rodents been sleeping in my 996...?

Hey guys, need some help identifying these wires/plug. This 30,000 mile, 2001, 996 white cabo, lobster interior is new to me. Haven't cleaned up the rodent debris/engine compartment yet, but still can see the damage... From the codes thrown looked like a o2 sensor was not heating/working. So got a new o2 sensor, went to put it in, checked the plugs first,(thankfully), and found the plastic sleeve and wires had been chewed thru, along with some wires going to a plug under the engine hatch latch bracket. I haven't fixed the wires yet, hoping the o2 mil goes off when fixed. But the other pair of wires, orange wires were chomped thru also, Anyone know what these orange wires/plug goes to/operates...? Thanks for any help/info you can shed on these orange wires, By the way, the engine hatch latch works/operates perfectly, these orange wires look like they go to the latch, but latch/switch works..?

I purchased my '03 in 2018 with 45K miles. The car is parked in my garage, on a lift. I have never worried about rodents nor have I seen any active rodents around it. Having said that, I was changing out the coolant expansion tank and in behind it I found a critter nest. Didn't look all that new. I hope it was more than 4 years old, in other words before my ownership. For seasonal storage, I used to store with previous cars with bounce sheets (not any dryer sheets, apparently must be bounce) never had a problem. My boats are stored outside, under cover with moth ***** and bounce sheets and again never had a problem. I would try to confirm if there are any active critters around the car by leaving some traps (I hot glue kibble to the trap) to see if you are dealing with an active critter or is this damage from a previous owner. If they are active, I would use bounce sheets around the car and in the car when the car if parked for extended periods.

Thanks for the reply. I believe that rodent damage was from previous owner letting it sit in garage in central Florida, since that engine light o2 mil had been on since I got the car... Well, fixed the o2 sensor wires, and now o2 mil code light is out. Just went for a short ride after clearing codes. Usually light would come back almost immediately, now its off, nice... Waiting to find out what the other wires are for before connecting something that might be shorted out, as can't see under that engine hatch latch bracket to see whats what...

As the infamous Gonzo always said: "It's mice. It's always the mice." Glad you got the O2 sensor fixed.

Bounce dryer sheets does a great job

Im too lazy this morn to look at wiring diagrams, but i would make the wire repair. I suspect its to the liscense plate lights or trunk latch microswitches? There is not much in that leg of the harness.

No clue on what they're for but appears easy enough to just splice and reconnect. My only concern would be is where else did the little basturds chew through......good luck!

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Where do you recommend to place the Bounce sheets?

Driving your car a lot also helps a lot By not driving you're providing a nice and safe environment with a full menu of wiring for dinner. You think a mouse wants to live in an engine bay that screams to 6-7k rpm and is nice and hot?

I roll them and make a ribbon around the upper arms also in the cabin air box under the dash board and I tape some in the engine bay by the mounts they are changed out every other month

Thanks for all the replies... Have to try out the dryer sheets. My F350 Platinum got rodent chewed on in my driveway a few years ago. Lucky the rodents only chewed up the egr valve wiring that was already disconnected... Porsche sits in my rodent free garage shop, driven at least 3 times a week. But a few drier sheets wouldn't hurt... Must be my imagination as my 996 after connecting all the chewed wiring back up with no more engine lights on, seems to run even better than it did. The o2 sensor wiring that was chewed thru was the post cat driver bank. I thought the post cat 02 sensor just reported cat efficiency/condition..? and did not adjust fuel trims at all...? Car seems stronger down low rpm now. Still purrs at idle like it did before o2 was reconnected, but also seems smoother stronger right off the clutch in 1st gear or in any gear down low rpm. Even before the post cat o2 was re-connected, with engine lightl on, car ran great didn't miss a beat..

I think the wire went to the secondary air pump which I think helps warm the CATS up faster. The obd must have picked up a problem in the system and triggered the light. Maybe someone in the know can chime in. Be ironic if nice messed with the Cat. 😀 I poison the heck out of my garage. For a guy that won�t kill stuff and spends countless hours pulling bugs from pool, destroying car wires is where I lose my sh#t.

Mice suck. Keep laying poison and they just keep coming. It's not like the mouse thought, "Hey I haven't seen my 600 cousins in a while and I know they went to that car." "Hey look, food, yum!"

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the wires may have gone to the sai but that should have triggered another code. Also sai has nothing to do with o2 sensors. It pumps air into the exhaust to dilute the emissions when the engine is cold.

In addition to the bounce sheets in the engine, frunk and interior, I stuff my tail pipes with steel wool.