Is the Wiring in Your Car Attracting Rodents?

Up until the early 2000s, the insulation used to protect your car's wiring was petroleum-based. This layer is under the colorful plastic exterior that keeps your wires safe from environmental exposure, which helps maintain the longevity of the wires, and keeps them from making contact with each other.

As a derivative of oil, petroleum-based coating was not environmentally friendly nor cost effective. Car manufacturers then discovered that they could use a soy-based coating instead. This decision saved them money during the manufacturing process, and it provided a way to help the environment. However, this new way of doing things had unintended consequences which ended up "helping" the environment a little too much, because rodents find this coating delicious!

Since the new soy-based coating has been implemented throughout many different types of vehicles, rodents chewing wires has become a bigger issue. Like many mammals, rodents chew constantly to help their teeth from becoming overgrown.

Cars commonly become nesting spots for these animals — especially in vehicles that are left sitting idle for long periods of time. Rats, mice, and other critters have been known to chew on the wires in these vehicles, but this has become more common with the tasty new soy-based wire coatings.

Keeping your wiring safe from rodents can save you thousands of dollars. In most cases the car dealership and warranty do not cover chewed wires, leaving you with the bill. Some insurance plans will foot the repair bills, but this still requires a hefty deductible.

Like our customer Jessica Haas, whose wiring in her Toyota 4 Runner had to be completely replaced.

"I own a 2017 Toyota 4 runner. In October of 2020 I went to take my car to work and as I was pulling out of my driveway my check engine light turned on and my car had very little power to it. I had my husband take it into the Toyota dealership to get looked at as it is under warranty. Right away they told us it was probably rats that chewed my wiring, and it won't be covered under our warranty but we could use our house insurance and they may cover it. We picked it up with a quote to fix it at 3500 dollars! We were also told they cover the wires in soybean oil to cut costs, and this could be a persistent problem."

There are many different ways to repel these pests from your car and the surrounding area, but they might require expensive batteries, poisons, or messy traps.

We have newly released an easy to install, humane solution to keeping those pesky critters from getting too close to your wires. Check out the new UltraSweep Traveler.

This device connects to your battery, and should be placed under your hood in an area that is not blocked by solid objects. The UltraSweep™ Traveler emits a sequence of sounds and lights to repel mice, squirrels, rats and even cats from your engine bay . It’s also perfect for your RV, boat, ATV, or your classic remodel.

The UltraSweep Traveler will run automatically as soon as the engine is off, and it 'sweeps' through different frequencies so that the pests won't get used to the sounds. There is no need to fuss with harsh chemicals, traps, exterminators, and not to mention expensive trips to the mechanic.

The UltraSweep Traveler saves you time, money, and potentially thousands of dollars! It is also backed by our generous 60-day money back guarantee and 1-year manufacturer warranty. Get yours today!