn't Ford use soy based seat foam?
shocked.gif
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Everyone uses soy insulation, its nothing new.


Did not know. Quick search shows it to be true. Toyota claims that rodents have been eating wiring for a long time. Not sure that gets them off the hook, but I have heard of rodent damage for a long time. So maybe it's a matter of degree?
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Everyone uses soy insulation, its nothing new.


Did not know. Quick search shows it to be true. Toyota claims that rodents have been eating wiring for a long time. Not sure that gets them off the hook, but I have heard of rodent damage for a long time. So maybe it's a matter of degree?


Degree, yes, was elect. tech in Air Force, we've always had the occasional rodent eating insulation, but definitely not like now with the soy based insulation.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Everyone uses soy insulation, its nothing new.


Became mainstream in the 90s I beleive
 
Wonderful. My car (HAH) is part of the class.

I need some of that wrap for my 240d which recently housed a mouse.


 
Rodents have always been a problem for car collectors because they sit for so long, but this new round isn't cars that sit, they're daily drivers. So that coating must be pretty tasty to them varmints!
 
Go to a farm and ranch store and purchase some black jack. Place a few around engine compartment. Be sure your pets can't get into it.I think they also carry this product in as a spray.
 
Stray cats, hungry cats will do the trick. Shut them in the garage fer a while lol. U could place poison and traps baited w peanutbutter. Works for me.
 
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