This is a seldom used, immaculate 06 Careers S Cabriolet. Beautiful car but running like crap.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-27081533.jpg)
Open the engine lid and find that someone had a nice little dinner party.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-21151525.jpg)
More pics to follow
My favorite was this A4 Cab that had this awful smell when the vents were on. Found a mouse nest in the air filter and ended up having to take the dash apart to get to the heater core. The drain tube was clogged and their was about 5 inches of a nice baby mouse soup in it. Also there were about 3 mouse skeletons stuck in the cage for the blower.
Well the dinner party turned out to be more than meets the eye. The mouse ate quite a bit of the sound deadening in the engine compartment so the engine had to come out. Further inspection of the wiring harness showed that it would need replacement. The harness is the first thing placed in the car during assembly so everything has to come out to replace it.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29094400.jpg)
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29124227.jpg)
wow... how much in labor is that going to cost?
Wait, wait, wait...
You mean there is only ONE wiring harness? Like...take EVERYTHING out of the car?!? (said this 'cuz I see a dashboard in the pic)
Hooollllyyyyyyy crap!!!!!
Forget the cat. D*Con the entire garage. That is an insane amount of work all because of a tiny little rodent.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29095635.jpg)
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29124042.jpg)
Quote from: Duck-Stew on January 29, 2010, 02:37:52 PM
Wait, wait, wait...
You mean there is only ONE wiring harness? Like...take EVERYTHING out of the car?!? (said this 'cuz I see a dashboard in the pic)
This is the complete rear harness. Including engine and taillight electrics. its everything aft of the dash.
I'll give him 5K for it.
Cash.
and he's avoiding my question... [laugh]
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on January 29, 2010, 02:36:15 PM
wow... how much in labor is that going to cost?
I said everything aft of the dash didn't I. The reason the dash came out was this. This is under the cowl panel where he made his way into the car.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29164041-1.jpg)
Cute little footprints on the A/C box
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29150823.jpg)
And I didn't forget about you Tini, just getting there. This is an insurance job. The adjuster pooed himself on this one. My original estimate was $16.5k including the 100 hours labor. That was before I found these evap lines. This means the whole front of the car has to come out, including the front subframe, suspension and fuel tank.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29164604.jpg)
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-01-29170803.jpg)
Quote from: Ducaholic on January 29, 2010, 03:06:50 PM
And I didn't forget about you Tini, just getting there. This is an insurance job. The adjuster pooed himself on this one. My original estimate was $16.5k including the 100 hours labor. That was before I found these evap lines. This means the whole front of the car has to come out, including the front subframe, suspension and fuel tank.
holy jebus.
100 hours in labor.
that is awesome..
best I ever got was 24 hours for a A4Q with some serious engine damage.
Quote from: acalles on January 29, 2010, 03:30:35 PM
holy jebus.
100 hours in labor.
that is awesome..
best I ever got was 24 hours for a A4Q with some serious engine damage.
I was waiting for you to chime in. This also includes repairing the engine harness.
I have a 750 GSXR at my farm in east TX and this is why I keep it in the barn surrounded by a moat of mice/rat death food! No shit I have probably 20 different baits traps around the bike. It's locked down and covered with a Dowco Bike cover but the rodent issue is what has always worried me. I re-fresh the bait traps regularly and I always like seeing dead rodents in the barn knowing they have "enjoyed" the feast. Knock on wood, I have never had a critter chew up anything to this date. Not the bike, the big tractor or the yard mowing tractor. I know what they are capable of and my evil defense plan has worked for years. Hope it still does!! [thumbsup]
If Mr. I's offer stands, I say we put some down-draft carbs on it and just go boogie! Besides, why bother the AC with a convertible!
Damn...I guess that insurance adjuster is downing the antacid's like they're going out of style... [laugh]
Wish I could get $16.5K for a 100 hour job. ;D
How much in parts?
besides getting a cat, what can i do to prevent this sort of thing?
i live in the country, and have had chipmunks in the engine compartment of my old 01 A4Q.
i think they were chippy's because a mouse could not carry 15 acorns... or could they?
they ate a hole in the fabric padding on the underside of the hood, and stuffed leaves into the holes.
i just got rid of that car, and got an 07 A4Q, and now i'm worried :-\
mothballs under the hood
Quote from: ducpainter on January 30, 2010, 03:36:19 AM
mothballs under the hood
doesn't work. maybe on things like chip monks but not mice or rats.
theres a f'n pack rat epidemic here (well, its not that bad, but theres a lot of them). some one moved here and brought these big nasty rats (Not native)
they are the harbinger of destruction. they carry cactus to help protect their nest and they make huge nest under the hood and eat all the wires in no time. I've seen them destroy a harness over night. I've also seen them litteraly eat the sock the customer had the moth balls in. [laugh]
some say coyote piss works well.. http://www.predatorpee.com/ (http://www.predatorpee.com/)
when the ate my moms Audi we took a chain saw to the shrubs she used to park by and made sure there wasn't a place for them to hide within 20' of the car. they stopped getting in it.
as far as cats, out here cats are just bait for yote's, hawks, owls, bob cats and mountian lions. :/ our cat has to stay in side and I won't even leave the dog out side over night.
not to mention, immagine kitty sharpeing its claws on the nice roof of that car.. then running down the hood. :o
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on January 30, 2010, 03:35:10 AM
besides getting a cat, what can i do to prevent this sort of thing?
i live in the country, and have had chipmunks in the engine compartment of my old 01 A4Q.
i think they were chippy's because a mouse could not carry 15 acorns... or could they?
they ate a hole in the fabric padding on the underside of the hood, and stuffed leaves into the holes.
i just got rid of that car, and got an 07 A4Q, and now i'm worried :-\
Yea probably Chippys but Mice will bring in acorn size objects Like dog food, one at a time until there is a huge pile for them to eat.
I had had wood rats chew up insulation & wires on several of my cars. They pissed on the computer of the 325I and ruined that once.
Ruined a wireharness in the mercedes at a cost of thousands. chewed up stuff in the trunk of the chrysler. Built nests in the airbox of the dodge a few times. And did some stuff I forgot about.
I quit parking the cars over by the wax myrtle some time ago and let them live in the wood pile. The dogs like to go over to the wood pile and see whats happening.
With the new parking arrangements I have had little trouble out of them.
Quote from: ducpainter on January 30, 2010, 03:19:55 AM
Wish I could get $16.5K for a 100 hour job. ;D
How much in parts?
The 16.5k was the original estimate. This doesn't include the supplement I'm going to need to drop the tank and replace the evap lines. The price for the rear body harness was somewhere around $2600, then there was some smaller stuff like O2 sensors and the airbox that got eaten. I quoted 80 hours to replace the body harness including dash removal, cabrio top and pop up rollbars had to come out along with everything else from the dash back. The other 20 hours is to R&R the engine, repair the engine harness, and replace the sound deadening. I work very efficiently and there is a reason I am the one who got this car but this job is already turning into a loser on me.
Gallon of Kerosene: $4
Bic lighter: $0.99
Getting rid of your frustrations: Priceless!
Quote from: Ducaholic on January 30, 2010, 07:54:35 AM
The 16.5k was the original estimate. This doesn't include the supplement I'm going to need to drop the tank and replace the evap lines. The price for the rear body harness was somewhere around $2600, then there was some smaller stuff like O2 sensors and the airbox that got eaten. I quoted 80 hours to replace the body harness including dash removal, cabrio top and pop up rollbars had to come out along with everything else from the dash back. The other 20 hours is to R&R the engine, repair the engine harness, and replace the sound deadening. I work very efficiently and there is a reason I am the one who got this car but this job is already turning into a loser on me.
I obviously need to raise my labor rate. ;)
Quote from: ducpainter on January 30, 2010, 12:44:50 PM
I obviously need to raise my labor rate. ;)
Ours is $125. Its going up to $135 next month. Wish that meant more money for me but it doesn't. [bang]
Quote from: Ducaholic on January 30, 2010, 03:31:24 PM
Ours is $125. Its going up to $135 next month. Wish that meant more money for me but it doesn't. [bang]
So...
you're getting...? ? ? ;D
The original was 16.5k... what's it up to now with the added work? How much is that car even worth?
Quote from: yuu on January 31, 2010, 05:25:11 AM
The original was 16.5k... what's it up to now with the added work? How much is that car even worth?
Ill probably add another 10 hours to R&R the tank. Car is worth around 60 -70k.
Quote from: Ducaholic on January 30, 2010, 03:31:24 PM
Wish that meant more money for me but it doesn't. [bang]
You need to do some side jobs! The wife just got the master cylinder replaced on the Acura, and it cost her $500.
Damn mechanics :P
Quote from: SA_S2R on January 31, 2010, 09:06:04 AM
You need to do some side jobs! The wife just got the master cylinder replaced on the Acura, and it cost her $500.
Damn mechanics :P
Ouch that sucks. You know how my wife is though. She gets upset if I go out for a long ride much less working more.
Cars that went through Katrina didn't have as much work that needed done as that poor beautiful car!!!
Quote from: Duck-Stew on January 29, 2010, 02:37:52 PM
Wait, wait, wait...
You mean there is only ONE wiring harness? Like...take EVERYTHING out of the car?!? (said this 'cuz I see a dashboard in the pic)
well they are german..
Quote from: ducatiz on February 01, 2010, 06:27:32 AM
well they are german..
Sometimes.....it's the blatantly obvious that eludes me. Point taken.
The harness stops short of the dash. The reason the dash came out was to inspect and clean the hvac system and the front harness. This is because the little fugger made it into the passenger compartment through the heater core passage under the cowl. I'm waiting to hear from the insurance adjuster on proceeding with the fuel tank removal. make the beast with two backsing yay [bang]
Quote from: ducatiz on February 01, 2010, 06:27:32 AM
well they are german..
probably just a portcha thing..
VW/Audi use sectional harnesses with connector stations all over the place.
doesn't mean it can't all go to hell in one shot though.. I have a passat W8 here, dealer installed a trans, and caused short to ground on circuit 50 (from ignition switch to starter solenoid) melted the wire all to hell as well as every wire that touched it, and that wire runs threw multiple harnesses (main dash to comfort harness for the alarm interrupt, then into the engine harness and down to the starter / alternator harness, as well as circuit 15 from the fuse box up to ignition switch ) its melted at every connector and every where I check it melted into other wires. its pretty bad.
It'll likely go back since the engine will have to come out to repair and they worked on it litterally hours before it melted, I'm waiting to hear before getting a estimate put together.
Quote from: Duck-Stew on February 01, 2010, 07:10:28 AM
Sometimes.....it's the blatantly obvious that eludes me. Point taken.
vell of course zis vire is in vone piece, vhy vould du have mice in die Auto?
Quote from: ducatiz on February 01, 2010, 10:56:37 AM
vell of course zis vire is in vone piece, vhy vould du have mice in die Auto?
[clap]
Quote from: ducatiz on February 01, 2010, 10:56:37 AM
vell of course zis vire is in vone piece, vhy vould du have mice in die Auto?
Damn you hit that nail on the head.
Quote from: ducatiz on February 01, 2010, 10:56:37 AM
vell of course zis vire is in vone piece, vhy vould du have mice in die Auto?
What he said
Okay so I pulled the tank.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-02-01155329.jpg)
Make sure to keep your mouth closed when your working under this car.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-02-01155309.jpg)
Damn fugger chomped the tank too.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-02-01155238.jpg)
Now here's the deal, the spot on the tank is the size of your thumbnail and maybe a millimeter deep. The thickness of the tank is at least 6mm, maybe more in this area. These teeth marks shouldn't be an issue BUT it is on the fuel tank. So now we have a liability issue if I leave it as is. Lets say I put the car back together as is, customer goes out and wraps the car around a tree, tank ruptures, name on the dealership changes. Even if it is just superficial, a damaged fuel tank is a damaged fuel tank. So now my total repair bill is $19,600, and the labor is pushing 115 hours including the alignment.
this is amazing.
Quotehttp://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-02-01155329.jpg
is that the front subframe and suspension under the tank?
Quote from: aaronb on February 01, 2010, 06:05:30 PM
this is amazing.
is that the front subframe and suspension under the tank?
Yes and coolant lines too.
Quote from: aaronb on February 01, 2010, 06:05:30 PM
this is amazing.
is that the front subframe and suspension under the tank?
everything is a very tight fit. These Germans could fit a watermelon inside a volleyball.
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-02-02081111.jpg)
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll161/porschaholic/2010-02-02083714.jpg)
Nothing like desingning something in CAD.
I'm not a mechanic...
I've never worked in an auto shop...
but I can't believe you can take a car apart that much, and not consider it totalled. This is amazing to me! This also makes me appreciate how simple my 65 bug is...and scares the bejebus out of me if anything like this should ever happen to my 07 golf [laugh]
I need to go buy some rat poison. right now.
Makes me miss my '62 Falcon.....again. :'(
I have never seen this much rodent damage to one car, no one here has. This is also the most hours of any job I have ever done. 6 or so years ago I replaced a complete harness in a Boxster but it was nowhere near this bad. Think that was 50 or 60 hours and that harness was one piece. This car is much more complicated plus the engine and fuel tank needed to come out. The last engine rebuild I did paid 38 hours under warranty. Problem with this one is I keep finding more and more stuff the further I go. Hopefully I'll start going back together with it later today.
I hope the owner is considering a new storage location.
It must have been a rodent party.
Hard to imagine all that damage from one animal.
Good luck with the repair. [thumbsup]
I need to go visit this owner.
Y'all know me. Know how I earn a livin'. I'll catch this bird for you, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad rodent. Not like going down the field chasin' hamsters and fieldmice. This rodent, swallow you whole. Little shakin', little tenderizin', an' down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that'll bring back your porsche, put all your businesses on a payin' basis. But it's not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing.
(http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/jawshiresphotos001.jpg)
What?
But don't be fergittin' how that deal worked out for Quint, MrI...
Quote from: Ducaholic on February 02, 2010, 04:36:35 AM
everything is a very tight fit. These Germans could fit a watermelon inside a volleyball.
buy me a gallon of Astrolube and I can too. ask me about the lyric soprano i dated in college.
We're gonna need a bigger boat.
Quote from: DesmoDiva on February 02, 2010, 06:45:52 AM
I hope the owner is considering a new storage location.
It must have been a rodent party.
Hard to imagine all that damage from one animal.
Good luck with the repair. [thumbsup]
it was probably a handful of mice.
and he doesn't drive it that much -- prob had it in storage for a long time. do you keep driving when your rear lights go out and stereo stops working? not if you're a porsche driver, you take that make the beast with two backser in.
i bet he had it in his garage for a year. mice moved in, found some good food and place to shit and made it into a mice-condo complex.
that's what you get for not checking on your shit or having someone check on it.
anyone wants to store their porsche for a year, gimmie a call, i have a big garage, one side is all motorcycles and hte other side has my lawnmower and i'll happily move it.
Quote from: Ducaholic on February 02, 2010, 04:36:35 AM
everything is a very tight fit. These Germans could fit a watermelon inside a volleyball.
and some how find room for a control module, some wires, and a sensor or two.
heres some pics of that melted W8 engine harness.
ignition switch
(http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r141/acalles1/linda.jpg)
fuse box
(http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r141/acalles1/linda5.jpg)
Cowl, side facing up goes into engine harness, other side down into fuse box.
(http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r141/acalles1/linda6.jpg)
followes that little green wire althe way to the back of the alternator and front of the starter. :o
Damn that's a lot of smoke that got let out of them wires. Oh and apparently the car was left in storage for one week. I call bullshit. Does he think I'm gonna get mad at him if he tells me the truth?
Quote from: acalles on February 02, 2010, 07:35:21 AM
and some how find room for a control module, some wires, and a sensor or two.
heres some pics of that melted W8 engine harness.
Looks like the wiring harness out of my old Jeep Cherokee. They were known for smoking their harnesses and mine managed to do it twice [bang]
Quote from: Ducaholic on February 02, 2010, 09:14:46 AM
Does he think I'm gonna get mad at him if he tells me the truth?
yes, getting the truth out of people is so hard. I don't think they understand that if they tell us the truth it can likely help us fix the problem more efficiently.
dealer is sending a tow truck for this one in the morning, they pretty much admitted fault. I'll get a few hours diag time.
Quote from: acalles on February 02, 2010, 02:43:53 PM
yes, getting the truth out of people is so hard. I don't think they understand that if they tell us the truth it can likely help us fix the problem more efficiently.
the truth about "how i got 12 lbs of mouse shit in my porsche" is probably to hard to accept! [bang]
I just caught up on this thread, and Dayum! that's a lot of damage.
Our "stray" cats practically live under my truck. I may have to start payin' em rent!
Quote from: Bun-bun on February 03, 2010, 05:00:35 AM
I just caught up on this thread, and Dayum! that's a lot of damage.
Our "stray" cats practically live under my truck. I may have to start payin' em rent!
Shouldn't they be paying you rent? You should charge them 1 mouse head a week.
Quote from: Bun-bun on February 03, 2010, 05:00:35 AM
I just caught up on this thread, and Dayum! that's a lot of damage.
Our "stray" cats practically live under my truck. I may have to start payin' em rent!
just give them water, they'll mouse the whole neighborhood
Quote from: D Paoli on February 03, 2010, 05:28:44 AM
Shouldn't they be paying you rent? You should charge them 1 mouse head a week.
zombie mice eat the heads.
Quote from: ducatiz on February 03, 2010, 10:29:40 AM
just give them water, they'll mouse the whole neighborhood
They drink out of the fishpond, so that's covered.
The downside is that there are fewer birds and squirrrels around, but I can live with that.
Quote from: Bun-bun on February 03, 2010, 10:42:42 AM
They drink out of the fishpond, so that's covered.
The downside is that there are fewer birds and squirrrels around, but I can live with that.
birds will shit on your car, and squirrels shit on everything and get into your attic.
we have a pair of fox living under the neighbor's porch. they score a chipmunk every few days during the spring. screw em. they are at the bottom of the food chain for a reason.
couldn't the owner just total the car under his comprehensive coverage on his insurance policy? this thing seems make the beast with two backsed.
Quote from: corey on February 03, 2010, 12:08:19 PM
couldn't the owner just total the car under his comprehensive coverage on his insurance policy? this thing seems make the beast with two backsed.
no totals are repairs 75% value of vehicle or greater.
that car should be worth more then 23k.
Quote from: Bun-bun on February 03, 2010, 10:42:42 AM
They drink out of the fishpond, so that's covered.
The downside is that there are fewer birds and squirrrels around, but I can live with that.
Quote from: ducatiz on February 03, 2010, 10:45:19 AM
birds will shit on your car, and squirrels shit on everything and get into your attic.
we have a pair of fox living under the neighbor's porch. they score a chipmunk every few days during the spring. screw em. they are at the bottom of the food chain for a reason.
Chipmunks & squirrels chew up wiring as well. The chipmunks chewed a hole in the wall and chewed through the newly installed wiring to the hot tub one time. I say let the cats eat them.
Quote from: corey on February 03, 2010, 12:08:19 PM
couldn't the owner just total the car under his comprehensive coverage on his insurance policy? this thing seems make the beast with two backsed.
Nah ill fix it and you will never be able to tell anything ever happened to the car. Unfortunately my new wiring harness hasn't been built yet.
HO-LEE SHI-YAT!
:o :o :o
That is all
Good Luck fixin' it, it does NOT look like fun
Ok... If the harness hasn't been BUILT yet, what are you looking at for it's delivery?
6 weeks? 8?
I bet you're boss is thrilled to have that car all taken apart and sitting in pieces in the shop.....and now it gets to sit there while they build your wiring harness for it.
Quote from: Autostrada Pilot on February 04, 2010, 06:24:40 AM
I bet you're boss is thrilled to have that car all taken apart and sitting in pieces in the shop.....and now it gets to sit there while they build your wiring harness for it.
I'm sure thats a minor inconvenience to the boss, the labor and parts is more then making up for it to him.
I'm sure ducaholic is the one happy about having to keep track of an entire porsche in 30,000 pieces, taking up his bay, watching the other techs do services.
They said I would have it in three weeks. I still have other work to do on it like putting the fuel tank in. I have two bays that are mine. This car is taking up both and then some. Ill lift the car and put all the parts underneath it. Then I can use my other lift. Still pissed off though. when I took the car apart all the parts went into labeled boxes so everything is organized. I wont have any issues putting it back together, just pissed I have to put it on hold.
Better put covers on those boxes.
Wouldn't want any of the parts to be carried by the offenders. ;D
just a couple of wires to be replaced and this is what you have to do, take apart the entire car. lol
Quote from: Ducaholic on February 04, 2010, 08:28:35 AM
They said I would have it in three weeks.
~~~SNIP~~~
Is that a standard version or the one with armor? [laugh]
Quote from: Ducaholic on February 04, 2010, 08:28:35 AM
They said I would have it in three weeks. I still have other work to do on it like putting the fuel tank in. I have two bays that are mine. This car is taking up both and then some. Ill lift the car and put all the parts underneath it. Then I can use my other lift. Still pissed off though. when I took the car apart all the parts went into labeled boxes so everything is organized. I wont have any issues putting it back together, just pissed I have to put it on hold.
I have MUCH respect for you, being able to put that mess back together and make it look like a car!
BTW--have you found any of the suspects yet in ripping apart the entire car. It seems like you'd find atleast one dead mouse in there somewhere...or they escaped into your shope [laugh]
Quote from: Le Pirate on February 04, 2010, 11:56:23 AM
I have MUCH respect for you, being able to put that mess back together and make it look like a car!
BTW--have you found any of the suspects yet in ripping apart the entire car. It seems like you'd find atleast one dead mouse in there somewhere...or they escaped into your shope [laugh]
Good point.....