Damn Squirrels!!!

[Warrior29]

So the damn squirrels have eaten my 2015 Ram 1500 Crew Cab, 5.7L Hemi wires again. It appears in 2015 Ram decided to make the engine harness out of silicone which smells and taste sweet to rodents. I had a very fresh smelling engine because I sprayed a lot of mint in the engine bay to rappel the critters but it didn't work.
The first time they ate multiple fuel and coil wires which I was able to repair. This time it appears to be the MDS wires. I was driving home, suddenly the truck wouldn't accelerate and ran very rough. ODB called out cylinder 3,4,6,7 deactivating solenoid fault. I did limp the truck to my mechanic 1 mile away. He just listened to the engine heard the valve ticking and said it's going to need an engine. My neighbor who teaches automotive repair doesn't think it needs an engine he thinks the mechanic just heard the ticking because of the deactivation fault. Has anyone had any experience with this?s

 

[Burla]

Soy based wiring, stupidest invention ever. I am worried, we have the occasional squirrel but recently we have the most rowdy family ever. They are nuts, I don't like shooting animals w/o eating them, but I'm to the point it's them or the damage.

 

[Wild one]

So the damn squirrels have eaten my 2015 Ram 1500 Crew Cab, 5.7L Hemi wires again. It appears in 2015 Ram decided to make the engine harness out of silicone which smells and taste sweet to rodents. I had a very fresh smelling engine because I sprayed a lot of mint in the engine bay to rappel the critters but it didn't work.
The first time they ate multiple fuel and coil wires which I was able to repair. This time it appears to be the MDS wires. I was driving home, suddenly the truck wouldn't accelerate and ran very rough. ODB called out cylinder 3,4,6,7 deactivating solenoid fault. I did limp the truck to my mechanic 1 mile away. He just listened to the engine heard the valve ticking and said it's going to need an engine. My neighbor who teaches automotive repair doesn't think it needs an engine he thinks the mechanic just heard the ticking because of the deactivation fault. Has anyone had any experience with this?s

An old trick my dad used to use on the grain trucks parked in the pole shed was to spread old used coffee grounds everywhere under the hoods and around the combines,it seemed to keep mice damage down,not sure if it works on squirrels,but might be something to try

 

[Warrior29]

Not worried about the squirrels right now. I bought a 2019 Ram Rebel. Just trying to decide do I take the time money and energy to repair the engine so I can sell it or just tow it to the junkyard

 

[BossHogg]

So the damn squirrels have eaten my 2015 Ram 1500 Crew Cab, 5.7L Hemi wires again.

I can relate. For me, it is the damn little red squirrel (sized between a chipmonk and a regural squirrel) that is getting in my 2015's engine bay. They first knaw through the wire loom and then the wire insulation. So far, they haven't messed with the actual conductor; I repair it with liquid tape. I have yet to find anything that will stop them short of poisoning them. I live in rural areas, and poisoning them will trickle down to the prey that preys on them. Maybe I need more hawks on patrol.

 

[Wild one]

I can relate. For me, it is the damn little red squirrel (sized between a chipmonk and a regural squirrel) that is getting in my 2015's engine bay. They first knaw through the wire loom and then the wire insulation. So far, they haven't messed with the actual conductor; I repair it with liquid tape. I have yet to find anything that will stop them short of poisoning them. I live in rural areas, and poisoning them will trickle down to the prey that preys on them. Maybe I need more hawks on patrol.

Couple Momma Cats with kittens,more deadly then any Hawk,lol

 

[Burla]

Not worried about the squirrels right now. I bought a 2019 Ram Rebel. Just trying to decide do I take the time money and energy to repair the engine so I can sell it or just tow it to the junkyard

oh you will need to expand on that one, you back in ram?

 

[rvance]

My wires got chewed a thousand dollars worth. I put a dozen rat bait blocks around the engine compartment. I don't know yet if it works.

 

[Hardracer]

Soy based wiring, stupidest invention ever. I am worried, we have the occasional squirrel but recently we have the most rowdy family ever. They are nuts, I don't like shooting animals w/o eating them, but I'm to the point it's them or the damage.

I dont like killing things either if I'm not gonna eat it....here it's raccoons and armadillos. I aint eating either of those but dam I hate shootin them just to stop them...raccoons actually come in my garage(use too)to tear open a metal trash can with bungy corded down lid..to get to the bird feed inside that the wife puts out.cant have that happening...for me it's I feel bad for awhile then move on and don't think about it.
Oh ya, now there's the occasional woodpecker(there's 3 I think)that will now come into the gutter and raise holy he// pecking away at the gutter..no damage but dam...cant have that and I guess it's illegal to go after those..what ive done for this so far is fake plastic owls I put up there...that lasted about a week...actually have a pic of the little feathered fur ball(not woodpecker)standing right next to it up there,..go figure..i dont think some birds are as dumb as one would think.

 

[Bad Tiki]

I have red squirrels (I call yard demons), last three Rams, completely stripped out all the engine bay insulation , so far no wires!
I’ve tried every repellent method , peppermint, cyan pepper , electronic devices, mouse traps….nothing works.
The wife’s Nissan, don’t touch it?

 

[Cat Truck]

Guess I'm lucky, my 1500 is in my garage whenever I'm not driving it.

 

[Burla]

I dont like killing things either if I'm not gonna eat it....here it's raccoons and armadillos. I aint eating either of those but dam I hate shootin them just to stop them...raccoons actually come in my garage(use too)to tear open a metal trash can with bungy corded down lid..to get to the bird feed inside that the wife puts out.cant have that happening...for me it's I feel bad for awhile then move on and don't think about it.
Oh ya, now there's the occasional woodpecker(there's 3 I think)that will now come into the gutter and raise holy he// pecking away at the gutter..no damage but dam...cant have that and I guess it's illegal to go after those..what ive done for this so far is fake plastic owls I put up there...that lasted about a week...actually have a pic of the little feathered fur ball(not woodpecker)standing right next to it up there,..go figure..i dont think some birds are as dumb as one would think.

wood peckers are the worse, my house full of holes! Big ones too, it's like the young ones are stupid so they don't know how to get bugs. There ain't nothing there buddy, freak'n jez.

Thinking about aluminum trim over all the trim?

 

[Burla]

I have red squirrels (I call yard demons), last three Rams, completely stripped out all the engine bay insulation , so far no wires!
I’ve tried every repellent method , peppermint, cyan pepper , electronic devices, mouse traps….nothing works.
The wife’s Nissan, don’t touch it?

get a pellet gun, or shotgun with rock salt you need not worry about down range, lol.

 

[Docwagon1776]

wood peckers are the worse, my house full of holes! Big ones too, it's like the young ones are stupid so they don't know how to get bugs. There ain't nothing there buddy, freak'n jez.

Thinking about aluminum trim over all the trim?

Sometimes they'll peck aluminum as well, they are using the amplified noise to attract a mate. Usually that's just a short period in the spring, though.

 

[Jbinramona]

Dumb? Naw I think that bird is smart enough not to fall for the fake owl. lol

 

[Udy2554]

All red squirrels must die…chipmunks too!

 

[Marshall]

I talked to a lady from home other day and she said that over the winter little bush bunnies eat the wires off her car . That's a new one
On the farm never had too much problem, Wife spread poison all over the place, and lots of barn cats, the best one would hunt gophers for her kids.

Fellow up the road had a huge problem with mice in tractors and trucks, no cats around.

 

[Udy2554]

get a pellet gun, or shotgun with rock salt you need not worry about down range, lol.

Gamo Whisper Quiet, 17HMR Savage, .22 Ruger, Wetherby Tactical with #6 Express high-brass…good to about 75 yards! Those reds all must die!

 

[js12278]

If you spray Fluid Film on the chassis nice n thick you might have good luck keeping the critters out. People undercoat their campers with the stuff. Rodents do not like it getting stuck in their fur AND you’ll keep the rust at bay.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Here's my experience with this. When I was in high school in Montana, late 60s, I was handed down my stepmom's 1959 Chrysler Saratoga - what a cool car, two tone salmon on white, pillarless hardtop, push button automatic, long, low and wide with big fins and a s*** eating grin for a grille! But I digress . . .

The 413 beast in this car burned oil like crazy, so I always put a quart in before driving the 60 miles round trip to baseball practice (it is Montana, after all). I went out in front of the house, opened the hood and a tasmanian devil was snarling at me! Slam! I slowly opened it again, peeking in to see what the hell was that? It was one of two critters we called "rock chucks", I think that is a marmot of some kind. Anyway, they wiggled down into the frame and hid while I inspected the damage. They had eaten much of the insulation on the spark wires, some of the fiberglass hood insulation, and chewed on hoses and stuff.

I went back to the house and returned with my best friend Heiny, our red full-sized dachshund, and our two other dumb dogs. As I sprayed water on them from a garden hose, Heiny went to work, grabbing one of the critters by the leg and yanking on him until he pulled the leg clean off of him, then dispatched the perp with a bite to the neck. Tough hombres, those doxies. The other mutts just watched. He was rocking the whole car until he tore the varmint apart. Meanwhile, the other rock chuck took off like a bat out of hell, the useless mutts didn't even notice.

Had to borrow mom's car to go to baseball, and the next day was spent replacing spark wires and fixing stuff.

So, Warrior29, you ain't the first Mopar vs. rodent victim! Carry on.