Submission + - Soy Wiring Coming Back to Bite Import Car Manufacturers (hackaday.com) 4
An anonymous reader writes: Over at Hackaday, there's an interesting article about a little-known problem plaguing many newer vehicles from the likes of Honda, Toyota, and Kia. The car makers used soy-insulated wiring to cut costs and "Go Green", but owners in rural areas are finding the local wildlife finds the wiring irresistible; thousands of dollars in damage has been done by rats and other critters eating wiring harnesses.
The author asks the Hackaday community to brainstorm solutions to this unique problem, as owners of effected vehicles have had to resort to sprinkling their driveway with coyote urine and putting rat traps on the wheels.
The author asks the Hackaday community to brainstorm solutions to this unique problem, as owners of effected vehicles have had to resort to sprinkling their driveway with coyote urine and putting rat traps on the wheels.
it's elementary (Score:1)
Just spray the wires with cat piss. No self-respecting rodent will ever touch them.
it works, seriously.
Re: (Score:1)
Rodents have an innate aversion to cat urine. Now, if the rodents happen to become infected with toxoplamosis, they lose this aversion, which is bad news for the cars (but good news for the cats)
Then again, there are theories that the same organism (spread through cat poop) makes humans less sociable... so at that point they may not need cars anyway.
I'm not making this up, i swear!
Re: (Score:1)
http://www.iflscience.com/heal... [iflscience.com]
there!