[geeks] Mice and wires

[wa2egp at att.net]

-------------- Original message from Francois Dion <francois.dion at gmail.com>: -------------- 


> Everybody has read the story about the ENIAC and the bug. What I 
> didn't realise is that mice are a lot more destructive than any bug. 
> 
> Recently, I've had glitches in the electricals of my Peugeot 505 turbo 
> wagon. It's a well maintained car and all, my daily driver (and a 
> great vehicule for "antique" computer rescue operations as you can fit 
> a computer rack in it). I couldn't find anything wrong, checked 
> voltages etc. Added a LED to monitor power to injection and ignition 
> ECU. Since it was nothing big (tachymeter stopping from time to time, 
> stuff like that), I continued to drive the car. But, alas, one day it 
> left me stranded at work. Had the car towed home and checked spark, 
> compression, fuel pressure, tested for air leaks etc. Discovered that 
> the injectors were flooding the engine. 
> 
> First tought, ECU or AFM. I had a spare of each, known good. Swapped. 
> Still a problem. I ended up doing quite a bit until I traced back some 
> wires that had 12V going to the ECU that shouldn't. So this weekend, I 
> opened up the fusebox, removed the PC board. Looked at the wires. 
> Rubbed my eyes, pinched myself, no I'm not dreaming. Looked at the 
> wires again and sure enough about 12 wires had been chewed by a mouse, 
> some making contact. 
> 
> Apparently it's common: 
> http://www.wombatnation.com/category/the-unusual-and-the-weird 
> 
> Argh. Splicing some new wires, insulating others, the car is now back 
> on the road. 
> 
> I'm just glad the fuel didn't shut off while accelerating under boost 
> to get on the highway, might have ended up with a blown piston or 
> headgasket or something... 
> 
> Moral of the story, keep some cats 24/7 around your car :) 
> 
> 
> Francois 

Rodents like the wiring in my '99 Mazda Protege.   A sock half full of moth balls
under the hood will also keep them away.  Makes your car smell funny though....
Bob