What is the dumbest thing you ever did while working on your car?
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,837
Likes: 0
From: Floating around the AUDM
Vehicle: X3 Sprint, S-Coupe Turbo
Oh boy...
Drove a car for a day with fingertight wheel nuts
Dropped an engine off a crane while someone was working on said engine
Left the fuel line connected while pulling engine out of car: so the whole car was hanging from the fuel line
Connected jumper leads backwards
Burned solder onto myself countless times
Fitted the wrong clutch, realised this after installing, filling with fluids and starting the engine
Almost destroyed the GF's beautiful legs by starting in gear when she was walking in front of the car
Blew the power for the whole house with a welder
Set fire to a few sensors with a welder
Crawled under a car supported by a scissor jack in wet sand, which slowly sunk on me
I can't even remember the half of it. I'm pretty bad hey.
Drove a car for a day with fingertight wheel nuts
Dropped an engine off a crane while someone was working on said engine
Left the fuel line connected while pulling engine out of car: so the whole car was hanging from the fuel line
Connected jumper leads backwards
Burned solder onto myself countless times
Fitted the wrong clutch, realised this after installing, filling with fluids and starting the engine
Almost destroyed the GF's beautiful legs by starting in gear when she was walking in front of the car
Blew the power for the whole house with a welder
Set fire to a few sensors with a welder
Crawled under a car supported by a scissor jack in wet sand, which slowly sunk on me
I can't even remember the half of it. I'm pretty bad hey.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville, AL
Vehicle: 2001/Hyundai/Tiburon
Yep, jumped the car backwards. Still have the burn mark on my bumper and corner lights from that one...
Didn't open the garage door because it was cold outside. Planned on opening it once I was in the car. Didn't remember to open the door. Backed into the door. Oh wait, that was just a week ago.... LOL
Tightening the valve cover down without a proper torque wrench and ended up cracking the valve cover. Eventually oil leaked out, got on the timing belt and everywhere else. Fortunately no major damage, but had to replace the timing belt.
Didn't open the garage door because it was cold outside. Planned on opening it once I was in the car. Didn't remember to open the door. Backed into the door. Oh wait, that was just a week ago.... LOL
Tightening the valve cover down without a proper torque wrench and ended up cracking the valve cover. Eventually oil leaked out, got on the timing belt and everywhere else. Fortunately no major damage, but had to replace the timing belt.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,185
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
Vehicle: MC + RD2 + AW11 + 944 = 4x Win
I tried to use a breakerbar as a tqwrench. 
Had to replace both control arms on the 944 because of that.
Right now the Tib is out of commission because back at my old apartment I had him on jackstands for a few days while doing the xg bbk and they threatened to have him towed for being "derelict" if I didn't move him. The problem is I was also replacing the wheel bearings and the new one hadn't arrived so rather than get him towed I ragequit and drive him, sans bearing, bare axle on knuckle, no front brakes at all, across the parking lot to prove he ran.
Costing me a knuckle and axle in the process and I figured at this point I'd just go balls deep and swap the trans as well.... if I can find a free weekend to finish the job. 
Had to replace both control arms on the 944 because of that. Right now the Tib is out of commission because back at my old apartment I had him on jackstands for a few days while doing the xg bbk and they threatened to have him towed for being "derelict" if I didn't move him. The problem is I was also replacing the wheel bearings and the new one hadn't arrived so rather than get him towed I ragequit and drive him, sans bearing, bare axle on knuckle, no front brakes at all, across the parking lot to prove he ran.
Costing me a knuckle and axle in the process and I figured at this point I'd just go balls deep and swap the trans as well.... if I can find a free weekend to finish the job.