Foxes chewing wires

[Gillibrand]

I had an ML350 for many years but eventually sold it and bought a newer Kia Sportage (bad move!). There are many foxes where I live, and they have now chewed through the wires on my Sportage, disabling the ABS etc. Apparently this is a common issue with newer Kias. I now plan to sell the Kia and revert to Mercedes, but would like to know if anyone has had problems with foxes on Mercedes MLs, either W164 or W166 models. I gather that wiring on Kias (and other makes) is now soy-based which is what makes it attractive to animals. Thanks for any comments.

 

[NJS5]

It's probably best to resolve the problem in one or the other of the ways suggested by HMG.

NJSS

 

[SmartAmg]

It's probably best to resolve the problem in one or the other of the ways suggested by HMG.

NJSS

Or..

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

No problems with them here, though no Kia’s either..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Frontstep]

Well I never,

knew about the issue so I resorted to the great sage google

Soy-Based Wiring - How to Help Keep Mice Out

Soy based wiring and insulation in cars have been found to attract unwanted pests. Choose NH Oil Undercoating to protect against corrosion and rodents.

nhoilundercoating.com

Much bigger than you would imagine.

And one of the fixes is car perfume, well peppermint oil.

 

[SL63 Mark]

This is crazy. Of course animals will eat wires if the insulation is protein based.

Whose brilliant idea was that ?

 

[Paul Garrett]

Maybe leave out some Fox's Glacier Mints! ....remember them?? Hehe!!

 

[SL63 Mark]

Or..
View attachment 72008

I like your thinking, however the problem with the minigun idea is that they are very heavy to carry around, whether or not Arnie uses one in a movie.
There are of course other problems. In the US and UK they are military use only, so can't be picked up easily on eBay. A minigun will take out most of the neighbourhood. By the time you have loaded and mounted it the fox will be gone. They use thousands of rounds of ammo in a two second burst.

Our local pest controller has a rifle with night scope, that is very effective. He will literally shoot to order, £20 gets you a dead fox, on your lawn, which is very handy for us poultry keeping types. Mind you we live in the open country, not so easy in town. I believe he also receives £25 for each fox tail he presents to his employer, so a win win. They say bring back fox hunting, but there are so many foxes, I don't think that would inpact the problem. They thrive on all the pheasants bred for shooting.

 

[star]

Foxes?? Never seen a fox chew wiring, more likely mice or rats.

 

[V6Matty]

Foxes?? Never seen a fox chew wiring, more likely mice or rats. View attachment 72026

Aww but it looks so cute,

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Wiring is bad enough but it seems some foxes have a thirst for diethylene glycol (brake fluid)

Foxes’ thirst for brake fluid costs drivers dear in Horsham

When a resident on Spencer’s Road found their car’s brake cable had been severed, they phoned the police thinking it was sabotage

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[Rockron]

Probably was once quite a problem in the USA, all those tasty VW Rabbits running around.

 

[oigle]

Could you leave some suitable wiring in plain view that just unfortunately happened to have 240V running through it

 

[LostKiwi]

Foxes?? Never seen a fox chew wiring, more likely mice or rats. View attachment 72026

Made a right mess of the wiring below it!

 

[Rockron]

Cable nibbling Foxes, whatever next. Oh I know, tyre munching Basil Brushes gobbling the
chickenstrips off my m/bike tyres !

Actually of more concern to me, is the verminous sly human Fox sub species scrote, that gets
under my car and nicks the CAT.