Rat causes overheating and stalling in Audi

living in the compartment between the windshield and

there anything in there that should not be covered in

Are you sure it's not the big nut behind the wheel? :)

I would try something like isopropyl alcohol (do this with the engine and electrics off, in a well-ventilated space.)

The rat will not like the fumes/liquid, and the stuff will evaporate away.

But first, how about a trap? Or just plain old disassembly?

E.P.

no no no I had nut checked out! :-)

Yeh, looks like the beast made hisself a nest in there.

ahhh yes, excellent idea, I actually like the smell myself. Hopefully this isopropyl alcohol stuff is cheaper than 150 proof whiskey, do I need a lot or is enough just to coat everything?

nah, don't want to pull out rat cadavers (this one is big, black and ugly, I seen it twice)

Which is what I'll have to do in order to use the alcohol. I will first collect a couple of years of rent from the wretch, I wonder what his weight cost me in additional gas...

Have to get this done, my wife won't go near this car :-)

cp

cp, Dang critters! When I started the '62 DKW for the first time with the entire exhaust system attached, it was sputtering and coughing - my friend put his hand in front of the tailpipe and BANG! a wad of fluff and a dead rat (or mouse) fired out. Revving the engine after that produced a machine gun effect as the various nut shells in the system flew out and bounced off the garage door. Although I have heard that it's bad for your health, I have put mothballs in the car over the winter and it seems to have kept the mice out, although the smell lingers as it gets into the upholstery (and your clothes when you drive it). Apparently, detergent perfume also does an acceptable job, and cheaper detergents usually have smellier perfumes. I've made my garage a virtual critter killing ground since I've stopped with the mothballs - a few boxes of Rattak - have seemed to do the job. If I were you, I'd contact a Critter Removal company - there's a company called Wildlife Control here - and ask them about removing said rat from your ride - chances are, they've done it before. You want to be careful with the removal aftermath, for one, those rodents have to chew, and wires make a decent substitute for a piece of wood - also, I know that mice can carry the Hanta virus, and that you can contract it from their dried urine. Very important that if you finally get rid of the rat, to wear a mask and gloves when removing the nest, and do so outside - don't use a vacuum in a garage or a built-in vacuum that will exhaust inside the garage. Just be thankful that it's not a red squirrel, apparently they're the tasmanian devil of the north. Cheers! (now go get 'im) Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"cp" wrote in message news:TYF0f.838$S4.753@edtnps84...

isopropyl alcohol stuff is cheaper than 150 proof

I seen it twice)

collect a couple of years of rent from the wretch, I wonder

OK a couple of things I will recommend: First, to get the critter(s) out now just try some mothballs in vinegar (I think) in a pan placed under the engine compartment. The fumes should chase them out if it gets to them. I don't recommend you smelling this!!! (Exterminator trick) Next is to use some Irish Spring bars of soap which should keep them out and should not smell to bad to you. (Old mechanic trick)

Let us know if these things work! I have heard that they will work, but have never tried it. ;-) Uh and no jokes about big male moths!!! lol

living in the compartment between the windshield and

Ah, that must be why modern cars come with cats.

andyt

living in the compartment between the windshield and

Obviously serving their time for felonies as well...

E.P.

ROFL!! I almost choked on my lunch!

hmmm this seems like it will be some serious business, I didn't consider the health aspect, aiiii so it's a bad idea to pour water in there?

cp

Will try! I'm going to try the simplest methods first, if they don't work I'll take the audi apart, find the rat and bash its brains :-)

think) in a pan placed under the engine compartment.

smelling this!!! (Exterminator trick)

should not smell to bad to you. (Old mechanic trick)

never tried it. ;-)

living in the compartment between the windshield and

If I could maybe find a vicious little kitten that'd fit behind the firewall...

cp

cp, It might not be such a good idea to just pour water in there, as the drains will get all clogged up with debris and then flood the passenger side of the car. I'd get a super shop vac with a lot of hose (obviously, ID[hose]>OD[rat]), go out into the open - well downwind from houses, etc., put the vac downwind and suck up all the fluff, and the rat(/s). If he survives the trip, then just open the top of the vac and dump it over to let him find a new home - I'm going to avoid recommending the Bugs Bunny method - reeeeeeeally long hose, vacuum up rat and nest, vacuum up lit stick of dynamite........run.............(avoid sending anvils down the pipe, too) ;-) BTW - not to choke you on your next lunch, but I have a picture of "Missile Mouse" and his house following the cannonshot out of the tailpipe. I wonder why my friend hasn't ever helped with my car repairs after that........ Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

the health aspect, aiiii so it's a bad idea to pour water

Why am I humming "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly...."? Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k

rat living in the compartment between the windshield and

True, I didn't think of that...

Yeh, just need to find a really long power cable! :-) OR what I'll do is redirect the exhaust in there for a couple of minutes :-)

Either that or I 'm going to bash the beast head in!

You have to post it!

cp

:-)

You got any online pics of the old audis?

Check this baby out, maybe if I get rid of the '66 benz.......hmmmmm

cp

cp, Pictures of my "fleet" are on both Audiworld, and Audifans: AW:

are pictures of it at the "Audi Mobile Museum" at the Imports atCarlisle show last spring: out James Bufkin's ex-works rally car - hearing that roaring aroundwas a treat. Yes, the S2 is a cool car, but I'd give up the whole fleet for a Sport Quattro......maybe..... So, is your collection on the web? Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ - 4k/5k/200/V8 body transmogrification in progress - paint going on this PM 1980 Audi 5k - ongoing brake line repairs ongoing...... 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - winter storage this weekend - Missile Mouse pictures to be posted...... (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

I like! The old guy is so cute, like a Trabant! (no offense, I guess Traban ripped the design off) I was fooled by that S8 in the pic for a second :-)

Quattro......maybe.....

Yeh, that's one car I wouldn't mind, but can't justify 3 cars now....

Nope, nothing to brag about :| I have a 66 benz that I'll be working on, or at least I've been trying to since April. My friend is a master mechanic and restorer of these cars, so I'll have help. There's not too much work with that one, hope to make it into a daily driver, maybe then I'll post the pics :)

As for the audi QT, I love it, it needs some suspension work though. Also, it failed aircare here, too much NOX, any ideas? Fuel mixture?

cp

cp, The S8 was a wicked car - sooo large, yet it flew around the corners on the test track - nothing like a 4 wheel drift with 4 passengers in the car - I took my 1980 5k to that track day and _almost_ got on to the track with it. Yeah, there was a fair amount of copying between IFA and Auto Union - some of the first post-war F9's were actually made by IFA (you see them on ebay.de every once in a while). The Trabbi had a cotton fiber/resin body that didn't rust (but smelled like a wet dog) - the Deeks, however, had good ol' thin steel that was prone to attack by the "rust worm". wrt to the NOx question, I would go the route of the traditional "tune up" - plugs, cap rotor, wires, OXS sensor and then check it out. It is possible that the cat is gone, but I've heard that some have passed without the cat entirely. They only check HC and CO here, since the quatts require a

4-wheel dyno to test the engine under load and the Driveclean rigs are only 2-wheel units - so they only do a 2-speed idle check. It's also very important to make sure that you are using max. octane gas for the test, and that the cat is fully warmed up (ie - drive it for 15 minutes or so, then drive on to the test - don't let it cool down for a half hour while they run other cars through). Cheers! Steve Sears 1987 Audi 5kTQ - now in Ming Blue Mica! 1980 Audi 5k

Traban ripped the design off) I was fooled by that S8 in the

Quattro......maybe.....

or at least I've been trying to since April. My friend is

not too much work with that one, hope to make it into a

it failed aircare here, too much NOX, any ideas? Fuel

Thanks for the advice Steve!

ha! :-)

Yeh, the only benefit, no rust. I drove a trabant with a vw engine, was quite alright, at unification east Germans were trading Trabants for beer at the Polish border when they became illegal :-)

I noticed on Saturday that the bloody rat gnawed through one of the emmision control hoses, aHHHHHHHH! I put up traps, poison, nothing so far, will try the other options.

Thanks! cp

quite alright, at unification east Germans were trading

East Germans, Trabants, or Beer, or all 3 (Beer in East Germans in Trabants) was illegal at the Polish border? Thanks for the Weds morning chuckle..... Keep us posted on the rat

(Ed Roth rules!)Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

ha! I didn't look at it that way! :-)

If you want to post yourself on the rat go right ahead! :-)