2011 Ford Focus SE, 120,000 miles. 2.0 L DOHC Iowa City IA
After sitting for merely four days a squirrel built a nest got built, babies were born next to the battery in our 2011 Ford Focus. Before I get out the soldering iron, patch wires and heat shrink tape is that the right way to go? Should I buy a new harness and try to follow all the leads? I'm no electrician but I can match wires and solder. I can definitely retape.
Advice on how to keep this from happening? I see sprays and ultrasonic devices in Amazon. One car garage here and that's occupied by my bicycles (why the car hasn't moved for four days) and a 1.0L three-cylinder six-speed 2015 Focus with 55,000 miles on it. It mostly sits attached to a trickle charger waiting for my next trip to Huntsville AL (parents)
Before I get out the soldering iron, patch wires and heat shrink tape is that the right way to go? Should I buy a new harness and try to follow all the leads
It all depends on how much damage is done.
Advice on how to keep this from happening? I see sprays and ultrasonic devices in Amazon.
You should try both to see which one works the best for your case.
If it is just in one specific area, I'd solder and tape. If you have to replace sections of wire, be sure to use the same gauge of wire. I would try that before buying the whole wiring harness which I would think is expensive and might be a real pain to replace. I'm hoping that none of that damage caused anything to short and damage the computer or sensors etc.
As for keeping the squirrels away, no idea on that. I wish you had a 2 car garage so you could put the car in there and get a shed for the bicycles!
If you are going to splice just a few wires, I would then wrap it in a special "mouse" tape developed by HONDA. I saw on South Main Auto channel Eric repaired wires then "wrapped" the harness with the special "mouse" tape. It is part # 4019-2317 sold by HONDA and you may have to order it. Believe it or not, the tape is impregnated with HOT pepper oil which mice hate! GENIUS!!! No wonder why Hondas are so dam long lasting! Honda puts it in areas susceptible to mouse living.
Peppermint oil has worked for me, at least so far, since a squirrel or chipmunk tried to eat my Expedition a year ago.
