Funny stories from working on a car

JohnS.

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I thought it may be entertaining to share stories you may have of silly things you've done / mistakes you've made when working on your car (or anyones car). I've got 3 to share for now.

My brother told me this one yesterday:
He used to have a friend that was really good with cars. But one of his friends didn't know anything. One time he went to change his oil and he didn't know how much oil went into the engine so he poured an entire 5 quart jug in. Afterwards, he decided to read the manual and found out he put way too much in. So what did he do instead of draining the oil and starting over? He pulled out the dipstick, wiped it, put the dipstick back in, pulled it back out, wiped it.....and did that for like 5 hours until the oil level read the correct level. At least that's the story. Can you imagine doing that? :rolf:

I helped guide my brother through replacing his brakes 2 weeks ago. He wanted to do it and have me watch just to be sure he was doing everything right. Well we finished 1 wheel and when we got to the next wheel, I started moving everything over to the other side and he said he'd start taking off the caliper. I get over a few minutes later and he goes, "man why is this bolt getting tighter???". I look at the 1 bolt he took off on the ground and it was snapped in half. I show it to him and told him he snapped it and goes DAMN!. Luckily I stopped him before he snapped another one. He thought that all bolts on the car spin in the same direction (relative to the car) when removing/installing them. Had to leave his car on jackstands overnight and we replaced the bolt the next day.

A couple years ago, my dad said he would do my oil change and I told him that I'd rather do it. I'm picky when it comes to who works on my car since I'm mechanically inclined and anal about getting stuff done right. Let's just say my dad isn't the most handy person in the world. Well he ends up changing my oil while I'm still asleep in the morning. I walk out after he's finished pouring my oil. I told him to start the car and let it run for 15 seconds to get the oil to cycle through before reading the dipstick. So I turn the car on, turn it off, he reads the dipstick, empty. He puts it back in, pulls it out, reads it again, empty. I look underneath and ALL the oil was on the floor. Turns out he double gasketed (if that's a word?) the oil filter.
 
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JohnS.

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No one has stories?!?!?!!


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treeafodo

Austin
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I have a few. Mostly just things we've done to my friends cars not really funny mistakes or anything.

A friend of the family was getting married and wanted us to change the oil before their honeymoon trip so we though it would be funny to wire the horn up to the brakes. After their wedding they were driving away and every stop sign he was honking like crazy. Before the end of the road he got out and unplugged the horn.

My dad and I were junking a car someone gave to us. So we pretty much just sold everything and then sold the shell. We took the airbags out of it and blew them up. With the bag facing up it jumps about 6-7 feet in the air. With the bag facing down it'll go up stupid high. :lol:
 

TheIMightyHutch

My VTEC Has An E
I've done the Airbag thing, Airbags from the 80's get some insane height. After seeing that I wasnt sure they would keep me safe, lol

I cant think of any funny stories off the top of my head, but if I think of some I'll post them up.
 


crash!

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I was underneath my car once installing my short shifter and the new neighbor boy is driving by in his teg and see's me working on my car. He walks up to me in my garage and is like "Uh, hey, are you like, working on your car?"
Irritated and covered in dirt and a wrench in hand, I reply "No I'm playing patty-cake with my damn oil pan. What else would I be doing down here?"
He didn't know what to say about that. :what:

The look on his face was priceless.

I'm sure I have a few more but I just can't think of any.
 

XcLuSiVeLy4GoD

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Hahahahahaha! @Crash.... I smacked myself on the head with a wrench once while working under the car.... Stupid drain plug was tight as hell and I lost the grip on the plug and the wrench smacked me hard as hell....
 

treeafodo

Austin
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I've done the Airbag thing, Airbags from the 80's get some insane height. After seeing that I wasnt sure they would keep me safe, lol

I cant think of any funny stories off the top of my head, but if I think of some I'll post them up.
Yeah this one was from the 80s. I was kinda scared of airbags after that. :lol:
 

antie22

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Woow that sh*t is scary^

I remember one while changing the oil on my car I farted... Hehe

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JohnS.

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I was underneath my car once installing my short shifter and the new neighbor boy is driving by in his teg and see's me working on my car. He walks up to me in my garage and is like "Uh, hey, are you like, working on your car?"
Irritated and covered in dirt and a wrench in hand, I reply "No I'm playing patty-cake with my damn oil pan. What else would I be doing down here?"
He didn't know what to say about that. :what:

The look on his face was priceless.

I'm sure I have a few more but I just can't think of any.
Hahahaha that's hilarious. You're awesome.
 

crash!

Avi, pull your socks up.
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Hahahaha that's hilarious. You're awesome.
I try :D

Or that time when my ex's DA broke down in Tacoma. Had it towed all the way back and said the alternator was bad. He replaced the alternator and charged the battery, the car worked for a little while then died again. So the parts guy was like well you replaced the belt too right? He said that he didn't realize the alternator needed a belt... I just assumed he knew the whole time. The belt just ended up breaking on the drive. :smackself:
I couldn't say a word because I knew he would get pissed. Haha
 

JohnS.

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I try :D

Or that time when my ex's DA broke down in Tacoma. Had it towed all the way back and said the alternator was bad. He replaced the alternator and charged the battery, the car worked for a little while then died again. So the parts guy was like well you replaced the belt too right? He said that he didn't realize the alternator needed a belt... I just assumed he knew the whole time. The belt just ended up breaking on the drive. :smackself:
I couldn't say a word because I knew he would get pissed. Haha
Hahaha :bluelol:. Soooo how do you get an alternator replaced and not put on a belt...?
 

crash!

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Hahaha :bluelol:. Soooo how do you get an alternator replaced and not put on a belt...?
Did I forget to mention that he replaced the alternator himself?
 

obracer12

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This was like 3 years ago, but a good one...

The night before my best friend's bachelor party we were working on his '71 malibu. We had just finished doing a roller cam and demon carbs on his 454 swap. I get in and start cranking it to see if it will fire. Evidently the timing we set was for the 327 he had in it originally... so flames shoot out of the carb, into his face and his eyebrows are gone.

He ended up at the bachelor part and his wedding looking like Puetro - rican prostitute.. sharpie drawn eyebrows..
 

JohnS.

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This was like 3 years ago, but a good one...

The night before my best friend's bachelor party we were working on his '71 malibu. We had just finished doing a roller cam and demon carbs on his 454 swap. I get in and start cranking it to see if it will fire. Evidently the timing we set was for the 327 he had in it originally... so flames shoot out of the carb, into his face and his eyebrows are gone.

He ended up at the bachelor part and his wedding looking like Puetro - rican prostitute.. sharpie drawn eyebrows..
Haha omg lol :bluelol:
 

Failsafe88

gt CasaNova
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Not really to funny but I was helping one of my old "friends" before he screwed me over with this older nova. We were dropping the rear axel out on a trailer well luckily I was wearing some leather work gloves cause the moment he loosened everything on his side and it went to drop without me figuring how heavy it was I got pulled down and had it smash on my left pointer finger. It hurt but didn't seem that bad. We continued working on the car until my finger started getting warm then I noticed fingers next to it had a strange feeling. My blood had filled up the finger hole and was starting to run over into my others lol.
 

Mystery_man

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Wasnt me, but was teaching a buddy a couple of years ago how to work on cars. Started him off easy. Oil pan...so I thought.

Well he was getting in a hurry. He dropped a bolt deep throated that , trying to get it out he smashed his head on the oil pan, and then it was the last bolt. As he rolled on his side to spit out the bolt the oil pan drops off and smacks him the side of the face. Mean while I am crying because I am laughing so hard. Needless to say I was tearing the rest of the motor apart. Well worth the entertainment.
 

Ej8Kid

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Um, my cousin was having problems with his car. He has a bad alternator but he thinks otherwise. We jump started his car and I unplugged the battery and his car shuts off. He drives to the store and buys a new battery, returns and says "See its just a bad battery". A day or two later his car dies again lol.

Another story, the same cousin was changing his oil, he drained it but forgot to put the drain plug back in and pours 5 quarts of oil in and the dipstick is still clean, lol.
 


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