Did my weekly check & top up under the bonnet this weekend and when I opened it I discovered a handfull of grit on top of the engine.

Naturally I just cleaned it off and there was no problem - had to get the vac out to get a few bits that had fallen into the oil filler recess but didn't think much more about it till later.

 

First of all I've had the car since the summer and was at first amazed at how well the engine bay had been 'cleaned' before I bought it. Having run it for a few months now I realise the bay is hardly subject to much road dirt getting in so obviously a great design feature.

So how had the grit got in and stayed in a neat little heap? It was quite small stuff; about 3mm cubes and fairly regular in size. Lightish in weight but not insulation type material I think. So no sign it had dropped off the bonnet. The bonnet was still shut tight when I opened it so can't see how anyone could have put a handfull in there. I'd driven it earlier in the day so why had it not just dropped off? I was parked on a gravel drive so material not from there and I'd reversed in. And not in a position where another car could have sprayed the grit into the bay and in any case I can't see how it could have got there in such a neat pile.

I've discounted mice as the culprit but am baffled.

 

Any ideas?

Bird!

 

Why did you discount Mice?

Edited 22 December, 201411 yr by goneoffSKi

You are correct; It was mice as my wife discovered this morning ....!!!

Opened the bonnet and she found a mouse had been taking seed from the nearby bird feeder and storing it ready to eat later.

 

Problem solved.

Lucky escape ;-)

 

I was working at a Mazda dealership doing IT when I got to witness a customer going ballistic because her brand new MX5 started to stink after driving 10 miles.

 

Got the whole story a bit later, a rat had climbed into the engine bay and died on top of the exhaust manifold. As the engine got up to temp the decomposing rat started to cook. The less than appetising smell wafting into the cabin.

 

The customer eventually got to reject the car and got another.

Take care!  Mice can be the bane of the car owner. 

Classic car enthusiasts are frequently bedevilled by mice eating the electrical insulation, tearing up and soiling the trim etc etc.

If this is happening in your garage or car port, they may have adopted it as home.  

It may be advised to bring out the darleks and EXTERMINATE!