3 Times - Major Squirrel Damage to Wiring

[Szwartz]

Okay guys- I have a 2015 Mazda CX 5 that I love. THREE times this year squirrels have chewed through the wiring harnesses and tire sensors on my car. I have spent close to 3 grand on this issue- I have tried:
1. Moth Balls and Cakes
2. Mint and All Natural Repellent
3. Cleaning out the entire car
4. moving my car to a different parking space (I live in an apartment complex)
I am about to go to the dealership to trade it in for a 2020 because I’m so sick of this. Does anyone have any idea if this is a problem with Mazda cars? I don’t want to buy one again if this is what I will expect.
Thanks,
Steph

 

[wlong01]

Pellet gun would remedy the situation.

 

[rsvinylgraphics]

Red (cayenne) pepper might work

 

[Buzzman12]

Does anyone have any idea if this is a problem with Mazda cars? I don’t want to buy one again if this is what I will expect.
Thanks,
Steph

This problem is not unique to Mazda.
Most if not all manufacturers have this problem.
It's the wire insulation in modern cars that are now soy based instead of petroleum based.
In the desire and effort to go "green" with this insulation, they have inadvertently laid out a dinner platter for rodents.
Set traps if you can. Kill the little pricks. I'm getting mice in my garage all the time. It's never ending.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

Pellet gun would remedy the situation.

So many squirrels
So few pellets

There's no way you can be there 7x24x365.
The supply of squirrels must effectively be infinite.
Then there's the folks who would not take kindly to your slaughtering their little friends.

What a horrible problem to have. And I was upset I had a sparrow that habitually perched on my side view mirrors and constantly crapped all over my car.

 

[ChuckyVee]

Sorry for your troubles!

I don't know how effective this would be but maybe consider putting out a few squirrel feeders. My though process being that if good food (nuts/seeds) is readily available and easily accessible then they wont go through the trouble of getting into the engine bay.

I don't know...it might work or it might not?

 

[jal142]

This happened to me 25 years ago. I parked next to a dumpster in an apartment complex parking lot and left the car for a couple weeks. In that time a rat climbed under my hood and destroyed the wiring that ran to the instrument cluster rendering all the gauges inoperable.

People keep repeating the theory that soy based insulation is to blame, but this problem has existed long before that switch was made. For whatever reason, rodents like dark, warm, confined spaces, and under a car hood is all of these. They also compulsively chew things and wires seem particularly irresistible. I had pet rats that chewed lamp cords if they got loose in the house.

Are you sure you have cleaned out ALL of the foreign material under the hood? Rodents will return to locations repeatedly, particularly if they smell food or nesting material.

If you can park with your hood open, that might help. Or perhaps installing a small LED light under there would deter them. Don't use an incandescent bulb as that would keep it warm.

Have you tried filing an insurance claim? If you have comprehensive coverage they may pay for the repairs.

 

[Mazdiod2]

I had a friend tell me about similar events 30 years ago.

I guess the only kinds of things you haven't tried are physical barriers. I don't know what you can do given your situation.

I always park in my garage. I parked in a shipping container once while I left town and I didn't have a garage , but I was already renting it anyway.

Other than some kind of "guard animal"...
A really mean cat under the hood? Ferret, dachshund?

BOA CONSTRICTOR!! They like warm engines, too.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

 

[DrElectron]

Okay guys- I have a 2015 Mazda CX 5 that I love. THREE times this year squirrels have chewed through the wiring harnesses and tire sensors on my car. I have spent close to 3 grand on this issue- I have tried:
1. Moth Balls and Cakes
2. Mint and All Natural Repellent
3. Cleaning out the entire car
4. moving my car to a different parking space (I live in an apartment complex)
I am about to go to the dealership to trade it in for a 2020 because I’m so sick of this. Does anyone have any idea if this is a problem with Mazda cars? I don’t want to buy one again if this is what I will expect.
Thanks,
Steph

With my 2017 CX-5, I have had mice building nests on the cabin filter and the battery. As far as I know, they have not chewed on the wiring. I installed an electronic pest repeller from Amazon and sprayed the cabin filter and battery with peppermint oil and have not seen any activity for a couple of months. YMMV.

 

[GAXIBM]

I have used electronic pest repellers in my attic for several years to successfully keep flying squirrels out.

 

[Buzzman12]

People keep repeating the theory that soy based insulation is to blame, but this problem has existed long before that switch was made. For whatever reason, rodents like dark, warm, confined spaces, and under a car hood is all of these. They also compulsively chew things and wires seem particularly irresistible. I had pet rats that chewed lamp cords if they got loose in the house.

Soy based insulation is not the sole reason to blame for this problem, agreed.
It certainly hasn't helped though.
It has just given these guys another item to chew on when nesting under the hood.
Animals have been looking for warm and safe spots to nest and hide for as long as we have been building houses and driving cars.

Quick story: I accidentally killed a cat back in the 70's when I started my car in the morning.
He had been sleeping under the hood, and when I started the engine, he spooked, and jumped head first into the spinning fan. Broke his neck. Heck of a noise too.
Obviously I didn't know he was there.
Cooling fans back then were metal, and hard mounted. Not plastic and clutch or motor driven like today.

I've had unwanted animals in my roof, my basement, my cars, etc. for as long as I can remember.
It's not unique to today.
Unfortunately, what is unique is the increased incidents of chewed automobile wires. Yummy.