Funny reason my 3rd brake light wasn't working

[Porter]

Looks like an authentic English Field Mouse set up shop in this thing at some point.

My car sat at Hethel for months over winter, built in VIN sequence in November and then "finished" in January, so I can only assume that this critter set up shop in the bumper skin then.

Since the local Lotus dealer (Washington DC) isn't fully operational and therefore 6 to 8 weeks from being able to take a service appointment, I'm considering just fixing this myself.

Any advice, hive mind? Since the copper seems ok, I was thinking of de-pinning the connector and repairing with small diameter heat shrink.

 

[Racer X]

Those blasted British field mice!
You suggest an easy temporary fix (temporary only in that it would bug you enough that you’d want to order a new lead). I wonder how long it would take that new lead to get in?

 

[robrmon]

@GRP any advice for @Porter
You dabble with this stuff all the time

 

[GRP]

@GRP any advice for @Porter
You dabble with this stuff all the time

I would do exactly as he described. De-pin the connector and run a long continuous length of heat shrink tube over each wire to protect and insulate them. Should last the life of the car providing it doesnt get eaten again!

 

[Eagle7]

Just freakin unreal lol. It might be worth the trouble of taking off the back of the car to see if there's anything else it damaged in there. Also do a thorough vacuuming to get everything out it might have left.

Yeah, use the heat-shrink tubing method to isolate the wiring as suggested.

Maybe there was a reason why cats liked to sit on the back of Emiras in storage lol.

 

[kitkat]

Porter's car is bringing over the plague.

 

[robrmon]

Might explain the squeaky noises from this post @eclat2emira

Thread 'Engine speed related squeaking/dry bearing noise?'
https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/engine-speed-related-squeaking-dry-bearing-noise.3314/

 

[EspritGuy]

Looks like an authentic English Field Mouse set up shop in this thing at some point.

My car sat at Hethel for months over winter, built in VIN sequence in November and then "finished" in January, so I can only assume that this critter set up shop in the bumper skin then.

View attachment 45076
View attachment 45077

Since the local Lotus dealer (Washington DC) isn't fully operational and therefore 6 to 8 weeks from being able to take a service appointment, I'm considering just fixing this myself.

Any advice, hive mind? Since the copper seems ok, I was thinking of de-pinning the connector and repairing with small diameter heat shrink.

View attachment 45078

Interesting mouse fable. Third cat delete issue?

 

[virtualmacho]

This photo should be entered in the Emira of the Month contest.

 

[ADC]

Interesting mouse fable. Third cat delete issue?

Agreed... let this be a warning to everyone doing a cat delete.

 

[virtualmacho]

Interesting mouse fable. Third cat delete issue?

Agreed... let this be a warning to everyone doing a cat delete.

Depends on how good the first and second cats in each specific car are doing their jobs... YMMV

 

[Porter]

There are "mouse house" sized pockets in the rear bumper structure all along the top here, which is why this became a rodent harboring zone.

I'm wondering if I should put one of those little mouse poison bricks in each one before I close it back up. Thoughts?

 

[virtualmacho]

Fill with foam? Not that you need rigidity there, but just to fill the spaces.

 

[Porter]

Fill with foam? Not that you need rigidity there, but just to fill the spaces.

I don't want to make a permanent change to the car if I can avoid it, for a variety of reasons including warranty. In this case a well-executed repair on the wiring shouldn't have any warranty impact. Just trying to figure out if I should add any "area-denial yum-yums" while I have it open.

 

[GetawayDriving]

Yeah you may want to get in there. I left my Jeep’s hard top in the backyard one summer. Found a similar nest around one of the fiberglass holes and an ungodly smell. Blasted a hose into the holes and muck and dirt flowed out for 20 minutes straight, along with (long dead) mice.

Ended up being an insurance claim because the body shop didn’t want to touch it. Had no faith they could get the smell out. Got a new hard top.

 

[Porter]

Jesus, that sounds awful.

Well, I would pack it with steel wool if I didn't think the steel wool would rust. So that's out, unfortunately. Maybe aluminum wool? And I don't know of a synthetic fill that a mouse wouldn't greatly enjoy.

 

[Nova]

DAP Mouse & Pest Shield 15 oz. Spray Foam 7565012521 - The Home Depot

DAP Mouse and Pest Shield is specially formulated to block mice, birds, bats, tree squirrels and other pests such as ants, roaches and spiders. Use Mouse and Pest Shield to fill gaps and cracks inside

www.homedepot.com

Didn't know this was a thing. The video is worth a watch.

 

[Porter]

Haha too funny. So it's basically Great Stuff style expanding foam, but with a bittering agent to keep them from chewing through it. Good times.

 

[virtualmacho]

pet snakes?

 

[Rainier]