What's the most boneheaded thing that's been done to your car?

"G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3" (gbodyman) 05/31/2015 at 08:31 • Filed to: None

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Stemming from my previous post about possibly having motor oil poured into my transmission, I decided to launch this question. What is the most boneheaded thing that was ever done to either your current car or one of your previous cars. It can be because of the PO, a tech, or because of your own error. And go!

OPPOsaurus WRX > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 08:37

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Crashing into a parking lot at 45 mph is pretty Fucking boneheaded. I only hit 1 car (but that one hit 2 more)

pip bip - choose Corrour > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 08:38

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crashed.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/31/2015 at 08:40

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That is pretty stupid.

AM > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 08:41

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Sped up to make it through the light when it was slippery and almost lost control in heavy traffic.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > AM 05/31/2015 at 08:43

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That’s not too bad.

Slant6 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 08:50

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Previous owner drilled a hole through the dash to poke the odometer when it stopped working. Miles are good it’s just hard to explain.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Slant6 05/31/2015 at 08:52

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Jeez. Couldn't he have taken apart the dash properly?

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 08:54

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I ran car oil in my motorcycle for a while... That was bad. Didn’t notice any transmission slip though

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 05/31/2015 at 08:55

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Ouch.

5-Speed Gangsta > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 08:56

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One owner somehow managed to have 3 collisions, each with a parked car in a parking lot on separate occasions. Another - in an attempt to upgrade the front speakers- bought and fitted nice pioneer speakers only to cut every speaker wire leaving them completely unused and making the car sound worse. luckily, there is no visible damage from the crashes and I managed to fix the speakers.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > 5-Speed Gangsta 05/31/2015 at 08:57

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Wow.

jariten1781 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:00

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Forgetting to tighten down the crank bolt on my miata after installing a super charger....slightly tightened it to make sure none of the belts were rubbing. Was like 2am so I decided to finish in the morning.

Get up next day and excitement makes me forget I didn’t torque it down. Drive for about half an hour and I hear all this banging. Decide I’m going to pull into a McDs parking lot about a quarter mile up the road and see what’s up...bad idea...with no water pump the radiator explodes covering the entire windshield (and my head/portion of my face) with boiling fluid. Cut off the engine and manage to coast it blind into the lot with no assists. Have to do a stupid walk of shame back down the road to find pulleys and the bolt (which somehow I did).

Had to have it towed back home...but no permanent damage so I got lucky there.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > jariten1781 05/31/2015 at 09:02

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Wow. So far, you win.

crowmolly > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:07

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Most of a body panel Picasso’d out of fiberglass and plastic filler. Not just a lot. Think feet.

dumpsterfire! > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:12

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I didn’t properly torque the bolt on the timing belt tensioner pulley on my subaru. took 900 miles before the most unholy of metallic noises came from under the hood as the bolt backed out on the way to work.

JGrabowMSt > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:46

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A shop doing trans work for me put the supporting crossmember on upside down. Never went back.

TheRealBicycleBuck > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:49

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When I was in college, I planned a weekend trip home to see family. I wasn’t that far from home, so my drive was scheduled for Saturday morning. I discovered a fresh layer of snow had fallen the night before.

My little truck had an issue with the heater blower that required fiddling with the fuses under the hood. I was lazy and didn’t bother to brush the snow off the hood. I just opened it, fiddled with the fusebox, and let it slam shut.

As I drove home, the heat from the engine started melting the snow and slushy chunks were flying up at the windshield which I thought was funny. When it started raining, the process accelerated until enough weight had been removed from the hood to cause it to fly open, completely blocking my view as I hurdled down a two-lane country road. The cold weather had caused the latch mechanism to fail when I dropped the hood earlier.

I was fortunate that the hood jammed on the windshield wipers before it hit the windshield or top of the cab. I managed to get the hood closed and latched, but the wiper gears were stripped and I had to finish the trip home with my head out the window so I could see around the rain-streaked windshield.

Brickman > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:56

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double gasketed oil filter :D

Forgot to remove the old gasket before putting the new one. Fresh oil sprayed everywhere.

desertdog5051 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 09:58

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Purchased it.

f86sabre > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:00

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During a tire change pit stop during one of our LeMons races I checked the oil and decided to add a quart. I accidently grabbed power steering fluid and poured it in. We then got to do an oil change.

We ran three LeMons races with a noise power steering pump before I realized that 1991 Escorts use transmission fluid for power steering and not power steering fluid.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > JGrabowMSt 05/31/2015 at 10:12

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How do you put a crossmember in upside-down? Seriously, people.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:20

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Forgot to torque down the lug nuts on one of my wheels before going to the track. Oops.

JGrabowMSt > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:21

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When theres a will, theres a way I suppose.

Some wicked vibration resulted.

But of all the things that have happened, thats easily the dumbest.

sellphones2493 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:22

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I bought a 2008 Subaru Legacy....in non-GT or 3.6 trim....with a 4-Speed Automatic.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:28

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PO or PO’s mechanic welded the diff filler plug to the diff housing. I had to service my diff through the vent, solo cup by solo cup of gear oil, through a little tiny funnel and rubber tube force fit into the vent hole.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:29

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1. Installed the timing chain 90-degrees off on my 1973 Datsun 240z, bent 6 exhaust valves on a newly rebuilt cylinder head.

2. Cross wired my plugs wires and couldn’t figure out why the engine was running so rough, paid a mechanic $40 to figure it out and install plug wires in the correct order.

3. Broke a craftsman 3/8 drive socket on the rear lower shock mount on my subaru because the nut was welded onto the frame not the bolt!!! Put wrench on bolt and no problem.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/31/2015 at 10:34

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I would love to hear this full story.

AM > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:37

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It is when you're doing 60 in a 40 zone on summer tires. That's not my worst though, just my most recent (this winter).

LongbowMkII > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:49

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Taking the Mk2 for a clutch job I decide that I’m just going to roll it down my parent’s reasonably steep driveway to save that badly slipping clutch. That’s smart I think. Now what I SHOULD have done is been in the car, turn the car on, leave it in neutral and let gravity do the work and smoothly back into the traffic free residential street. That’s not what I did. at all. I don’t know why (blaming being 18) but I decided that I needed to assist gravity and push. From outside the car... the B pillar specifically so I could hop right in and hit the brakes. foolproof . about 0.2 seconds after popping the e-brake, I suddenly realize that 150lbs of me was not going to stop 2900lbs of car from obeying the ~3% grade. After a fruitless attempt at the e-brake, I quickly step out of the way of the open door as to avoid being run over by my own car. That was my best idea of the day! no time to reflect on this accomplishment as I’m watching my car roll the last 50 feet of the driveway and into the empty field across the street. ahhh, relief.

*CRUNCH* Empty...except for the concrete storm drain surround that sticks up about 6 inches. My car went from 10-0 instantly on it’s undercarriage. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I’m devastated. I just ruined my car out of pure stupidity. It’s fucking done. Sheepish and ashamed, I go inside to my dad and say...

“ I need your help...”

“What happened?”

“um... just come help”

I haven’t even taken a look at it yet, but being stuck on the storm drain gave a great vantage to stick your head under and see the damage. Resigned, I look. I was imagining broken halfshafts bent suspension parts all covered in a Dexter like splatter of differential oil.

And, it’s a miracle. I’ve been blessed by the Car Gods.

The car was stopped by it’s right rear lower control arm. That’s not so bad! After failing to push it, we decide to drive it up as there is no apparent driveline damage. Looking closely at the impact point I see that not only did the LCA take the impact, it survived it. The halfshaft CV boot wasn’t so fortunate so the halfshaft needed to be replaced. The next time I drove it I expected funny handling as the right rear was likely out of whack. nope, nothing strange in the least, not even when I had it aligned soon after to confirm it. No ill effects. Just a new halfshaft and a quarter sized dent in my LCA. I’m the luckiest idiot in the world.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 10:58

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Forgot to tighten lugnuts.

fhrblig > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 11:09

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On my Ranger, the guy doing my oil change forgot to put my oil cap on and closed the hood on it. I found out a few blocks later when it sprayed oil all over the engine compartment. It also broke my oil cap, so he had to replace it.

On my Fiat, the body shop did no quality control whatsoever and presented the car to me looking like this.

lone_liberal > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 11:24

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So many things to choose from. I’d probably say using the wrong motor mounts. Then when the bolt holes in the frame didn’t line up, because they were using the wrong motor mounts, they chose one hole on each side and used one bolt. Runner up goes to using air shocks to compensate for worn out springs and blowing out the shock mounts since the mounts were never meant to hold the weight of the car. I could go on, but you get the idea.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > lone_liberal 05/31/2015 at 11:29

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Wow. This time on Roadkill...

lone_liberal > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 11:48

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There was a reason that car was only $800.

OPPOsaurus WRX > jvirgs drives a Subaru 05/31/2015 at 12:15

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U was just a dumb teenager. I didn’t see the parking lot coming and tried to do a turn only an F1 car could pull off in an explorer. I hit an Intrepid and pitched the trunk into the back seat. It hit 2 more cars. The owner of what was an intrepid was alsothe ownerof the pool hall. He said she happens I’ll get a broom out here. I probably did him a favor by killing that thing. I was 100% sober. The chips were shocked. They were measuring my skid marks when my patents came to get me. They were not happy. I was not either as I bought the truck myself. I had my liscence for 1 month.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 13:07

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PO put in aftermarket radio, twisted all the wires together in to one big blob. This caused my interior lights to stay on whenever the car was running, because the radio power wire and the wire for the lights were twisted together causing the interior lights to get power even when the headlights were off. That stumped us until we replaced the radio. It also burned up the dimmer switch. The radio was also wedged in with napkins, rather than a bracket. Thankfully that seemed to be their only attempt to futz with anything major on the car.

No Prius Needed > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 13:08

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My mom took in her Acura RL to the dealer for an oil change. When we got it back the car was literally shaking whenever we went over a bump. We took it back and turns out that they lifted the car in the wrong spot killing the struts. However, they realized their mistake and fixed it for free.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/31/2015 at 13:15

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Wow. How is the M3, by the way?

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > No Prius Needed 05/31/2015 at 13:15

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Wow. Epic fail.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 13:20

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Pretty good, actually. There is a few things it needs right now in the form of new exterior bump trim (the piece on my door broke because I slammed it too hard, oops,) sway bar links (cheap ones we bought already failed), and an alignment (I have the front in spec, but the back is still out.) It's about due for an oil change, and I'd like to do plugs, but it hasn't acted very stereotypical German car yet. Very reliable and still super fun to drive.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/31/2015 at 13:24

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That’s good. My G-body is still not yet on the road :( It needs various bits and pieces, the biggest of which is a rear bumper. But hey, for $1000, it ain’t bad.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 13:37

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That’s how you gotta think about it. I look at the body work mine needs, then I have to remember I only paid $3,300 for a car that’s usually closer to $6-8k in my area. I paid for good mechanicals, not a good body.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/31/2015 at 13:39

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Fair enough. I just pay what I have to because I never want to let go of my car.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 13:41

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I was iffy about keeping mine for a bit, but now that it’s warming up and schools over and I can open all the windows and just go drive, I'm starting to fall in love with it even more.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/31/2015 at 13:43

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That’s the point of an M3. Even the somewhat neutered north-american E36 can still carve up a backroads like nothing else for the money.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 14:30

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The most bone-headed thing I come across from jackass mechanics involves screwing on and properly torquing wheel lug nuts. When I got my current car, the driver side lug nuts were way under torqued and way overtorqued on the passenger side. I’ve also come across badly cross threaded lug nuts on previous cars... bad enough that some wheel studs had to be replaced. It’s something so goddamn basic that any mechanic that can’t do it properly should change careers. But it’s also something that many mechanics out there do wrong on a regular basis either because they’re idiots or they’re in a hurry and just don’t give a shit.

And the most bone headed thing I did was when backing up in a hurry in a narrow driveway between two houses. While looking back on the left, I didn’t realize I was getting too close on the right and CRUNCH... destroyed the passenger side mirror.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Brickman 05/31/2015 at 14:33

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To avoid having the gasket come off the filter, before you install the new one, rub some motor oil on the gasket. This stops it from sticking and results in a better seal.

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 17:11

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Probably the thing I'm about to do.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 05/31/2015 at 17:13

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Is that a go-kart Fiero?

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 18:27

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That it is. I decided it needed more ground clearance.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 05/31/2015 at 19:00

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All you need are some sheetmetal skidplates.

Dann > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/31/2015 at 22:04

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I was doing an oil change on my ‘01 Mitsubishi Magna (Diamante). Once the sump was drained, I tightened the sump bolt back on and refilled with oil.
I started it up to get the oil circulating, and I hear a gurgling from under the car. I take a look under and see oil gushing out, from the oil filter housing.. I had forgotten to install the new oil filter!
Luckily I noticed it straightaway, turned the engine off and no damage was done. I attribute it more to inattention than anything as I have been doing my own changes for years.. Lets just say I’m certainly more attentive now when under the car.

NJAnon > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/01/2015 at 10:20

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Doing this:

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/02/2015 at 16:13

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I have a short boring history, so here’s a driving one rather than a service one.

I had got into the habit of sliding the family minivan (Montana’s are surprisingly predictable) around a particular corner when I happened to pissed/excited about something (yes, I was 16, why do you ask). I was usually solo. One day I tried it with a passenger and a full load of hockey equipment in the wet, and found myself bouncing over the curb (I had fast driving theory but no real fast driving reflexes=over the curb on full lock and brakes hard on). Strangely, nothing broke.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/02/2015 at 16:15

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Well, that’s not too bad.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/02/2015 at 16:16

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short boring history

Like I said.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/04/2015 at 13:03

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Most boneheaded thing the PO did: He put on new bumper mounts but only screwed one of the rear bumper bolts half way in. Now its rusted to the nut... Loose. It rattles a bit, I’ll get around to fixing it eventually, its not high on my to do list.

Most boneheaded thing I did: I changed my oil after working from 6pm-5am and then getting no sleep. I somehow thought I overfilled my engine by a quart, then drained a quart, only to have to put a quart back in because it was low.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 06/04/2015 at 13:08

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PB B’Laster time?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/04/2015 at 13:09

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Yup

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 06/04/2015 at 13:12

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