Ooooh, those wascally wabbits...

[SHO307]

I've come upon an unusual situation regarding the oxygen sensor wires at the front of the engine.

My CEL went on last Tuesday on the return trip from work. The car wasn't stumbling or otherwise losing performance/power, and I was in the wait for fuel pump parts for this nuisance recall that's been going on...so I didn't think any more of it. Drove carefully for the next few days, and got RGNBULL in for the recall work today.

The tech came out and got me about 15-20 minutes later, and walked me back to the car, up on the lift. It seems that the CEL came on because a RABBIT had gotten inside the skid plate that protects the front end and had chewed up the oxygen sensor harness!

Pics are attached. The techs knew it was a rabbit due to three things:

1) There was rabbit fur that had been shed all over the inside of the skid plate.

2) There were rabbit turds that had been left in the skid plate.

3) I work at Peterson AFB here in Colorado Springs. PAFB is overrun with rabbits, apparently...because it's a military installation, you can't hunt/**** them. The chief tech was standing there while I was surveying the damage, and related to me that the USAF gov't vehicles---which are comprised mainly of late-model Fusions---have been in numerous times over the last year for "rabbit damage". It seems that the new electric power steering units for the new Fusion have a wiring harness that is easily accessible by small animals. When that harness gets chewed through, it necessitates replacement of the entire rack...not sure why. I think the harness is integrated into the assembly, as opposed to a plug-and-play-type arrangement...the components can't be separated.

He told me at least one Fusion had been through the shop twice in as many weeks because the rabbits ate the harness. Another little factoid he passed on: it seems that Ford---in their efforts to be environmentally friendly---has made the insulation on the new harnesses out of a soy-based product. Makes it tasty to the critters.

So...lesson for today is: If you live in a rural-type area with lots of rabbits/other small critters, WATCH OUT FOR YOUR WIRING HARNESSES.

 

[SHOdded]

Quite a tale Better than snakes and black widows?

 

[Dave]

LOL Eeeeeeh, what's up doc? Funny story but, sorry about the hassle. Glad the mechs were able to find the problem!

 

[SHO307]

Quite a tale Better than snakes and black widows?

Not sure I understand...?

 

[SHOdded]

For the older SHOs, there are enough stories of finding snakes & black widow spiders (and plenty of rats) in the engine compartment & elsewhere. I think I would prefer rabbits to those two particular "pests"!

 

[SHO307]

For the older SHOs, there are enough stories of finding snakes & black widow spiders (and plenty of rats) in the engine compartment & elsewhere. I think I would prefer rabbits to those two particular "pests"!

Ahhh, I see. Nope, no snakes or spiders...but those durn rabbits have got to go. The parking lot has a big park-like area around it; I see those long-eared furballs often, especially in the warmer parts of the year, when the grass is clear of snow. I figure the little devil(s) got into the skid plate right after I parked---the engine was still warm, and I didn't have a CEL when I drove into work...just when I left.

I'm gonna try to file a claim, but I'm not looking forward to the process...it's the government. Gonna cost me almost $300 to get it fixed.

Of course, that's nothing compared to the damage I incurred when I was trying to leave the lot....they parked RGNBULL too close in between a couple of F-150s on the back maintenance lot. When I tried to pull out, I creased the driver's side rear door...sounded like a crumpling beer can. People were wondering why a grown man was crying in the middle of the maintenance lot. That door skin's not gonna be cheap...I was trying to angle around a Raptor that had been left in front of me, and cut the corner too close. Not even a scrape on the F-150...but the "Bull" has been dinged.

Not a fun day. AND there's a ton of snow on the ground.

At least the fuel pump's fixed.

 

[Dave]

Oh man, you should have stayed in bed.

 

[SHOdded]

Oh man, you should have stayed in bed.

Agreed. Ugh!

 

[SHO307]

Oh man, you should have stayed in bed.

Wish I could have...has not been a good week. Any week where you come out of it with a dinged car is not a good week.

 

[SHO307]

Postscript to this story:

The door damage isn't as bad as I thought. No gouges in the paint, just some creasing in the door. The Ford place seems to think PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) will solve the problem, and after my own inspection, I'm inclined to agree.

I'm hooked up on some gov't business for the next two months, so I won't be able to get it fixed for a while, but it'll be fine until I come home. Then all will be well again.

 

[Dave]

Glad to hear there will be a happy ending.

 

[SHOdded]

^X2 on this. Suggestion: Put up an "Uncle Sam is Watching You" poster/mural on the SHO to ward these wabbits off!

 

[rubydist]

Ford is making radio antennas out of the soy based material too - we have had several examples of a fox standing on top of a new car, chewing on the antenna...