savyboy

So the NAV in my new 997.2 shows my location about 30 miles in the wrong place. After previously working fine. On my way to the dealer for repair I think "Hmm, why not eject the CD ROM and re-boot the system and see if it fixes the problem?".

So I pull over, open the front trunk, removed the cover from over the battery compartment (thinking there NAV CD player was down in there), and come eye to eye with the problem.


Chewed cables.


Mouse Porsche buffet.


Such a young and innocent 997.2. Only a baby really. It just didn't seem fair

Anyhow, first off the new 997's don't use a CD for the NAV, all the info is on a hard disk. Second my cowling area was full of wall insulation, seeds and mouse excrement. And several mice. Looking at me.

I drove to the dealer and they told me to drive back to the car wash and vacuum all that crap out of there. Which I did. And drove back, and they commiserated with me as we looked over the area.

As this was Saturday they suggested I come back Monday.

Today I got up and decided to tackle the repair myself and removed the wper arms, battery, plastic cowling.

Interesting tidbit- Porsche incorporates the NAV sat antenna and radio antenna into the cowling under the windshield! That is friggen cool as hell engineering if you ask me.

Sad results: The mice ate through the outer woven wire of the coax for the SAT antenna and the cabin air filter is full of mouse refuse.

Any forum members that are electronic wiz kids and can tell me if the coax can be repaired via splicing? Or maybe patching in two connectors so as to remove the damaged area? The inner conductor is unscathed, just about 1.5" of woven outer wire is chewed through.

I hate to consider buying and routing a new wire, but I suppose I would just run it outside of the harness from the PCM to the cowl antenna. And leave the main wiring loom alone.

Pics attached for your vicarious viewing pleasure.

The garage now has 14 mouse traps of three different designs. An suggestions how else to avoid this in the future?

ADias

I empathize with you, however your title is wrong. Cancer is a serious concern that should not be addressed lightly.

How did this happen? Did you park the car long?

p-cardriver

Coax can be either spliced or repaired with connectors - but splicing with solder and some good heat-shrink tubing would be a better repair IMO because its a more solid connection and less chance of corrosion damaging it. Price a new one before you start - it may not be that bad cost-wise and would be the best option.

Apparently like many forum members you removed your cats. I recommend replacing those to chase away the mice.

savyboy

Hmm, Certainly no offense intended toward human cancer victims!

Been parked in the garage since March, driven 2-3 times per week. Unsure why the mouse chose it for a home?

ltc

^ + 1
Please edit your post title, or if you prefer, I will gladly do it for you.

savyboy

p-cardriver: Removed the cats...lol. Very funny! Agreed, hopefully pricing on a new cable is not like $300 or something.

ltc

That having been said, it would appear as though the center conductor and dielectric are fine, as well as the connector/termination (which appers to be a standard Fakra connector)

If this is the case, and since there is adequate braided shield available at both ends of the damage, you can try this simple repair procedure.

1. Straighten the cable and verify that the center conductor is NOT showing thru, in other words, no dielectric has been chewed.

2. Purchase some copper tape (available online from various electronics supply websites/shops). It comes in various widths, I would suggest 1/4" or so, no larger than 1/2". This tape has a conductive adhesive on the backside.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...ame=3M1181A-ND

3. Beginning at one end of the cable, wrap the copper tape 1-2 times around the exposed braid (shield/outer conductor), then slowly spiral wrap the copper tape, overlapping to make sure the dielectric is 100% covered until you reach the other end.

4. Wrap the copper tape 1-2 times around this end of the exposed braid/shield conductor. Cut the copper tape.

5. Wrap the entire cable assembly (in a spiral fashion) with 3M Scotchlock electrical tape (available at Home Depot, etc). This is premium grade electrical tape, not the cheap generic. Make sure you completely cover the copper tape. You may wrap it 1-2 times, no more is necessary.


From an electrical (impedance) perspective, this repair should not affect the operation of the system and does not require cutting and installing a new FAKRA connector...and an extention FAKRA cable.

Simple to try, very inexpensive.

ltc

Please edit the title

MJones

What is all of that aluminum foil doing in there (on left side)???

Edgy01

This is precisely why Porsche does not recommend the use of peanut butter as a lubricant. It encourages the wrong visitors. We have to be a lot more conscience of what is going around our cars. I find it hard to believe that you have had no mouse damage on other vehicles in the same area. Is this a first for you, for any rodent damage?

ADias

Yes. He says the car has been in the garage since March and drives it 3 days a week. Which is it? driving 3 days/week or car sitting since March?

savyboy

ltc- PM sent.

also, good stuff in your post, thank you very much! I am going to try that copper tape.

MJones- foil to keep the whiskered, beady eyed ones from nesting down in the cabin air intake plenum while I effect repairs :-) Didn't know anything else to use that the little bastards wouldn't eat or remove in the meantime.

Edgy- lol. Very funny! :-) Yes it is a first for me for rodent damage.

Adias- I, and my car, moved into a new house in March. It has a garage. My 997 lives in the garage. I drive my 997 2-3 days per week.

Will someone be kind enough to post a list of the various health maladies that may not be joked around with? Prostatitis? Aneurysm? Cauliflower ear? Gosh folks, no harm meant on this side. I just thought being eaten from the inside, as my car was, was analogous to the health condition of which we should not speak. No ill will or callousness intended.

Peace!

p-cardriver

foil wont stop rodents. Steel wool usually will. There's a reason I know this, but fortunately it has nothing to do with cars.

ltc

I would stop into the Rennlist Concours and Detailing forum for advice on how to clean up the areas affected by the mouse droppings...

ADias

Now it is clear. A garaged car used 3 times/week hosts a nest of mice.

Is there a chance it has been there for a while and yoy have not noticed it? or it did it happen within days of your noticing it?

If I were you, I would call a professional pest control company to take care of this. The stuff consumers buy is not good enough, I'm told.

Re your original title... it would be OK if you had said - my car has a cancer-like problem, or something similar. Instead you titled it - Cure for cancer? which in normal language means something else, and came across a gratuitous sensational headline. There are many among us either fighting cancer or living with it. Just appropriate sensitivity, that's all. You changed the title and I compliment you for that.