DIY Mechanics Fail Stories
Discussion
Opposite of the success stories thread. What have you started and not finished, whether given up completely or taken it somewhere to be done. Or made a little job into a giant one.
My one, embarrassed to say I took a clutch out a car to find it was the slave cylinder at fault which was on top of the box held in by 2 bolts :/
My one, embarrassed to say I took a clutch out a car to find it was the slave cylinder at fault which was on top of the box held in by 2 bolts :/
CrispyMK said:
What symptoms did you have of clutch slip? Mine's suffering from clutch slip at the minute (I think) it's the first time I've driven a car with the clutch slipping but I'm 99% sure thats what it is. I was going to try a DIY job on it but with moving house and a few other bits that have got in the way I think I've missed my window of decent weather to get it done. Don't fancy sending it to a garage if its the slave cylinder.
You can literally hear me clutching at straws can't you!
It was more of clutch drag because air was getting in the clutch line.You can literally hear me clutching at straws can't you!
Try pulling away in 4th on a hill is a good clutch slip check. If revs go up but speed doesn't then its looking like it
zedx19 said:
Just remembered a tale about a Clio I had I decided to slam to the ground during my teenage days. It was a mk1 Clio 1.4 RT, they have torsion bars on back, no springs. So I bought 55mm drop springs for the front, which took me a day to fit. Next day I attempted the torsion bar, I removed the bars, jacked up the hub and the ]
Did a similar thing on my old 106. Bought 30mm lowering springs. Adjusted 2 notches on the torsion bar instead of one and ended with the rear lower. Fixed by swapping the front springs with 60mm lowing ones to match hahaEdited by zedx19 on Friday 12th October 10:54
jonny33 said:
Absolutely no idea. Used genuine audi parts and the special Audi tools to lock the engine in place. It ran perfect, can only assume it was a faulty belt but the retailer was having none of it when I took it back
And explained what happened. They said it was due to the age and mileage of the car. Que Sara, sara
You use a new tensioner? New or old one faulty?And explained what happened. They said it was due to the age and mileage of the car. Que Sara, sara
Possibly to tight
jimxms said:
When fitting a larger intercooler to the front of my old car I was having problems bending a silver pipe out of the way to make it fit snugly.
The pipe was about 1/4", had a cable plugged into it and there was a 10mm bolt fixing it to the frame of the car. I just assumed that it contained a wiring harness of some sort, and there would be no harm in undoing the bolt and bending the pipe out of the way.
As I began undoing the main bolt my neighbors wife came out of her house and started chatting to me/admiring my car. A few turns later, the bolt shot out with massive force hitting me square on the forehead, followed by a high pressure jet of 'steam'. My neighbor shat herself, thinking that my face was being melted off and began freaking out.
Of course I was fine though - I'd just undone a sensor that was bolted into the air conditioning line, and the steam was just the refrigerant escaping!!
That was the refrigerant boiling.......at -26 degrees c. Good job your face wasn't closer!The pipe was about 1/4", had a cable plugged into it and there was a 10mm bolt fixing it to the frame of the car. I just assumed that it contained a wiring harness of some sort, and there would be no harm in undoing the bolt and bending the pipe out of the way.
As I began undoing the main bolt my neighbors wife came out of her house and started chatting to me/admiring my car. A few turns later, the bolt shot out with massive force hitting me square on the forehead, followed by a high pressure jet of 'steam'. My neighbor shat herself, thinking that my face was being melted off and began freaking out.
Of course I was fine though - I'd just undone a sensor that was bolted into the air conditioning line, and the steam was just the refrigerant escaping!!
t lol
reymatt said:
A few yearsback I went to service my VTR for the second time.
In my genius I decided that using an empty oil bottle would be a grand idea.
"Ah", thought I, "How will I direct the still warm oil into said bottle."
Not to worry, for I decided my usual makeshift funnel of a cut up 2 litre coke bottle would be ample for this situation.
Failed to account for the rather warm oil and the rather thin plastic, which proceded to melt and warp as soon as the oil touched it, resulting in nearly the entire contents of my sump being emptied onto my parents (brand new) block drive.
Did my best to mop it up, but by then the damage was done. I continued with my service, finished it all promptly, then remembering how the drive went down, moved my car to the entrance of the drive, lifted up each stained block turned it over and replaced the sand around the edges. Went unnoticed until the drive started sinking (in another spot) and had to be relaid..
Awesome In my genius I decided that using an empty oil bottle would be a grand idea.
"Ah", thought I, "How will I direct the still warm oil into said bottle."
Not to worry, for I decided my usual makeshift funnel of a cut up 2 litre coke bottle would be ample for this situation.
Failed to account for the rather warm oil and the rather thin plastic, which proceded to melt and warp as soon as the oil touched it, resulting in nearly the entire contents of my sump being emptied onto my parents (brand new) block drive.
Did my best to mop it up, but by then the damage was done. I continued with my service, finished it all promptly, then remembering how the drive went down, moved my car to the entrance of the drive, lifted up each stained block turned it over and replaced the sand around the edges. Went unnoticed until the drive started sinking (in another spot) and had to be relaid..
Did the same with the sofa when my brother was sick on of at the millenium.
And hoovered up the excess. The Dyson was never the same again
Another one from a few years ago. Had the transfer box of a Husky vehicle (pic to follow for those that don't know). Tightened up a bolt on the box and as it went tight the momentum slid it off the jack. Tried to catch it with my hand which then got crushed.
I didn't want to take my glove off but ended up with a few stitches and chipped a bit of bone off the other side of the gash. The finger burst no sliced open :/
Husky
Also this thread needs more pictures
I didn't want to take my glove off but ended up with a few stitches and chipped a bit of bone off the other side of the gash. The finger burst no sliced open :/
Husky
Also this thread needs more pictures
Someone must of done some Christmas tinkering
When I first got my car the interior lights didn't work when you opened the doors. Replaced the relay and that fixed it. A few weeks ago they stopped working again so I took the relay out and took it apart, couldn't see anything obviously wrong so left it on the side, then eventually put it back in, nope still not working.
Yesterday while driving I suddenly decided to flick the switch on the lights from off to door. Yes they now work.
I must of turned them to off at some point when I was working on it with the door open. I don't remember though!
When I first got my car the interior lights didn't work when you opened the doors. Replaced the relay and that fixed it. A few weeks ago they stopped working again so I took the relay out and took it apart, couldn't see anything obviously wrong so left it on the side, then eventually put it back in, nope still not working.
Yesterday while driving I suddenly decided to flick the switch on the lights from off to door. Yes they now work.
I must of turned them to off at some point when I was working on it with the door open. I don't remember though!
*Al* said:
Drained the fuel tank of my daughters 04 Clio, she'd put contaminated petrol in. I used some garden hose to syphon the remaining fuel and swallowed a mouthful of 95 octane, not a nice experience as i also vomited my recently eaten dinner. I could taste and burp petrol for over a day, not nice. 
Have a few times been tempted to try and light my burps but always bottled out hahainman999 said:
Zoobeef said:
Inman999 don't you have something to contribute here? 
All I have to say is a plastic steamed pudding bowl is not sufficient to contain the power steering fluid when you remove the return pipe and start the engine. Needless to say as I sat in the driving seat watching a stream of PSF that could be measured in litres per second coat everything under the bonnet, I had a new appreciation for the flowrate of power steering pumps. Couldn't turn the engine off fast enough. I can confirm that slow cooked PSF stinks.
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