MarkA

"Rusty" <p51d007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:be1vu1latm7cfg2f617a5r1pmrqvmfrr1e@4ax.com...
> Had the very first non normal repair on my 99 stang last week. For
> some reason, the wipers wouldn't come on. Checked the fuse, relay
> etc. Could hear it clicking but couldn't find out why the wipers
> wouldn't come on. Dropped it off and they called me back a few hours
> later to tell me a funny story. They found a "rodent nest" near the
> connector that goes through the firewall for the wiper, and some of
> the wires were chewed up. They were able to cut out the damage and
> wire around it, or it would have cost about 400.00 for the new
> harness. He asked me if the car wasn't driven much. Told him it's a
> 6 1/2 year old car with 44,000 miles.....duh. He told me to get a pan
> of mothballs and put under the car. Apparently the critters don't
> like the smell.
> Car sits outside......I thought about spraying the wire harness and
> around the lower opening between the firewall and the interior with
> some "pepper spray" since I have access to law enforcement quality
> spray.
>
> Anyone else have experience with this?

Sorry to read about that - it brings back painful memories of when I ended
up having to sell nice Alfa 75 (Milano in the US?) for spares after storing
it in a friends barn for six months. When I came back to the car there were
two large adult rats and about seven "babies" living in the engine bay.

http://www.m_code_fastback.btinternet.co.uk/wiring1.jpg
http://www.m_code_fastback.btinternet.co.uk/wiring2.jpg
http://www.m_code_fastback.btinternet.co.uk/wiring3.jpg

The mess and smell was just awful. The only consolation was that once the
barn doors were open, the neighbours dog (some sort of terrier) was able to
get in and made short work of one adult rat and all of the youngsters.