Hit a raccoon

exalted512

In the wifes civic friday night.

I was on my way to my parents house to celebrate my grandpas birthday. They're about 4 hours away. The wife had to meet her parents on the way. About 2 minutes before we got to where we were meeting her parents there were 2 raccoons in the middle of the road investigating something.

One ran the right way, the other didn't. Stopped on the side of the road and could instantly smell coolant. Had a work light with me, looked in the bumper and there's my buddy. He was still alive and moving around. He had gone through the lower grill in the bumper and landed on the radiator. A good samaritan stopped after he smelled the coolant after he drove by. I was able to get the top of the grill off. The little guy crawled out and jumped on the motor. We shooed him away from the road and he ran into the woods. Little guy can take a hit, we were going probably 50mph. He didn't appear to be hurt. Wasn't limping or bleeding, but who knows.

We drove to where we were meeting her parents at a gas station. Thats when we say the automatic transmission fluid leaking. Needless to say, the car was left there for the night. Instead of going to my parents, we went to her parents, which was about 30 minutes away. I guess we were lucky to be meeting them and that they live where they do. Got the car in a trailer the next morning. We then took her mom's car down to my parents. Did our thing there, drove back to her parents and trailered the car to my house in her dad's truck.

Anyway...during the superbowl I'm currently in the middle of getting everything out. The bumper is off and the radiator and ac condenser is out. When I removed the lines to the condenser, no freon came out...so its bad for sure.

I freakin hate that a car cant take a raccoon without disabling the car. One piece of metal behind the lower grill would have eliminated all this...and my little friend, but hes not worth what I'm having to sink into this car now. Its not a whole lot, but its still around $300.

I have the new radiator about to put it back in. Condenser will be here Tuesday afternoon.

And of course, instead of being able to take my bike and her take my truck, its going to be raining.

Hope you guys are enjoying the superbowl.
-Cody

treitz3

Just consider 'coons as target practice from now on and all will be well.

Sorry to hear of your delays/problems. Tomorrow will be a better day.

exalted512

Well, it also bent the sub frame where the radiator sits in. I was able to hammer it out a little bit but it will need to come out more. All my tools are at work so tomorrow I will be able to bend it back out (its c-channel and the lip is bent in) and drop the radiator in. I was hoping to be able to do that tonight...oh well.
-Cody

Face

And I thought running over a possum in my Vette was bad, ha.

joeparaski

I hit a damn moose once...not fun...it could have been worse though. Ever had a moose head come in through the windshield?

Joe

exalted512

Well, I'm trying to find the insert that goes in the bumper but cant find it anywhere online. Its this piece:


Just the one in the middle, not the two on either side.

If anyone can lead me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it. All I can find is the upper grill
-Cody

Willow

joeparaski wrote: »

I hit a damn moose once...not fun...it could have been worse though. Ever had a moose head come in through the windshield?

Joe

Hahaha, not laughing at what happened to you, just typical, a canuck hits a moose. I'm glad you were ok though as they can write off vehicles!

exalted512

Well, the bottom piece thats busted out is part of the bumper, not an insert...I'm guessing thats why i cant find it anywhere. Sounds like she's getting a mesh grill to cover it up
-Cody

Serendipity

joeparaski wrote: »

I hit a damn moose once...not fun...it could have been worse though. Ever had a moose head come in through the windshield?

Joe

That's gotta suck.

Jstas

exalted512 wrote: »

Well, it also bent the sub frame where the radiator sits in. I was able to hammer it out a little bit but it will need to come out more. All my tools are at work so tomorrow I will be able to bend it back out (its c-channel and the lip is bent in) and drop the radiator in. I was hoping to be able to do that tonight...oh well.
-Cody

That's actually the core support and not the subframe. Hammer away and get it to where it needs to be but paint it with Rustoleum or something because it will rot with just bare metal from hammer marks. You can use a piece of 2x4 as a dolly to help you get pinch seams and creases straight again.

I'm surprised that everything is separate. Alot of Japanese manufacturers have been putting transmission coolers and radiators in the same unit for a long time. Makes them real expensive and a pain in the **** to replace.

The AC unit, if it leaked out completely, I'd replace the parts and then take it to a shop to get it recharged. Unless you have access to a recharger/recycler and a 30 pound can of R134a. You'll need quite a few of the small cans of R134a (if you can even get them individually anymore) to get it fully charged and you can only buy a certain amount without a regulatory permit. The big money in AC units is parts. Labor is simple and straightforward but you can save yourself a couple hundred bucks replacing parts yourself.




Shoulda gotten yourself a hat for all that trouble.

reeltrouble1

Cody,

add one to the list of dark wooly things you have hit.

RT1

shawn474

exalted512 wrote: »

Well, the bottom piece thats busted out is part of the bumper, not an insert...I'm guessing thats why i cant find it anywhere. Sounds like she's getting a mesh grill to cover it up
-Cody

Cheap fix is to get the expanded steel from Home depot or lowes and cut to fit. Usually those bumpers are 2 pieces that snap together with the insert in between. if you can get the bumper apart, cut the expanded steel to fit and snap it back together. It won't match the other grill pattern, but will be a cheap and easy fix.

exalted512

Jstas wrote: »

That's actually the core support and not the subframe. Hammer away and get it to where it needs to be but paint it with Rustoleum or something because it will rot with just bare metal from hammer marks. You can use a piece of 2x4 as a dolly to help you get pinch seams and creases straight again.

I'm surprised that everything is separate. Alot of Japanese manufacturers have been putting transmission coolers and radiators in the same unit for a long time. Makes them real expensive and a pain in the **** to replace.

The AC unit, if it leaked out completely, I'd replace the parts and then take it to a shop to get it recharged. Unless you have access to a recharger/recycler and a 30 pound can of R134a. You'll need quite a few of the small cans of R134a (if you can even get them individually anymore) to get it fully charged and you can only buy a certain amount without a regulatory permit. The big money in AC units is parts. Labor is simple and straightforward but you can save yourself a couple hundred bucks replacing parts yourself.




Shoulda gotten yourself a hat for all that trouble.

yea, im not sure why I said subframe. I didn't even think about spray painting it until my brother said something about it. good call.

it actually wasn't that bad getting everything out. the fan casing has is cracked on the edge but not strucurally important or where it mounts.

the only thing its going to a shop for is the freon. the wifes dad is licensed for it but he doesn't have any. but I know someone who can get it done reasnably.

im hoping I can get the radiator in tonight and the ac condenser too if it comes in today. im off tomorrow so it'll be done by then.
-Cody

danger boy

that coon must have Stopped, Dropped, and Rolled

bigaudiofanatic

I do not care what car manufacture it is they are all made to crumple in the front. I do not know how he hit the front but it is possible that he damged things and could of done it with other cars. Just my .02

exalted512

Well I got the core support straightened out and the radiator dropped in. Its not hooked up, but it fits. Didn't really feel like messing with it tonight when I can just do it tomorrow in the light.

Do you think I will need to flush the cooling system before I get it recharged? I wrapped the hose ends in rags as soon as I unbolted them from the air condenser.

-Cody

Jstas

I don't see any reason to flush the system unless you think you got some kind of gunk in there.

You'll have to add coolant if it was leaking though. Get the 50/50 mix stuff that you need for your car. It's made with distilled water like it's supposed to be so it won't turn your cooling system into a battery.

You live in Texas and it doesn't really get cold enough there to worry about water freezing to the point where it pops freeze plugs. There is enough anti-freeze in the mix to prevent that.

exalted512

sorry, I was talking about the freon lines. do you think ill have to flush out the ac system?

Jstas

Doubt it. Well at least I wouldn't worry about it until after you get it fixed and refilled. If you take it to a shop, he's going to hook it up to a machine that will do the flush and fill for him if it needs it.

Usually, for a system that's completely dead, they will hook up the can straight to the input line and let it equalize pressure. Then they shut it up and test it. If it holds pressure and runs cool, they will top it off and send you on your way. If not, they will do a flush and such.

Just make sure you hook up the AC components correctly, they do have an in and an out. If you hook one up backwards, it can cause enough of a hindrance to proper flow that it could seem like a line is blocked.

exalted512

Thanks John. The hoses can only pretty much go in one way due to the way they're routed.

The condenser didnt come in yesterday like it was supposed to. But the radiator is in and its drive-able again. Looks like something out of the fast and the furious now with no bumper

The wife said she was embarrassed for me to drive it...haha. I told her I'm driving a honduh, it cant be any more embarrassing than it already is...she hit me.
-Cody

ViperZ

www.car-part.com

Punch in your zip code, car info and part type, and voila! All junk yards in your area that have that part. GL

superjunior

at least it wasn't a deer, they do much more damage