Sometime in the last 2 months some rodent decided my engine would be a great place for a nest. I had it outside so I could get my garage squared away. Now my original hood blanket is ruined. Just pisses me off.
Rodent ate my hood blanket
- Thread starter Ryuk
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That sucks.
the part number for them is E7ZZ-16738-A
Ford only recently discontinued them so you can try searching and seeing if anyone has any remaining inventory.
the part number for them is E7ZZ-16738-A
Ford only recently discontinued them so you can try searching and seeing if anyone has any remaining inventory.
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I hope it left your wiring alone. And I hope the fiberglass gave it a stomach ache.
- Mar 7, 2002
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Sometime in the last 2 months some rodent decided my engine would be a great place for a nest. I had it outside so I could get my garage squared away. Now my original hood blanket is ruined. Just pisses me off.
This. Check the hell out of your wiring. The last thing you need is a rodent-induced short leaving you stranded or starting a fire.
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I'm waiting on the customer's insurance company to approve this one, it'll be my fourth wiring harness replacement in the last two months due to rodent damage. One of the others got a hood blanket too, this one will be getting an EVAP line and headlight vents as well.
I can't emphasize enough how much you need to check the wiring over.
I looked over the wiring and didn't see anything awry. From the looks of it, the little rat bastard* either just got started or died before it got too far. We did discover a few rats in the yard when they started clearing the lot 2 doors down. I suspect that's when this happened. We killed six at the base of Sabal palm that I saw when mowing and put out bait that's gone untouched since then.
I used to have rat terriers. They would've never let this happen, but the stupid springer spaniel thinks lizards are out biggest concern.
* H/T @2Blue2
Spaniels are bird dogs. There’s your problem. Do you have a nearby cat lady? Bribing a friendly cat to hang out here has helped.
We've only seen a rat a couple of times over the years. We have neighbors with horses, pigs, and chickens, but sadly no cats.
I'm going to just make room in the garage. Hopefully I'll sell the 70 one of these days so I don't have to juggle space.
Hopefully the car is parked in an enclosed, dry storage place. If that is the case, here's a fix for your rodent problem.
It's time to go down to the Humane Society and adopt the biggest, meanest looking cat you can find.
Have it nurtured or fixed so that it doesn't roam off or have a bunch of kittens. Put the cat's food and water bowl near the car. The cat will lean to hang around the car to catch whatever varmints gather around to eat the cat's food and drink the water.
I have 4 cats and there are no chipmunks, mice, moles or stupid birds (lots of smart one though) in my yard. There are no snakes longer that 12" . All these varmints are food or play toys for the cats. I have a gray and white boy cat who is a Georgia bobtail cat, a species unique to Middle Georgia where I live. There is a pet door for the cats and my wife's small dog by the kitchen table. Every once in a while, I'll see a gray and white flash streak through the pet door and head for the bathroom. He will have captured, a bird, a, lizard, a chipmunk or some other small critter that I must liberate before he has partially devoured it and left a mess in the bathtub.
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I just fix the customer's cars, I don't control where they park them.
@jrichker and if one likes friendly animals, this is a good way to have a shop assistant and no inside litter box. The one time my plan failed was when it was so cold last month and the neighbor kept her outdoor cats inside.
Edit: we already decided with the neighbor that if she neighbor moves (into a care facility or in with her son), this cat stays.
@MustangIIMatt have you heard anything lately about the pepper spray some oem’s were suggesting for their wiring?
Edit: we already decided with the neighbor that if she neighbor moves (into a care facility or in with her son), this cat stays.
@MustangIIMatt have you heard anything lately about the pepper spray some oem’s were suggesting for their wiring?
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Glue traps my dude.. Glue traps. I don't care how cruel anyone thinks they are. They work! I buy the thin posterboard variety and leave them flat instead of folding them into a square tube. Couple them with a little peanut butter and you can have an area mouse-free in a couple days. If you're seeing evidence of one mouse then you've got at least 2 or 3 normally. Also, 5 gallon bucket mouse traps work wonders.. The key is to keep at it for long enough that you take out the breeding age adults. Then you can cut down on the amount of traps you have around.
You learn this stuff quickly living on a farm. That is, if you want to have anything stay nice and stay functioning correctly. The way I see it is it's them or me, and I WILL WIN.
The bad thing about your car now is that even if you catch the rodent that did it, IF it was a mouse, it's left a microscopic urine trail that other mice will be compelled to follow for generations. They'll ALL follow that trail and chew in the same areas, and it takes a loooong time for that urine trail to disappear. Even washing it thoroughly doesn't completely get rid of it.
The damage in your case is large enough that I'd bet it was a ground squirrel or possibly a regular squirrel. Maybe even a rat. Regular deer/field/house mice don't normally do that much damage, but squirrels do.
You learn this stuff quickly living on a farm. That is, if you want to have anything stay nice and stay functioning correctly. The way I see it is it's them or me, and I WILL WIN.
The bad thing about your car now is that even if you catch the rodent that did it, IF it was a mouse, it's left a microscopic urine trail that other mice will be compelled to follow for generations. They'll ALL follow that trail and chew in the same areas, and it takes a loooong time for that urine trail to disappear. Even washing it thoroughly doesn't completely get rid of it.
The damage in your case is large enough that I'd bet it was a ground squirrel or possibly a regular squirrel. Maybe even a rat. Regular deer/field/house mice don't normally do that much damage, but squirrels do.
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A pressure washer and some Purple Power works wonders for the urine trail (which can be seen using a blacklight). That's what I follow up with at the dealership after I repair the damage.
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That's what the blacklight is for. Rodent urine glows like you wouldn't believe under a UV light.
I meant that there's places they go throughout a vehicle where a light won't shine, and it's difficult or nearly impossible to wash.
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This is true, but I find getting most of it is good prevention against repeat issues.
I'm waiting to find out if it's valid. It's supposed to be delivered on Wednesday. Once they actually deliver and I verify it's a Ford OEM, I'll post a link.
