RATS!

The engine light came on in the RAV, followed by the “skid” light, and the cruise control light was blinking. Worried that this must mean something dire, I took my RAV into my favorite auto service center and said, “What’s up with this?” The technician opened the hood and there was the problem: rats!
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Rats have been under the hood, storing dog food they’ve stolen from the bag of food in the garage. They’ve also nibbled on a variety of wires, knocking out sensors and causing the various lights to come on. Not sure how far into the wiring harness they have gnawed, but the tech says that sometimes, the rats win and I end up with a very big repair bill.

I’ve left the RAV there as it’s a two-day process to repair. A friend will pick me up tomorrow and take me to my car as the dealer has promised to have it repaired for me for the weekend. After I pick up my car, I’m going to get myself to the big box hardware store and get some rat killer!!

UPDATE: I went to the lumberyards and bought a sonic wave thingy that's supposed to scare the rats out of the garage. In case that doesn't work (I'm a pragmatist), I also got some rat bait and some out-and-out rat killer pellets. I'm going to use all 3 and see what happens. The dog food is in the trash, so that's not there to tempt the rats to stay. I'm actually going to put the pellets under the hood of my car as that's where the rats took the dog food for snack time.

We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, I have to keep Daisy out of the garage as she forages for the rats -- and I want to see them die from poisoning, not my dog.