Raccoon-1 Bimmer-0

Lower_Level · 08-24-2006, 01:20 PM

All joking aside...

I got a chance to crawl under my car finally after hitting a big f**king raccoon at 100km/h last night on my way to work. needless to say alot of the plastic covers are gone/broke as well as one of my brake cooling ducts.

And one of my driving lights got punched through the bumper.

But I've got some wiring hanging down that I never noticed before (likely cause it was covered up before). And worse still; it looks like the A/C radiator(?) got shoved into the main radiator resevoir & punctured it!!

Here's some pics of the wiring. Anyone able to identify any of these??

Here's a pic of my rad problem. nothing other than the puncture is wet. Obviously it's leaking; but I didn't notice any puddles anytime the car's been parked. It's been driven a couple of times since the run-in. I haven't noticed the temp gauge getting up any higher than normal.

How much trouble am I in?

Eurostyle · 08-24-2006, 01:28 PM

Stupid animal

Sorry to hear about your bad luck...This is a temp sensor hanging...

Boots R · 08-24-2006, 01:28 PM

the first 2 look like your exterior temp. sensor. the thin probe at the end pops into your brake cooling duct. is it just hanging now?

Big T · 08-24-2006, 01:29 PM

The first two pics is the temp sensor, should clip into your brake duct.

Lower_Level · 08-24-2006, 01:38 PM

Yeah... the one with the probe is just hanging. I'd put it back in the duct; only it's no longer there....

Any other place that maybe I can attach it? At least until I can get another duct?

Boots R · 08-24-2006, 03:32 PM

I'd say just duct tape it on your frame, or on your wheel well (outer side closer to your motor, not the wheel), or on your bumper somewhere, so its not dangling. It might get caught, snagged, and taken away... you you do NOT want to pay for another of those sensors. Even just unclip the probe and tape the wiring away until you can get a new duct.

Justin e36 · 08-24-2006, 03:52 PM

Pull it back up into the engine bay from above. Put it somewhere behind your headlight housing.. (where your intake is) to keep it safe. Mine has been there for erm.. 5 years or so?

p.s. you're not the only one to rock an animal on the highway: http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36676

If you need the stock (non-M3) brake ducts, I still have a pair from my original bumper, undamaged.

Boots R · 08-24-2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin e36

Pull it back up into the engine bay from above. Put it somewhere behind your headlight housing.. (where your intake is) to keep it safe. Mine has been there for erm.. 5 years or so?

haha holy shit 5 years? havent you ever wondered what the EXACT temp. outside is? Ever thought about just clipping the wires and taping them off?

Justin e36 · 08-24-2006, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boots R

haha holy shit 5 years? havent you ever wondered what the EXACT temp. outside is? Ever thought about just clipping the wires and taping them off?

Not really... I keep it a little below the headlight housing. Whenever they say the temperature on the radio, or I pass one of those large signs on the road with the temperature it's always correct +/- 1 degree).

Lower_Level · 08-24-2006, 06:18 PM

Quote:

If you need the stock (non-M3) brake ducts, I still have a pair from my original bumper, undamaged.

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks! The ducts will likely be the last thing replaced. But I'm thinking of getting an M3 replica bumper instead to replace my now cracked standard OE.

So the yellow phug is the temp sensor, I've got the second plug traced to the electric fan, so that's no worry.

Does anyone know what the third thing is? I thought it was a little magnet with a clip; but not sure & I have NO idea where that came from!! It's dangling on the passenger side right now.

And how serious is this leaking rad fin going to be? Is it going to be a replace before driving again thing?

Justin e36 · 08-24-2006, 06:26 PM

No problem. The other dangling thing sounds like another sensor.. have a picture of it?

That small rad fin leak can be welded fairly easily. Your rad doesn't need to be replaced for that little problem. Though I recommend you do it sooner rather than later. air can also enter the system through that hole.

Lower_Level · 08-24-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin e36

No problem. The other dangling thing sounds like another sensor.. have a picture of it?

Here it is again; in case the above link didn't work?

**NickP** · 08-24-2006, 07:26 PM

That's nothing; raccoon took out my front spoiler and fender.

It then got lodged between my tire and fender making me smack a curb which destroyed my rim, control arm and strut housing.

Sorry about your luck; I'm glad it wasn't worse.

jameswbl · 08-24-2006, 09:12 PM

do you have a headlight washer system?...that looks like the heater element for the sprayer

see #24
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...70&hg=61&fg=45

sorry for the bad luck...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lower_Level

Here it is again; in case the above link didn't work?

Big T · 08-25-2006, 12:22 AM

^^I think hes right...

although my car has it and i dont have headlight washers, it could be the heater element for the windshield sprayers too