Friggin Squirrels!

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J

jpiniero

Lifer
Oct 1, 2010
16,872
7,311
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Pretty sure I hit a squirrel this morning. One of those where I slightly moved to avoid hitting it, and the stupid thing doubled back and got itself killed. I stopped a little further down to check the car, and while I didn't see any visible damage, the car is now making some strange noises at times in the rear. Going to have to take it to the dealer.

What is it with squirrels anyway?
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
A female squirrel terrorized me and my car for months. Eventually I realized it was because it was pregnant and winter and so it sheltered itself every night in a compartment in my hood. I would find leaves stuffed in there. But that's not the worst part... it had chewed up the wires to my O2 sensor and $400 later it chewed through my gas line TWICE too. That was before I could catch it and once it finally had its 3 offspring, I was able to lure it into a trap using them. Long story short, the Home Depot trap worked and I set them all free about 5 miles away. Not sure if the babies made it though... it was freaking out and trampled them during transport. But I had had enough.

/high-five. Ok low-five.
 
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roguerower

roguerower

Diamond Member
Nov 18, 2004
4,563
0
76
My buddy and I went for a ride on our motorcycles after work. He was leading when a squirrel decides to make a break across the road. Squirrel makes it safely, but about 2 seconds behind him is his good buddy rabbit who ended up running himself straight into my buddies foot. It was an explosion of fir and a spinning dead rabbit.
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
779
126
You damaged your car by running over a squirrel? What do you drive?
 
W

wirednuts

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2007
7,121
4
0
rh71 said:
A female squirrel terrorized me and my car for months. Eventually I realized it was because it was pregnant and winter and so it sheltered itself every night in a compartment in my hood. I would find leaves stuffed in there. But that's not the worst part... it had chewed up the wires to my O2 sensor and $400 later it chewed through my gas line TWICE too. That was before I could catch it and once it finally had its 3 offspring, I was able to lure it into a trap using them. Long story short, the Home Depot trap worked and I set them all free about 5 miles away. Not sure if the babies made it though... it was freaking out and trampled them during transport. But I had had enough.

/high-five. Ok low-five.
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i would have smoked it out, then smush it with a bat. squirrels are tree rats, nothing to save there.
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
779
126
wirednuts said:
i would have smoked it out, then smush it with a bat. squirrels are tree rats, nothing to save there.
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Tree rats. That's what I called them as I shot them out of my trees with a shotgun.
 
phucheneh

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
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oldsmoboat said:
You damaged your car by running over a squirrel? What do you drive?
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heh, this.

You probably just have some elephant ears going on. As in, your brain just coincidentally decided to use that incident as an excuse to pick out a random noise and dwell on it.
 
J

jpiniero

Lifer
Oct 1, 2010
16,872
7,311
136
phucheneh said:
heh, this.

You probably just have some elephant ears going on. As in, your brain just coincidentally decided to use that incident as an excuse to pick out a random noise and dwell on it.
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It's possible; but it would be really coincidental. The noise can get pretty loud and then go away. I am thinking the real wheel area got damaged (when?) the squirrel kicked up.
 
phucheneh

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
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What kind of noise? Rattle, grind, roar, ect? Dull or metallic? Give us some kind of description.

Unless it's intermittent and sounds like plastic on tire (fender liner damaged), I doubt it's related. If it's an always-there noise with volume and/or frequency linked to speed, it's probably a wheel, tire, or bearing issue. Intermittent pop, click, knock, or such, and it's probably suspension-related (sway bar end links are super common for knocking/tapping sounds on a lot of vehicles). Braking-related (or constant) squeal or hiss is probably a wear indicator on a brake pad, or a bent dust shield behind the rotor.

P.S. with no mockery intended here...if you find a squirrel jammed in your brakes, I will laugh. :D
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
wirednuts said:
i would have smoked it out, then smush it with a bat. squirrels are tree rats, nothing to save there.
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was hardly ever in there though... it was making its way between my backyard and my driveway at random times throughout the day. I just happened to catch it that day because it had its babies under my hood and was nearby foraging for more leaves... I checked the hood daily and something was moving under the leaves and I saw mom just staring at what I was doing. It took me 2 hours to move the newborns and finally get the thing to go in the trap. Those things are too fast to smash with anything.
 
J

jpiniero

Lifer
Oct 1, 2010
16,872
7,311
136
manimal said:
What does OP drive?
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Oh, it's an Elantra. I can't tell what side it's on though; one time driving around trying to figure it out I would come to a stop and at the end of stopping get a longish loud groan sound, which lasted several seconds after I had started going again and then went away. Then other times I would have no issues and other times I would get the noise just driving along.
 
S

SyndromeOCZ

Senior member
Aug 8, 2010
615
0
71
jpiniero said:
Oh, it's an Elantra. I can't tell what side it's on though; one time driving around trying to figure it out I would come to a stop and at the end of stopping get a longish loud groan sound, which lasted several seconds after I had started going again and then went away. Then other times I would have no issues and other times I would get the noise just driving along.
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Sounds to me like the squirrel's ghost has come back to haunt your car. You need to call Ghost Adventures from The Travel Channel to get your car working properly again. That or you need to sell it ASAP to an unsuspecting victim.
 
mikeymikec

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
21,103
16,315
136
I once saw a car driving the other way with a dead bird neatly lying on its back in the car's circular badge. I bet that was a pleasant surprise the next time they looked there.
 
FuzzyDunlop

FuzzyDunlop

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2008
3,260
12
81
mikeymikec said:
I once saw a car driving the other way with a dead bird neatly lying on its back in the car's circular badge. I bet that was a pleasant surprise the next time they looked there.
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my brother regularly finds sparrows stuck in the grill of his truck.
 
S

SyndromeOCZ

Senior member
Aug 8, 2010
615
0
71
mikeymikec said:
I once saw a car driving the other way with a dead bird neatly lying on its back in the car's circular badge. I bet that was a pleasant surprise the next time they looked there.
Click to expand...

I had a humming bird on my grill for a good 3 months before it finally fell off. It was arranged rather nicely so I left it there as a hood ornament.
 
phucheneh

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
0
Surprisingly I don't think I've ever found a bird (or squirrel) lodged in a car.

I have, however, found...pieces...of things...on numerous occasions. Usually it goes something like:

'Hey, what's this odd looking dirty patch underneath here? Why did grime accumulate in this one spot? Wait...there's some more over there...what fluid is this...*rubs crud between fingers*



...oh...this is blood and fur...' :'(
 
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