Off Topic » Rodents

So, having scheduled a 12K service on Saturday that requires a cold engine for a 1-day service, I drove the Tacoma to work to pick-up the Uhaul trailer in the evening. The truck hadn't been driven in a few weeks and started rough. In the old days, you would have said a one or two cylinders weren't firing. Within a mile, any hill was pretty much a challenge. A 5-mph max speed with the pedal on the metal and in first gear...…

The passing county Sheriff car slowed to ask what the problem was...….but happily drove away when the problem was explained. Poor bastard, I think, was the expression on their faces.

So, an hour later, at the garage, delivered by the $95 tow truck ride......I explained the problem and left a number to receive the bad news.

At noon, the phone rang and the glories of the rodent hotel / buffet bar were explained. The cabin air inlet was the location of the rodent boudoir........jam packed with rodent comfort features. The buffet bar was on top the engine, at the exposed wiring for the fuel injectors.

585 dollars later, all codes were cleared and the cabin air intake cleaned.

Yeah...…...I cancelled the Uhaul trailer reservation and service appointment. I think I'll just take a motorcycle ride this weekend and get the service later. After, I'm sure the Tacoma has recovered.

We have a problem with pack rats in my area. Buggers are notorious for taking up residence in the engine compartment and stripping electrical wire insulation. You got off lucky —- my first repair bill was almost $1800 and the second (different rodent, same vehicle about a year later) was $1200.

I used to keep my old Toyota pick-up (a 4WD Delux, just like lower income Taliban used for mobile artillary) in the barn at the family farm. The first rodent attack was the spark plug wires. A few years laters, the menu preference changed, and it was random sections of the wiring harness in the engine compartment. Later, the apparent desert tray offering was fuel line.......

However, for each course, the rodents stayed with one item......

Blimey! Over in blighty Dangermouse was a cartoon character, a mild mannered superhero who left vehicle wiring alone.
https://goo.gl/images/21oR6W

Zitat von Willy im Beitrag #4

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Blimey! Over in blighty Dangermouse was a cartoon character, a mild mannered superhero who left vehicle wiring alone.
https://goo.gl/images/21oR6W

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Over the years I have seen a few cases of mice attack, mostly pvc cables in lofts, on one occasion I took a washing machine in to see why it was not working correctly, I found mice had been in the customers house and got under washing machine and chewed the insulation off the cables in the base.

In the winter the mice get desperate for food, eating PVC insulation serves no nutritional value but it fills the rodents stomach and they feel better for it.

Put food down and spare your bike 😋

Ged

I have friends that have had the same problem. It always seems to be with Toyotas. Does anybody know if the pests are targeting other brands?

"Put food down and spare your bike 😋"

Some dry cat food with a very healthy dusting of Cayenne pepper is my offering for this evening...….

Quite a few years ago a friend who owned a red R1100RS (the one with the full fairing) was an hour late at the meeting point for our annual trip to Phillip Island for the bike GP and some of the boys were getting a bit annoyed. He was very apologetic but explained he had been on time, had started the bike, but as it warmed up noticed smoke and then fire. Apparently he hadn't ridden for months and a rat had built a nest in there. Honestly we pissed ourselves laughing.

Another time he was late because one of his lovely BMW sport panniers (with the criss cross) fell off doing 120kph. Another time he was behind a truck carrying a load of split fire wood - a piece fell off and smashed his headlight. Some people are just magnets for misadventure. But laugh, God we laughed.

Zitat von PeteT im Beitrag #9

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Quite a few years ago a friend who owned a red R1100RS (the one with the full fairing) was an hour late at the meeting point for our annual trip to Phillip Island for the bike GP and some of the boys were getting a bit annoyed. He was very apologetic but explained he had been on time, had started the bike, but as it warmed up noticed smoke and then fire. Apparently he hadn't ridden for months and a rat had built a nest in there. Honestly we pissed ourselves laughing.

Another time he was late because one of his lovely BMW sport panniers (with the criss cross) fell off doing 120kph. Another time he was behind a truck carrying a load of split fire wood - a piece fell off and smashed his headlight. Some people are just magnets for misadventure. But laugh, God we laughed.

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