Of Mice and Men and Mechanics

I admit it. I actually LOVED high school English class. From Irving, to Dickens, to Steinbeck, I couldn't get enough.  So it made total sense that the above title is what came to mind when I popped open the hood of a customer's car last week.

We live in the greatest valley in the world. The beauty, the agriculture, the proximity to all that is great outdoors has got to be celebrated. But there are others who also join us in our appreciation for Northern California.

Rodents. Call them mice, rats, vermin,….whatever.

Rodents. And they love it here. They also love your car. And I'm not the least bit kidding.

My customer was a young college kid. His 8 year old truck had just starting to run poorly accompanied by the famous yellow check engine light.

As I begin a cursory under hood check, I saw the signs right away.

 Those aren't just any kind jelly beans lying on top of the battery, intake manifold and valve cover…that's poop. And a lot of poop.

So I began my search, and what I learned about my tiny four legged friends is that they had mistaken this guy's car for some sort of mouse buffet. The teeth marks were everywhere. A good portion of the primary wiring harness that leads to the on board controller was completely…well…I imagine, digested.

 That would be the main computer and that would be…and is…bad.

These guys went and ate half the under hood! I mean really? Mice eat plastic? Rubber? Geez.

The story ends well. But not cheaply.

I replaced the harness and related sensors. I performed a full course of poop removal and actually didn't throw up. Well, maybe a little.

 It set this poor guy back $765.39. I told him to send the  bill to little Mickey.

So—you're now thinking, "What's your point, Doug? I don't have mice!".

Ummm…yea, you probably do. And they have very likely made your nice warm engine in your driveway the best restaurant in town.

Here are some tips:

• Open Your Hood. Check regularly for droppings, frayed wires, etc. You may be amazed at what you find.
• Check Wiring and Plastics. You're looking for fraying, teeth marks, anything that indicates a nice home for the grey little guys.
• Seal Up the Garage. A lot of these issues are from mice actually accessing your garage in the evening. Look for entry points.

Good luck and good hunting.

Doug Brauner is the Owner/Operator of The Car Czar Auto Repair shops. He also hosts "THE CAR CZAR SHOW" on CW31, KMAX, every Sunday Morning at 10:00am, as well as the show DRIVE on The Discovery Network.

You can find  COUPONS for FREE repair and service at www.thecarczar.com and facebook.com/thecarczar.