Chuck 951

WOW ---- good lesson.

Chuck 951

DMB14

Glad that nothing happened and you're telling people. I think not too long ago there was a guy who had his 914 jacked up and something happened and it fell on his face and he got smashed pretty bad. No one likes to hear about these things.

F18Rep

Like all military stories, there's always a better one and they get funnier as they go. Ex-jarhead Larry has a new Toyopta pickup, in the process of removing the oil filter (with a filter wrench) shorts it against the starter and bang. Larry jumps out from under the little truck, but cuts his thumb on the license plate. He calls into work the next morning, Boss I can't come in... and tells the story." Boss wasn't too happy and relates the story to us as a lesson of no, this is not a suitable excuse for missing work.
Next day, sure enough Larry shows up with a big bandage on his thumb. We all quietly hustle into the mens room - twenty of us, and come out just in time for the staff meeting. All us walking the halls of McDonnel Douglas with mock toilet paper bandages on our right thumbs. After the laugter died down Larry tells us the thing he was really worried about was the damn wrench that was red hot could have fallen into the pan of oil and started a nice fire.....Bruce

Techno Duck

Another thing that comes to mind when working on your car, wear safety glasses! Ive worn glasses for a good portion of my life and only recently started working on my car when wearing contacts. I cant tell you how much crap has been falling in my eyes when working underneath the car. I finally got the clue to get wear the safety glasses.

A mechanic in my area lost an eye earlier this year, was working on a drum or parking brake i think..spring shot out and hit him right in the face. Another friend almost stabbed himself in the eye with a phillips head screwdriver when prying the headliner off his car. He ended up hitting himself right in the eyebrow and leaving a pretty good puncture wound.

And dont even get me started people that use wire wheels without eye protection!

pepclan

I think, sometimes we all get the wont happen to me. and thats when it happens! Glad your ok!!!! Im going to do the timing belt and some other stuff this winter. Im going to use four jack stands!

Mike C.

Yea sometimes I'm too lazy to find the safety glasses... real stupid.

Jay W

I have been wearing safety glasses for yard and car work pretty much all the time since I got lasik done on my eyes. I dont want to rip open that nice little flap I have on each eye!

Micah

Matt,

I'm glad you're not dead - I knew Argento wasn't a murderer.

Micah

Yummybud924

I always wear safety glasses when using power tools like a drill or sander.

I also use 6 ton jackstands, way bigger and more stable.

working under 2 tons of metal is a serious safety issue so you can never be too safe. All the people that get crushed and lose limbs each year probably wanted to safe a little time and didn't follow proper safety procedures before getting under the car.

I've seen a lot of people just get under the car with just a hyrdaulic jack.....

VanhireBoys

Guilty as Charged.
Was working at a Ford Fiesta with a friend trying to take out the LH Back shock out. Supported by stands but car in neutral. Right side back wheel still on. shock got jammed on the way out so my friend gets up and stands on the back beam to lower it down while I reach for the shock. The car starts to shake and falls off the stands. I was trapped under the spare wheel well pinned to the floor. Had to jack up the car again to release me.
I would have been killed if:
A) Right hand side back wheel was off
B) I was bigger than 12St ...!

Trick is always put the wheel that you took off under the car.........!

schip43

Was looking for something else and found this thread, just bumping it up for some of the new guys and for some of the lazy veterans (you know who you are!) !

hansman

We all do stupid things while working on these money pits.
man glad you are able to tell about it........
I was working on changing my exhaust with safety goggles but couldnt see they were too dirty insteads of taking 2 minutes to clean them I took them off
guess the end of this story my frikin eye has a permanent red spot

Hollywood D

Oh yea, I'm guilty of not pulling the negative cable. I was cleaning the grounds a few months ago and when I started to put one of them back together that's next to the headlight bucket it started sparking as I touched it to the body. First I said, "WTF?" Then i looked up and said "Oh yea...dumbass".

Crackership

If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only engineer who's done this....

I did the exact same thing last weekend, and the first thing my girlfriend said ('cause, of course, stupidity usually has an audience) was "Don't you have a degree in electrical engineering?"

thirdgenbird

Back one rainy day my old e21 was running like crap so I pulled over and opened the hood. When I leaned over the car my hand got too close to a damaged wire coming off the coil. All I saw at the time was a blue spark and I hit the ground.

Thankfully I only got wet and not seriouly hurt. I had only had the car a few days and had no idea there was damage to the coil wire. Today I am more careful where I put my hands on a running car.

Thanks for starting the thread. It doesn't have to be your mistake to learn from it.