1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Replacing Wire Harness, will it be soy?

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by jonny prius, Aug 7, 2019.

  1. jonny prius

    jonny prius New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2019
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Pasadena, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    V
    Like many others I am the victim of rodents eating the wiring of my 2017 Prius V. Its at the dealer right now and they say it needs the wire harness replaced. Insurance is covering the costs but I'm worried that if the replacement part is going to be another soy-based wire component and will be destroyed by rats again.

    The service rep at the dealer claims to know nothing about the issue with the bioplastic wire insulation so he is no help. I do not have a part number for what they will be using, but I'm curious if anyone has any ideas about if this replacement part, which will be coming from Toyota to a Toyota dealership, will have wires wrapped in soy-based insulation.

    thanks
     
  2. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It will likely be soy.
    Honda makes a rodent repellent tape for car harnesses.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  3. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    While they’re fishing the harness, have them place rodent repellent alongside?
     
    Prodigyplace and Raytheeagle like this.
  4. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,473
    4,373
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    There are threads on how to mouse proof the inside of the car. Apparently they can enter through the cowl vent area. I doubt insurance would pay for this and it obviously leaves all the other body wiring open. My understanding is that mice are attracted to the electricity inside the wire and will also go after normal thermoplastic wire insulation. I have seen satellite dish coax cables that were shorted by mice. They have a thick insulation, an overall braid, inner insulation and an inner conductor but they still gnawed through it. The receiver sends power up to the dish's preamp.

    I think you have to eliminate the rodents themselves with mouse and rat poisons. Ideally you garage the car and treat the inside of the garage with the green cubes as well as the exterior perimeter of the building. Add mouse traps and perhaps a few feral/outside cats. In some cities, the health department will also treat the area with poisons.


    E18D3A03-1FE9-4DF5-983E-A8DDD7EFB1F0.jpeg
    .
     
    #4 rjparker, Aug 7, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2019
  5. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Evokes the 1960s line... "We had to nuke the harness to save the Prius..."
     
  6. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,668
    6,482
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Not virtue signalling but I would lean away from rodenticides (rat poison.)

    Oh...never mind.
    The OP is from the SoCal, so you already know about that.

    For the rest:
    Mieces eat the poison, but it's not fast acting.
    That means that they're easier for predators to do what predators do - which is eat mieces....poison and all.
    For those that do not care about apex predators - there's another reason not to do the D-Con thing, which is the fact that mieces like to hang out behind walls, dashboards, ceilings etc.
    THEN the rat poison works.
    Having to replace a chewed up wiring harness is expensive.
    Having to replace a chewed up wiring harness while tearing your car apart to find out where a dead smelly quarter pound mouse died is worse!!

    OK...
    Back to Caly...
    If you don't want to be confused with the crazy cat lady down the street, I'd invite some owls to come and hang out in your yard.
    Owl house plans are available on line for the DIY crowd or you can buy a starter home @ Amazon.
    Owls are REALLY REALLY good at catching and eating mieces and unlike the coyotes that you guys are also battling, owls won't come in through the pet door and make off with your Yorkie.

    Of course you can GET a couple of felines, and in the past I've often advised that this is a good thing for homeowners to do...
    HOWEVER (comma!) as they say on the Sunday Morning talk shows I'm going to walk that back a little bit.
    A cat or two inside the garage/house is the bestest way to keep rodents away from your Prius, but many people in California do not live in houses, and many of those that do are using their garages as granny-pads - so Priuses are sleeping outside more and more these days.

    Having a bunch a cats running around in the neighborhood is not a groovy thing for the local songbird population, and it leads to posts in PriusChat about how to keep the crazy cat lady down the street's "pets" from spraying mouse repellent all over your car, sidewalk, garage door, bushes, etc.

    So...

    Do the owl thing.
    Let the dealership use the OEM wiring harness.
    Read 10 (constructive!) posts on how to keep meices out of the car.
    When you get the car back, check the cabin air filter.


    Good Luck!!!
     
    Merkey likes this.
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    can the mice chew the harness underneath the car?

    i would ask them where it was chewed
     
  8. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,473
    4,373
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    I know poisons are “bad” and I believe in peace and harmony, but the reality is “war is hell” and its you or them. I have also watched The Biggest Little Farm where they attracted owls to get the gophers who were eating their fruit, but lets face it, you don’t just go to the pet store and buy owls. In the meantime your mice are getting hungry since their buffet has been in the shop getting refilled with yummy Toyota wiring.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    yup, they make gopher poison too
     
  10. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I think the repellent tape uses a pepper mixture to deter them, not poison them.
     
  11. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2018
    3,096
    2,163
    0
    Location:
    Taylors, SC
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    My husband's friend has used petroleum based rustproofing for years with great success.



    Rodents don't like the scent or the taste.
     
  12. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    2,254
    2,233
    2
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I have a very long story about an incident with mice rats. I won't bore you with the details, but to make a long story very short, like rjparker said, it will eventually come down to "us or them". They pass on diseases that are horrible. They populate and multiply overnight. Once they have set up "home" it will take you months to be rid of them. They will nest in every available crack. And yes, if you poison them, they will die in every available crack. Then they bring fungus, bacteria, viruses and just one big fun time in your life! Why do I say all this? Because after dealing with them for a 2 year period............it was war!! Neighbors said to leave them along. Neighbors said they will eventually leave. Neighbors said I was an animal hater. But the neighbors didn't have the "Dance of the sugar plumb Fairies" going on in their attics every night!!

    They chewed my wiring in my house. They ate my cable lines, then my phone lines. They destroyed my insulation by leaving mountains of excrement. They would dance in my attic, every night, all night, squealing and probably laughing at me! I started with the poison, but they died and I could find them!! I can still smell it! So, I built my on "home within the attic" that was laced with those sticky traps. Every morning I would go in to the attic, and empty the trap. I netted with over 6 dozen of them over 3 weeks! Believe me I took no joy in trapping them. Then I had to have the attic fumigated and sealed, then re-insulated. After 2 years and 20k in money, the war was over. This happened 15 years ago in another house I live in and I still remember those noisey nights of the creatures, running and jumping all over the place. I have vowed that at the very first sign of any droppings, I would not waist time. So, I would really look at stopping your invasion. It could cost you your health the longer it takes. Just my story.
     
    Prodigyplace likes this.