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Desert Critters: Pack Rats Will Nest In Your Car's Engine!

My friend and mechanic Jim, from Auto World of Tucson, displays the pack rat that did the damage. We denizens of the southwest often refer to ourselves as "Desert Rats." I didn't think much about that until this week, when I had to park my Explorer down the street because our homeowners association was resurfacing our streets.

The next morning I walked down to my car (parked next to an unimproved lot opening on to the desert,) opened the door, and turned the key.

Thump! Rattle! Shake! It seemed like the entire dashboard was vibrating. I turned off the AC, and the vibration stopped. Not good.

I rolled down the windows and went to my first appointment.

It turned out that a pack rat had decided to nest in my engine. Somehow, it had made its way into the duct work of the heater/air conditioner.

It had gotten trapped in the "squirrel cage," the air handler that moves the air. When I turned on the car, his goose was cooked.

24 hours elapsed before I could get to my friend, mechanic, and client Jim Canifax of Auto World of Tucson.

Jim's concern, as he took apart the motor and air handler under the dash, was "What sort of critter is trapped in there?"

He's removed live snakes from similar situations. Rattlesnakes!

Fortunately, this was just one dead pack rat. And oowwh, did it stink!

Auto World of Tucson

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2411 W Wetmore Rd
Tucson, AZ 85705-2018
(520) 888-3520
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SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
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(520) 349-9090

Posted by Mike Jones on 10/03/2009 11:14 AM

Comments (22)

Pack Rats in the Regional (Localism) Channel

desert critters, pack rats in my engine, jim canifax, auto world of tucson, mike in tucson, tucson az mortgage lender, sunstreet mortgage tucson

Originally posted at: Tucson AZ Home Loan Info: Desert Critters: Pack Rats Will Nest In Your Car's Engine!

Post is included in group: Out Of The Box!
Post is included in group: It's all about them (ThemThem)
Post is included in group: Cars and more Cars
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Post is included in group: Arizona Real Estate

22 Comments on Desert Critters: Pack Rats Will Nest In Your Car's Engine!

OCT

Oh heavens. I bet that did stink! Your mechanic has a nice mustache.

Susie,

Thanks for being the first to comment! I'll let Jim know that his mustache has a fan club. LOL

Mike in Tucson

I stored a van for a couple of years in an oak grove on my property. When I finally decided to use it it was a dead player. Rats had nested and ate many of the wires. What a mess. And for those who have never smelled a rat's nest, keep it that way.

Oh, poor things. What a way to go. But, better than a rattlesnake. I would never get in my car again.

We see fleets of trucks here with the hoods left open -- guess the owners seem to think an open hood won't encourage them to next.. not sure.

Laughing too hard to comment...

Yuck! Just want I want to see on a gorgeous Saturday am! Dead pack rat - you take the cake Mike. Too funny. Hope it didn't screw up your car too much. Back in MN cats used to do the same thing in the winter - again yuck.

What a surprise! Your mechanic looks like he means business. I would be serious too, if I had encountered rattlesnakes under the hood. Great story, Mike.

I'm with Mike J... that's a funny tail - I mean tale. ;-)

Oh rats, not sure I like the sound of that!

Well that is just disgusting. So glad it was your car and not mine. You would have heard the screaming from NH if I found that guy!

I've never seen this, but I have had cats climb into my engine bay on cold nights. All were smart enough to leave before geting caught in the belts. Thank god.

Mike

Takes not a great early morning experience.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

We get a lot of squirrels in our are that like to pack nuts in for the winter and sometime they get caught not fun to have to get them removed.

OCT

GOOD MORNING MIKE! They've been out in "packs" this year it seems! I've smelled that smell too - leave your hood up and have a terrific Sunday -- Gab

Thank goodness that we do not have rats here in TN...

Helping you help others live their American dream...

Wow! I'm glad that was not my car! I would probably never get in it again! You would have heard me screaming in AZ! I hate snakes of any kind and rats for sure!!!

Yikes! I had a cat get under the hood of my car years ago. I didn't know it was there and was driving to work on Orange Grove road. I heard a bunch of 'screaming' and a couple of loud thunks and looked in the rear-view mirror and saw it rolling in the road. I was going 50 mph by then. Freaked me out!

OCT

Dang! Thanks, all!

I sure got behind on commenting back on this post, and it's the middle of the night, so I'm not going to try. I'll see you all on your blogs.

Mike in Tucson

Mike, yikes rats in the cars and even rattlesnakes...no thanks.

OCT

Hey Mike,

I found droppings in the ductwork at my house a couple of days ago, so put down a couple of mousetraps last nights. This morning...no mousetraps. I guess I have a pack rat, and he stole them.

I need a bigger trap. ;-)

Simon