RE: Leaves (mice!) in the AC/heater blower.

["Dan Sinclair" <sinclair@prospro.com>]

>>Laying under the dash, I pulled the blower free, and out poured the
slimey,
disgusting remains of a pureed litter (seemed more like "litre") of mice.<<

That's pretty nasty Phil.  As a car detailer, I was once given the task of
cleaning an early 90's model Toyota Camry that was emitting "a funny smell
inside".  A "not-so-humorous stench" would have been more appropriate.  The
owner neglected to tell my boss that the car had been stored in a barn for
several months.  I ultimately pulled 3 mouse carcasses from the car.  One
managed to get into the rocker panel in the frame!  Had to pull him through
a tiny access hole in the b-pillar.  Just nasty.  After several hours of
this, the shop was filled with stench, mouse dander, droppings, nesting dust
and other foul particulate matter.  It's at this point that my boss mutters
"I wonder if this was such a good idea after hearing about that Haunta virus
thing..."  I wanted to strangle the man!  For the next 7 days I was paranoid
that every sneeze or tickle in my throat was a symptom of my impending
death.  Moral of the story, I haven't a clue.  Debris screens save lives?

I REALLY hope they're leaves in my case...

Dan Sinclair
1988 Audi 90, 68K mi.
Photo and details online at:
http://131.107.68.28/a4.org/registry/details.asp?car=761

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net
[mailto:owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net]On Behalf Of Phil Rose
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 1999 5:23 AM
To: quattro@coimbra.ans.net
Subject: re: Leaves in the AC/heater blower.


>Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 15:35:51 -0800
>From: "Dan Sinclair" <sinclair@prospro.com>
>Subject: Leaves in the AC/heater blower.
>
>Well, I've seen the posts regarding the under-dash duct work in these cars,
>and I'm almost afraid to ask.  My 90 has a leaf, or leaves, trapped in the
>blower.  I clean the area behind the hood religiously, and I still managed
>to suck one up!   Occasionally, it lodges itself, making an odd growl from
>the ducts, and just the other day, I cranked the blower to full blast and
>got pelted with dried leaf debris.  Unfortunately, I think it just chewed
on
>it.  I can still hear the bulk of it down in there.
>

Go easy! Some years ago, I was having problems with debris entering the
heater blower in my Probe GT. My method was as you describe--eventually
blast them loose. Well, one day the little "tic-tic-tic" noises wouldn't go
away, so I turned the fan to higher speed. The "tic-tic-tic" became
"TOC-TOC-TOC". Then it was "THUNK-THUNK-THUNK", and the car started to
shake. I stopped using the fan.

A day or two later I decided to remove and clear the blower assembly.
Laying under the dash, I pulled the blower free, and out poured the slimey,
disgusting remains of a pureed litter (seemed more like "litre") of mice.
Indelible, unpleasant memories (mine, not the mice) resulted from that
experience. Take care, and let's hope Audi hvac ducts are more protected
from such intrusions (of course the leaves managed to get in there, so...?)


Phil Rose				Rochester, NY
'91 200q				mailto:pjrose@servtech.com
'89 100