[kstinmb]

Squirrels that live in a tree in front of our house have been partying in the i3's engine compartment. They chewed up some wires and plastic, pissed on everything and made an awful mess. No broken wires that I can see and the i3 has been running fine.

Questions are:
(1) Can I safely hose down the nasty wiring, scrub it with soapy water and rinse it off with a hose? I would disconnect the high voltage system with the switch in the frunk. The area around the engine is open to water and spray from the road underneath, so I know it can get wet. Is it safe to use a hose on the cables?

All of the squirrel-away devices I can find online use an ultrasonic device with LED strobe lights. The i3 is parked in the driveway and if it has flashing lights underneath at night, the neighbors will complain and invite the police. (2) Are there any devices that don't have LED strobes?

As an immediate measure, I have some peppermint oil which I will dilute into water and spray around the engine bay after it's cleaned up. (3) Has anyone had success with peppermint? Or a recommendation for anything else?

Thx,

Chewed and ruined insulation/isolation around the electric machine.


Mess and chewing.


More mess and chewing.


YUCK!!!!!YUCK!!!!!


Chewing the electrician's tape, cloth tape and the plastic wire cover.


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Location of chewed cable with exposed wire strands - inside right rear bumper. The photo was taken before the damage (Aug 2020).


Chewed cable insulation.


Chewed cable with exposed wire strands - each exposed area is only about 1/8" by 1/8".