Embarrassing maintenance mistakes?

"BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion" (pbs) 03/05/2014 at 21:43 • Filed to: Tipo, Maintenance

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Yup, just made one this afternoon. Long story short, I'm still having some issues with my AC fan not turning off. It's no big deal, just some sort of bad contact at the auxiliary fusebox which works itself out for a while if I pull and reinsert the AC relay. After wasting an entire afternoon today trying to figure out why the AC fan wasn't working anymore at all after I pulled, cleaned and adjusted every single relay, I was ready to give up and take the car in for maintenance when I noticed that the AC was set to defog the windshield as opposed to, you know, ventilating the cabin.

A simple flick on a switch that's literally under my nose all the time fixed the issue I spent my entire weekend and carnaval holiday trying to sort out. God, I feel stupid.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 21:48

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When I went to remove one of the temperature sensors on my audi, I put my socket and ratchet and breaker bar on the sensor at the back of the block. I got myself good and warmed up for the break of my life. I leaned forward, built all my energy up, and then.....

WHAM

I found myself flat on my back on the grass wondering what the hell happened. I'm pretty sure if I wasn't half drunk off of repair beers, I'd have knocked myself out. And possibly caused an injury. But my neighbors were watching.....my female neighbors.....my cute, nursing student female neighbors......And the hot physical therapist next door.....and some random college girls sunbathing.

You just can't look smooth after an event like that.

puddler > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 21:55

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i've had my share, but a buddy of mine takes the cake, forgot to torque the lugs, when the front right wheel fell off, he wound up between lanes on a busy street, and locked his keys in his trunk grabbing the jack, but leaving the wrench.

signintokinjalol > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 21:56

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On the FRS i forgot to put the crush washer on the oil drain plug, it was leaking oil due to that fact. Had to drain the fresh oil, do it all over again. Fun.

puddler > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 03/05/2014 at 22:00

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if you'd have made a big deal of it she might have come over to give you 'assistance'.

McMike > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:00

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This one time I threw tools all over the garage, in tears, kicking puppies, cursing, and ready to give up all together because all of a sudden a car that was running poorly wouldn't even fire any more. I spent an hour draining the battery trying to start it, troubleshooting the fuel pump, taking the bowls off the carbs, checking fuel pressure.

In a rage, threw my coveralls in the corner and cried myself to sleep.

A week later, I worked up enough determination to give it another shot, and in the meantime ordered a new coil, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and condenser. I put my coveralls on, took a deep breath and put my hands in my pockets to concentrate on where to begin.

Only after then was I able to come up with a plan of attack, since there was a distributor rotor in my pocket.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > puddler 03/05/2014 at 22:00

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Damn... That reminded me, did I put my valve covers back on after I calibrated my tires this morning? O_O

puddler > puddler 03/05/2014 at 22:01

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he shut down clear lake city blvd for over an hour.

i'm aware you don't know the street, but busy, houston, and from 6pm-7:30pm.

hike > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:01

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I was changing the spark plugs on a Dodge Intrepid at work one day and finished up, only to look down and realize I had one leftover. So I had to back track and find which is one I missed. The other guys at the shop gave me shit on that for a while.

desertdog5051 > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:02

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Most American cars run the AC and heat when you set them to defrost the windshield.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > McMike 03/05/2014 at 22:05

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Godamit, yours is probably the best one so far! :]

JACU - I've got bonifides. > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:08

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Buying a new ECU for $$$ just because I just *knew* that's what the problem was, only to find out it was the coil instead.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > desertdog5051 03/05/2014 at 22:09

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Mine can run either hot or cold air through the windshield vents, heat is useful for defrosting, but it worsens fogging, which a good blast of cold air usually has no trouble in dismissing. I probably flicked the switch to defog because we're having a lot of rain and warm weather lately, and that's the worse for visibility, then kind of forgot all about it, hahahha...

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > hike 03/05/2014 at 22:10

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That reminds me of one I made back in 2007, when I was working through rebuildingmy engine. I pulled off the solid lifters and set them aside in no particular order, only to be told later on you can't just reassemble them at random. I don't remember anymore how I figured out what went where, but I must have done it somehow, as the engine hasn't exploded or anything :p

puddler > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:11

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always worth a double check.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > puddler 03/05/2014 at 22:11

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If she didn't come out when the car landed on my head, I doubt that was going to get me anywhere.

Old-Busted-Hotness > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:11

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I suppose you could classify this as Poor Planning:

Years ago I bought a '73 LeSabre for $100. Supposedly it was a good runner. Had a title but no keys. Since it's going in the demo derby anyway, what the hell. Had a friend tow it home while I was at work. Got home and looked at my lovely new car. Popped the hood, no battery. Fetch battery, half-ass install battery. Break into the steering column to start the engine. Woohoo, it runs! And, uh... the throttle's stuck. And, it's kind of in gear, and there's no brakes! Oh yeah, the seller did mention the shifter wasn't connected. But he didn't say he left it in Drive. Fuck. And the hood's up so I can't see jack while I'm tearing around the back yard, looking for the little pick that I used to jimmy the ignition switch so I can shut it off before I hit something. Yay, I got the pick! Jimmy jimmy jimmy CRUNCH. Damn tree. Is my nose broken?

That 455 was a runnin' SOB.

desertdog5051 > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:12

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We all male the mistakes. As long as you figure them out, no harm, no foul.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:13

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I've had a couple on the same car. Forgetting to plug the power mirrors, and rust prevention techs disconnecting a sunroof drainage hose accidentally.

Orange Exige > McMike 03/05/2014 at 22:13

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I'm sorry you had to suffer so much...

At least you can amuse us plebs with your story now that the past is dead and gone ;)

McMike > Orange Exige 03/05/2014 at 22:15

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The good news, it started right up!

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > puddler 03/05/2014 at 22:16

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If I show up here tomorrow morning instead of going to class, it's safe to assume I'm looking for new valve covers :p

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > desertdog5051 03/05/2014 at 22:18

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True, it's better to make mistakes and learn from them, than not learning at all!

yamahog > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/05/2014 at 22:23

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I feel like I could write a biweekly column on this topic, covering both 2 and 4 wheeled follies.
My most recent shame stems from a CEL reading bad upstream O2 sensor when I just bought my XJ in October. Ordered it, put it in, feeling pretty good about myself when the CEL turned off for a bit, but then it came back so I bought the downstream one too.
My father came to visit that weekend, checked out my sweet new ride, and promptly informed me that had I bothered to crawl underneath the whole length of the Jeep, I would've discovered that the previous owner must've financed the lift kit by cutting out the catalytic converter. Siiiiiiiigh.

Orange Exige > McMike 03/06/2014 at 08:22

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One of the best feelings in the world!

catkam623 misses his 944 > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/10/2014 at 02:58

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My friend had a power steering leak in his mini and went to put in more fluid, didn't realize it was self contained so he poured it into the brake fluid instead and since the fluid runs through the transmission also shredded that and the brakes the master cylinder and just about everything else essentially totaling the car and forcing him to sell.