Happy F'ing Birthday to me!

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
My son got a new (to him) car last week (2010 Charger). Four days later (this morning) the CEL comes on.

Plug in the reader - MAF circuit. Clear it. Immediately comes back. Hmmm...

Pop the hood and this is what I find (pic). Squirrel!
 

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
The asshole chewed through the MAF wires and boogered up the AC pressure transducer wires. Chewed up the sound/heat material on the hood too.
 

K-rover

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
2,163
62
Raleigh, NC
This scares me! My truck sits outside and I only drive it every few weeks or so. Every now and again I catch a squirrel sitting on my tire eating a pine cone.


Another reason I should drive my truck more often...
 

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,899
450
Darien Gap
What's the normal way to fix something like this? New wiring harness seems overkill, but a proper harness repair isn't easy either.
 

brian4d

Well-known member
Dec 3, 2007
6,499
67
High Point, NC
Scott, I had a squirrel build a nest inside the blower motor of my 4runner. It was parked at the airport for a week while I was traveling. Flight landed and it was cold outside so I did what any normal person would do, turned on the heater. oooooo noooooo.

The little fucker also stuffed acorns in my rear bumper. Every time I went around a corner I heard the shift from side to side, drove me crazy. Took one year to find them all.
 
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SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
What's the normal way to fix something like this? New wiring harness seems overkill, but a proper harness repair isn't easy either.

I found the connectors at various places; I ordered from Amazon so I could get them tomorrow ($72 all told). The MAF comes with a pig tail, the transducer I have to supply my own wires (I did find a source that had the pig tail, but it was a week delivery time). Most auto parts stores had the MAF plug, but had to order it (day or two).

Really shouldn't be a big deal.

My son reported that the tire pressure sensor was throwing a code intermittently, so I think there's more damage than what I saw. We'll have to lift it, remove the wheel well liner and see. But it runs ok, so hopefully the TMPS is just resplicing wires and the MAF/AC connectors are it.

The little shit did this overnight; my son parked it ~6pm, we found him at 7am.
 

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
Scott, I had a squirrel build a nest inside the blower motor of my 4runner. It was parked at the airport for a week while I was traveling. Flight landed and it was cold outside so I did what any normal person would do, turned on the heater. oooooo noooooo.

The little fucker also stuffed acorns in my rear bumper. Every time I went around a corner I heard the shift from side to side, drove me crazy. Took one year to find them all.

That really sucks.
 

1920SF

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2007
2,705
1
NoVA
My D1 was parked in a barn at a friends for significant periods over the fall; when we went to grab it it sounded horrendous and was smoking badly.

In true rover fashion, I decided the answer was to apply more gas to see if it would 'get better'
After smelling of roasting nuts for a minute or two I eventually had a giant mass of acorns come flying out of the exhaust. Little bastards.
 

brian4d

Well-known member
Dec 3, 2007
6,499
67
High Point, NC
My D1 was parked in a barn at a friends for significant periods over the fall; when we went to grab it it sounded horrendous and was smoking badly.

In true rover fashion, I decided the answer was to apply more gas to see if it would 'get better'
After smelling of roasting nuts for a minute or two I eventually had a giant mass of acorns come flying out of the exhaust. Little bastards.

Haha!!

Check it out, the little guys put acorns, leaves, pine needles and everything else into the blower Motor, when I turned it on it all shot thought the main vents into my face. Actually shook the wheel a bit and thought I had a misfire or something until the leaves started coming out. Welcome home Brian.