Oh RATS!!

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ab7fh

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Started up the Dodge Ram yesterday and the parking brake light and ABS light stayed on. Popped open the hood and immediately saw that rodents had been VERY busy overnight. They pulled down a bunch of insulation, and chewed through several wires:eek:

I initially didn't see where the ABS wiring had been cut, and I wasn't 100% sure that it even had been cut, I thought that it may have just been a coincidence so I took the truck in to a local shop and had them put their ABS scan tool on the system. Showed up as a bad right front ABS sensor. Followed the wire up from the wheel and sure enough, the rat had chewed through the wire loom, and both of the wires running to the sensor.

Besides the ABS, the rat also chewed through both the positive and negative leads for my digital gauges. One of the wires had been completely severed at BOTH ends, and the wire had been taken to the opposite side of the engine compartment where the ABS wire had been chewed:confused:

I spent the last couple hours rigging up sheets of semi-rigid plastic, and aluminum as barriers to prevent the suckers from getting back under the hood.

Additionally I bought four adhesive strips and placed them under the front of the truck. I'm hoping to catch the sucker!! I figure if it gets stuck to the strip, our dog Clyde can take care of it from there:D
 
Irritating little buggers, here it's red squirrels, they get under the hood and destroy the liner under the hood.

I get even with my .22, :D.

You could try hanging a couple of bags of moth balls under there, it might help keep them out. Make some up with a ladies nylon.
 
My buddy that lives in Apache Junction has pack rats as well. Seems like the only time they feast on anything is if it sits for a while......Ernie's Explorer was real sluggish. Popped the air box open and the top of the air filter was clean. Pulled the air filter out and the bottom of the air box was full of sun flower and bird seeds...
 
Hey Rick, you need one of these. :D


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UBrJvME75c"]Larry plying his trade with the "Rodentator". - YouTube[/ame]
 
inkjunkie said:
My buddy that lives in Apache Junction has pack rats as well. Seems like the only time they feast on anything is if it sits for a while.....
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They did a number on the Seneca since it hadn't been started all summer. Opened the hood and there must have been a few pounds of crap on the intake manifold. The Seneca got moved into the new garage a few weeks ago.

The Ram is the only vehicle which stays outside now. I drove it the day before I found the damage. I think the rat probably went for the heat of the motor.
 
Badsport said:
Hey Rick, you need one of these. :D
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Hmmm.... I think I may already have one:D

I've got a weed burner attachment for a 5gal propane tank. If I fill the hole with propane, then light the torch and touch it down to the hole it should do something interesting.... Trouble is how the hell do you know if the tunnel is going to be under where you're standing!!:dontknow: Our backyard is a maze of tunnels. I pumped a ton of water into one of the holes. Nothing ever came out. I was afraid to keep going for fear of creating a massive sinkhole!
 
Ernie and her Mom used to do the garden hose in the hole trick.....Ernie said she was pretty good with a shovel......
 
ab7fh said:
Trouble is how the hell do you know if the tunnel is going to be under where you're standing!!
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Guess there's only one way to find out, Rick. Wear your asbestos undies to protect the boys and fire it off! :D
 
You could always try smoking them out. A friend had some success with it. When he tried it the second time he set off 3x the amount of smoke bombs as he did the first time....Fire department showed up....
We have gopher tunnels every where. Seems like over night we had an an infestation out by the road. My one dog spend most of his days out there now....
 
I used to sell Acuras (I know, what was I thinking?) Anyway, had a customer who bought a brand new MDX and after 4-5 months had a terrible odor in it. She brought it in and service discovered a mouse had gotten into the the heater fan, and when she turned the heat on, the mouse became mince meat, what a mess and what a stink.
 
Only you,Rick.Have you tried road flares,in the holes? The farmers here use them,in gopher holes,sell a ton of flares for that.Supposedly varmints hate the sulfur when lit.
 
Unfortunately have had some rodent problems here too. I'm pretty sure they're pack rats we're chasin' on occasion........:violent1:

If your vehicle has to live outside, leaving the hood open with a light on under the hood overnight works :happy1:
 
6pk2goDemon said:
Unfortunately have had some rodent problems here too. I'm pretty sure they're pack rats we're chasin' on occasion........:violent1:

If your vehicle has to live outside, leaving the hood open with a light on under the hood overnight works :happy1:
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I've been told that a couple moth balls on the intake with keep them out and create no problems of own- chewed thru wires on my old Dakota and shorted out ECM- expensive fix- plus wait to have it rebuilt....
 
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