Anyone else had problems with these little sods?

I've been laid up for a couple of weeks and found out yesterday that the battery in Skoddy had discharged. Hooked up the charger and all seemed well until I tried to start him half an hour ago. Al the warning lights started to flash but nothing more happens.

When I was hooking up the charger I found a couple of egg-shells under the bonnet so initial guess is one of these has had some wiring as a dessert..

Now waiting for Skoda Assist.. Not at al happy as it's a missed hospital appointment.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_marten

 

Protected species, would make a nice warm pair of slippers

Not heard of them in UK, although I stand to be corrected.

Let's hope they aren't long distance swimmers!!

They do look cute though.

Anything else left switched on? had similar probs by leaving sidelights on overnight, battery discharged, took about 4 hours charge before I could get started - a real pi55er!!

More of the same in Germany

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346010/Incredible-moment-cheeky-stone-marten-caught-act-POACHING-eggs-amateur-photographer.html

 

Regards

 

Mike

Not heard of them in UK, although I stand to be corrected.

Let's hope they aren't long distance swimmers!!

Pine Martens are in the north of England, Scotland, north Wales and Ireland.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_pine_marten

We used to get warnings all the time for Martens. Not native to the UK I dont think, just rats and mice here.

A friend of mine near Ashford in kent went on a two week fishing holiday and when he came home mice had nested under his bonnet and eaten the wiring loom of his six month old freelander 2.

Big   for Skoda Assist. They sent a mechanic along within 20 minutes. Fortunately nothing had been eaten  however the battery was completely discharged despite having taken 6 amps for about 7 hours yesterday. Started on the booster, just made my appointment and drove it around for an hour afterwards. Having seen the eggshells and the lights I jumped to a conclusion. Feeling a bit foolish, but I'm sure nothing was left on and the battery should have been over half charged.

Horrible little monsters, we have pine martens here as well as the usual mice/ voles; just put an ultrasound pest deterrent in the garage to keep them all away!!

They do look cute though.

They look almost as cute as Wolverines, another cuddly Mustilidae favourite of mine!

During our Yeti's first winter it had a similar thing. It went on for so long that I bought a small solar panel charger. In the end Westgate, Grimsby found an intermittent fault in the loom in the bulkhead. They spent a lot of time on it. It has been OK since then.

Did you notice this,written in Wikipedia on the link you posted?

 

Cars attacked by martens typically have cut tubes and cables. A beech marten can slice through the cables of a starter motor with just one bite. 

Jaws!

We had the plug leads of our 1.2tsi eaten in the north east Netherlands, near Groningen, a couple of years ago. Just about made to the local dealer who fixed it and left for home €100 or so worse off. It's beech martens. the mechanic said "you are not the first!" Got a diesel now, in the hope that it's less attractive to the little blighters.

A bit sluggish starting this morning. A solar panel charger looks like an option.

Illegal to do away with them so have invested in a spray; the ultrasonic device I had before didn't seem to worry them

We have them here in Germany, in fact one of them chewed the end off the radio aerial within a week of ownership! Our car insurance actually has specific cover in the event of tubes being chewed by the furry beggars.