About a month after I bought the Impala [in 2001-- but had been used
>by the dealership] it wouldn't start one morning. The lights and
>horn worked, but not the stereo.
>
>Dealer came and got it, replaced the stereo & said they couldn't find
>anything wrong otherwise.
BTW-- The dealer had to tow it-- but when it got to the shop it started fine.
>A couple months later I found a mouse nest on the intake manifold.
>The mice had chewed the wiring harness & exposed some wires, but
>hadn't broken any. I removed the mouse nest- called the dealer to be
>sure it wasn't covered by warranty - coated the exposed wires with >liquid tape.
>
>Fast-forward 3 years--- A couple weeks ago I noticed the security
>light was on in the dash. I drove a few blocks-- pulled over, turned
>off the car & restated. Security light went off.
>
>Yesterday I drove the car in the AM -- 4 hours later I went to start
>it & I have a no-crank [not even a click]. I notice the lights
>aren't coming on the stereo or the 'information center'. Headlights
>are bright- horn is loud. No fuses are blown.
>
>I tried jumper cables anyway, but no joy. As a last ditch effort I
>put the battery charger on it. Something reminded me of the mouse
>nest from before & I look to see if the liquid tape has peeled off. >
>CRAP! There's another mouse nest in the same place. [There is a big
>plastic shroud over the intake manifold & it makes a perfect place for
>a mouse-house. I check the wires, though & don't see any new chew
>marks-- and no bare wires.
>
>But now I get back in the car & it starts up fine. Have gone
>through several run-park cycles & it hasn't repeated. Am I good for 3
>more years-- or will it strand my darling wife someplace next week.
>[Both times it has happened right in the driveway.]
>
>Any guesses on whether it just cleared itself, if the battery needed a
>slight charge-- or did I clear a short when wiggling the wiring
>harness?
This time I tried wiggling everything & it didn't seem to make a difference. The battery only measures 12.5 volts so I put the charger on it. What *seems* to have done it this time was wiggling the ignition up and down and back and forth.
This time, though-- The security light stays on, and the "service engine soon" light has appeared, along with the 'alternator' light [the red battery]. The appear in sequence & didn't go off in the 10 minutes that I drove the car.
The stereo display is showing "locked" when it lights at all. The radio doesn't work.
>And any hints on how to discourage mice from nesting there? I'm
>tempted to just toss the shroud that covers the manifold. Is it just
>decorative, or does it serve a purpose? [other than to state in bold
>letters "V6 3800 Series II"]
>
>Thanks-
>Jim