Safety Reminder

[cudabob496]

Don't let kids play in your cars!
When I was a wee little guy, my dad's buddy came over and he had a neat old Ford that I always liked. I was playing like I was driving it and popped it out of gear and the e-brake wasn't set. It rolled back about 15 feet and slammed into a tree.
The truck had a big welded bumper and wasn't hurt. I was crying because I thought for sure I was gonna get a wupin' but they were all laughing, it could've been bad.
I was about five and scared me to death.
Set the e-brake and even though little ones might like to pretend like they're driving it can be deadly.

Yep, could have been a child behind the Ford when it happened. My daughter on my wifes side let her little 3 year old get out of the apartment, and the apartment manager accidently backed over her in the parking lot. She has some permanent damage.

[Jacksboys]

Make sure your hitch ball and your trailer fit correctly.  I was at the Bristol racetrack and witnessed a trailer coming off of the hitch while someone was trying to back a car off.  Thank goodness no one was hurt, but it could have been ugly.

[Chryco Psycho]

Last summer I was "reaching" under the car and adjusting the torsion bars and the bolt blew straight out the bottom of the car and the car dropped straight down! thank god I wasnt under the car!!! ALWAYS adjust the torsion bars with the suspension unloaded 

Always unload the suspension to adjust the T bars , the adjuster can strip

I will not use Glass or plastic fuel filters , Steel canisters cannot melt or unscrew

[cudabob496]

Always unload the suspension to adjust the T bars , the adjuster can strip

I will not use Glass or plastic fuel filters , Steel canisters cannot melt or unscrew

By adjusting the T-bars, do you mean the bolt that raises or lowers the front end?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

By adjusting the T-bars, do you mean the bolt that raises or lowers the front end?

Yes. 

[LAA66]

 A little off subject being in the house, but having a CO (Carbon Monoxide) detector along with your standard smoke detector is a good idea. Early this morning ours went off a couple hours after my wife opened the fireplace doors without opening the damper.

We were all sleeping at the time. 

[Super Blue 72]

  Geeze, I didn't know a coil could do that!!!!  I wonder if he had a pre-existing cardiac condition?


Make sure when putting a car up on a lift to balance the weight properly.

This was like back in 1989 or so.  There were tandem lifts in this shop, I was using the lift in front.  The kid using the lift behind me starts yelling, "Phil, HELP, HELP!!!!"  He had the car up in the air for an oil change.

I look out from under the hood of the car I was working on and see the car behind me starting to nose dive from the car being positioned too far forward on the legs of the lift.  The car was about 1 foot off the rear 2 legs of the lift and the kid doing the oil change was trying to hold up the car by holding the bottom of the front tire and it was turning on him, the nose of the car dropping inches at a time.

I ran around and grabbed the front bumper and shoulder pressed the car back into position while he lowered the lift.  Had I ignored his calls for help the car would have nose dived, hitting my car and pinning me against the wall right behind me.


Make sure the key is out of the ignition if there is a child in the car and you are under the hood.

About 20 years ago, my sister inlaw had trouble with her car.  She was in the passenger front seat holding her then 3 year old child.  I was under the hood working on the fan belts.  I heard some relays clicking under the hood and quickly pulled my hands away from the belts just before my nephew started the engine.  I would have thought my sister in law was watching him but don't ASSUME anything!

[Ross]

I was backing up onto some steel ramps, they kept slipping back on the concrete in my garage.
My brother decided to sit on the ground and hold them with his feet.
Half way up the ramps, one tire slid back down a touch, the other side grabbed and launched the ramp forward.
It got wedged under the drivers door.
Thankfully when the Challenger dropped that side, his foot wasn't under the tire. That could have been very messy.

Haven't driven up the ramps since then.
If I do, they are going to be low rise rubber ones that wont shift!

Play it safe, jack you car up and place the ramps under raised tires.

[BruteForce]

I once tried to block up a car with cinder blocks. Very bad idea, as the block cannot withstand a point load. As I slowly let the car down onto the blocks, the blocks just crumbled away.

Jack stands are cheap, so I have a couple extra I stick under the car whenever I get under it. After I have the car up on stands, I give the car a good shaking and shoving to make sure it is stable.

I keep a fire extinguisher at hand.

Most people remember to use eye protection. Few think of using ear protection. The problem is, you won't know you've damaged your ears until years later (the doctor told me that my hearing loss now is because of what I did 20 years ago). Whenever I use power tools now, I pop in either the cheap (but effective) foam plugs you can get at the drugstore, or a good pair of earmuffs you can get wherever they sell guns.

I've had a couple of gasoline accidents, one where the hose came off and sprayed gas everywhere. I stopped everything I was doing, and just left until the gas evaporated away (open the doors and windows by hand).

I installed one of those battery shutoff switches on the battery terminals. Whenever I work on the car, I just turn the knob and disconnect the battery.

If the engine is a new build or hasn't run for a long time, roll it outside before firing it up. That way, if it burns, it won't take your house with it.

[matt63]

I'm a big believer in using 2 devices to support a car ie jackstands and a floor jack as back-up.  If you've got the wheels and tires off store them under the car just in case.

[Super Blue 72]

I keep a fire extinguisher at hand.

   Reminds me of when I tried to dry out the inside of my brothers distributor cap with some sort of solvent and the top of the engine caught on fire when I went to crank it.  I think I lost some eye brows trying to blow out the fire, I was like 17.



Related to Ross' post, how many of you have driven over ramps to have them both get stuck under your rockers? 

[BruteForce]

I was considering getting ramps. After reading this thread, no way. Thanks!

[nivvy]

I was considering getting ramps. After reading this thread, no way. Thanks!

I never drive my car up on the ramps.... I jack the car up with a floor jack and slide the car ramps underneath....   

[dodge freak 2]

Since nobody has said this yet I guess I will---Do not drink and work on your car. We all hear about drinking and driving but nothing about drinking alcohol and working on your car.

Have a gut feeling many victims of accidents had been drinking while working on their car. Yes a cold beer is nice but wait until you are done working.

[cudabob496]

Since nobody has said this yet I guess I will---Do not drink and work on your car. We all hear about drinking and driving but nothing about drinking alcohol and working on your car.

Have a gut feeling many victims of accidents had been drinking while working on their car. Yes a cold beer is nice but wait until you are done working.

I agree. The more you drink, the more stupid you become!