While doing an oil change on my car this afternoon, Geoff discovered that a critter had taken up residence under the hood and gnawed through an ignition wire.

(Not sure what you’re looking at? Click here for an establishing shot.)

Note the little string nest behind the wires. Apparently some sort of rodent was in here looking for a warm bed. (A mouse curling up on a warm engine—the equivalent of a hobo warming his hands over an oil drum fire?) Luckily it was smart enough to get out before the car was turned on again. At least, we think so, because there are no crispy critters to be found. That would have been even grosser.

The wire has been completely chewed through and it’s sort of amazing the car still runs. We turned it on with the hood up and watched the spark jump across the gap from one end of the wire to the other. Electricity… it’s like magic!