On my way back from my adjunct teaching gig last Thursday afternoon, I came to a stop sign and suddenly smelled the really strong odor of gasoline. Oh, please, let he driver who had just passed through the intersection have overfilled his tank. But, of, course, such was not the case; the almost perceptibly falling needle on the fuel gauge confirmed that I was leaking gas.
I stopped for a quick errand, looked under the car, and saw the gasoline fairly spewing onto the pavement. Fortunately, when I turned off the car, the stream stopped and I could complete my errand. But the streaming renewed as soon as I restarted the car.
Fearing that even if I got back home I wouldn't be able to get the car started again, I pulled into my mechanic's garage and reported the problem. I left the car, and my mechanic drove me home.
My suspicions were confirmed the next morning when my mechanic called to tell me that a squirrel had chewed through the fuel line--again! This has to be at least the second time in this car, and at least once in Kali's car. The damage this time: $165.
Almost every time I come out of my house, squirrels scatter from the undercarriage of the car. I can understand their seeking shelter, but what would possess them to nibble on a fuel line, for goodness sake?
4 comments:
Either those squirrels are getting high on the high octane fumes, Scott, or they have it in for you. Good thing they're not gnawing through the brake line.
:)
The other weird thing that they (or smaller rodents) have done on occasion is to store birdseed in my exhaust system. The smell of roasting seed is nice, but the white smoke billowing behind me as I drive is disconcerting.
I've never heard of squirrels chewing through gas lines like that. Wild! I just googled "squirrel chew gas line" and found that lots of people have had the same problem. Interesting and weird. One person wrote: Squirrels chew on anything they can find. They need to chew to keep their teeth ground down, since they never quit growing. They do seem to like chewing on vehicle wiring and hoses.
Robin Andrea: I've moved my car to another location significantly removed from my usual parking spot in hopes of avoiding similar problems. However, the company car, parked in this area, was the victim of thieves who stole the catalytic converter!
Post a Comment