Michael Herbert

My 1996 C4S had to live outside under a cover this past year as we were working on a large addition, including a new garage. Car would not start but I was able to move it into the new garage using just the starter. Now, the remote does not click nor any flashing red lights. Battery in the remote is good, and the car battery measures 12.33 v. I pulled the fuse box cover and discovered a dead mouse that had been feasting on some of the wires.
I was able to splice/repair some of the wires but not all. One of the plug blocks has three orange wires cut so short that I cannot splice or repair, and several cut wires that I have to track down and repair.
Questions: how can I remove the connectors inside the fuse block to repair the short wires, and how can i track down the cut blue/green and brown/yellow wires?

Thank you, in advance for any advice that will help me get back on the road.
Michael

pp000830

Tasty! I had a mouse living in the evaporator chamber in my '86 Carrera. He didn't make it through the Cleveland winter where I found him in the spring desiccated with his bag of Fritos at his side. Then again all the salt and grease in the Fritos may have killed him, who knows?
Andy

paulkromz

oof.
I wonder if something like this would do the trick for ya?

this looks painful doe

Best,
Paul

LexVan

You used the starter motor to roll a +3,200 pound car?

mpruden

I'm not aware of a quick fix for this.

I would recommend removing each connector, depinning each connector, crimping brand new pins on brand new wire, then splicing the new wires into the factory wiring with crimped parallel splices and adhesive heat shrink.

To do this, you would need to track down the proper pins for each connector, and the appropriate crimper for each type of pin. I'm not familiar with those specific pins, but I would guess they are common Bosch parts shared with other German cars of the era.

Robert993TT

On a side note. When I took my driving license many years ago they said that if the car stopped on a train crossing and you where out of gas or the car would not start then we should use the starter motor in first gear to move the car to safety.

Michael Herbert

Thank all for the responses. Yes, moving the car in an emergency with the starter works.

Electrical repairs are my least favorite. Making slow progress, as the plastic junction blocks have to be separated to get to the wires and connectors too short to splice. I have been able to splice/repair most of them, but there are three orange wires I need to de-pin somehow, and I can't trace where they are supposed to go. I've scanned the wiring diagrams again and again and can't seem to find references to orange wires. Very frustrating.

solomonschris

When this happened to my MB wagon it had to be trailered 50 miles to the dealer. The insurance covered all costs under the comprehensive component. Just as likely as hitting a deer but less possibility of injury.

71-3.0-911

Yup. Insurance would cover this. Depending on deductible, may be worth it.

pp000830

Won't work if you have an automatic transmission.or one of those new Fangled clutch safety interlocks that won't let the starter run unless the clutch is in.
Advanced automotive technology for convenience & safety can result in a real train wreck so to speak.
Falls under the law of advanced technology and unintended consequences.
Andy ;-)

LexVan

When I took my driving test many years ago, that taught us to get out of the car and run like hell. How times have changed.

Oh, I didn't realize you were having a mouse emergency. Carry on.