Critter has chewed some wires, dash lights on

A

AC5L4T3R

Member
Went to the car today and only my drivers side door opened when using the key which I thought was odd.

Turned over fine and now my handbrake light is red and my traction control comes on yellow after a few minutes of driving.

The car itself drives fine but the lights are showing there's been something chewed somewhere. One got in my boot last year and chewed a load of my clothes but no electrics. Seems like the fucker got me this time.

Ordered a Carly so will check codes ones it's arrived. Any advice on how to proceed finding the root cause?
 
We have struggled with rodent damage over the years. It's part of rural life. I've tried all manner of defense. Some have worked some. Among your options buy predator pee and spray the area around the car, set up night lighting, prop the hood up when not in use, set traps or bait, get a cat, sonic noise emitters disrupt rodent feeding and breeding habits (for a while). Cats work the best. I have 2 barn cats that are relentless hunters.
I thought we were combating rats until I set up a trail camera to see what was going on. I was surprised to see rabbits going up into the underside of my 2016 van at night. The van had had been in the shop twice for wire damage. Google helped me understand what was happening. As I understand it, since 2005-6 the EPA has mandated that the whole car must disintegrate (not just the tires) in a timely manner. This required the replacement of petroleum based wire jacketing with vegetable based materials. That's right, wire jacketing is now rabbit/rodent food. In hard times like our long dry summers the critters are literally drawn into the vehicles in their search for food. :headbang:

I have found and repaired some damage just by looking over all possible wires. On another occasion the dealer had to drop the fuel tank to reveal a rodent nest and the damage done.
 
Haha, oh dear. I'd have never have thought the rabbits would be coming for food.

My problem is not quite the same unfortunately. I actually live in the centre of Stuttgart, a German city with over half a million people. My car isn't registered here yet and so at the moment I park behind the local Irish pub in one of their spaces. Next to the space there's a very small woodland (see below - you can see my Z4) and I think a "Marten" is finding warmth in my car when I come back from football training. Coincidentally enough, when I dropped my car off on Thursday, an English bloke had parked his car next to mine and was in the pub asking about the English Z4. Turns out his Boxster had fallen foul to one of these things and ruined all his electronics leaving with him a 2k bill (covered, luckily).

I'll probably give the pee spray a go or leave some trap to keep them away. Last year I discovered s**t in the passenger footwell and it'd tried stealing a sock of mine through a hole underneath the steering wheel. f**k knows how it got inside the cabin.

I'm in the process of preparing the car for German registration so hopefully I can get it away from there as soon as possible.. providing the TUV doesn't end up being as much as the car is worth.
 

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Why are you convinced it’s rodent damage? If it really is, then the most likely scenario would be one of the wheel speed sensor wiring - this would give you the lights you describe.
 
Cause I had one in my car this time last year, had a go at the battery cables and chewed what I guess is a sensor there as well as some water bottles, clothes and other various plastic things I had in my boot at the time. My brake fluid sensor looks like it's been chewed as well.
 
Got my Carly today and ran a full test... here are my mountain of errors:

DSC
Fault code: 005E1F :Coil TC (Supply 2) short-circuited
Fault code: 005E16 :Coil inlet valve (ISO) shorted rear left
Fault code: 005E5C :Brake lining worn front / Wheel speed sensor generally: plausibility direction of rotation.
Fault code: 005DF4 :CAS interface invalid / Board power supply undervoltage

Engine/Motor
Fault code: 002896 :Camshaft sensor: inlet signal
Fault code: 0027A0 :E-Box Luefter: Control / CDKELS - Control electronics box Luefter
Fault code: 00279C :CDKETS - final stage thermostat map cooling / BSD bus error (general)
Fault code: 00281D :CDKBSD - BSD line fault / BSD generator: Signal
Fault code: 0027C3 :CDKTOENS - Error Oelniveausensor / CDKTOENS - Error Oelzustandssensor / CDKTOENS -
Thermal Oelniveausensor / DMTL leakage detection /

Instrument cluster / Kombiinstrument
Fault code: 000020 :Ignition (KL.15) on but ignition (KL.R) off / air bag
Fault code: 0000CE :Aussentmperatur sensor short to ground or battery voltage / TEMPERATURE

A few others about HIFI but I am running after-market.

I reset the codes and will drive around a bit and see how many resurface. Does sound like a few of them point to some little shitbag a nibble.

Anyone with the knowledge able shed light on these codes?
 
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