Safety Reminder

[cudabob496]

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.

I installed one of those battery shutoff switches that stick out the back panel by the taillights. A few months later, I was working under the dash, and things started smoking. Immediatley ran to the rear and flipped the switch. May have kept the car from burning up!

[cudabob496]

I recommend leather gloves when torquing head bolts. On the final pass, the wrench slipped off a bolt, and I smashed open my little finger on the fender.  Unfortunately, the shot at the hospital to numb my finger before stitches was more painful than the finger smash! Next time, I'll use duck tape to hold it together!

[Chryco Psycho]

drinking while working on the car can also lead to problems later on if bolts are not torqued or even re-installed , cottor pins are left out etc

[Super Blue 72]

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.

D'OH!

[matt63]

I had a wheel come off once but not because I was drinking.  I had just bought the car and the PO had used the wrong kind of lug nuts.  They were long shank type for mags and not the tapered seat ones required for most wheels. They spun off so quick I could hardly believe it.  Fortunately there was little damage but I was severely embarrassed.   

[dodge freak 2]

When I first had my license-like the 1st year-I see a wheel bouncing down the street-a 5 lane 45 mph zone-a guy was chasing after it- came off a Corvette late 70's.

I thought it was funny--not thinking people can get killed if it bounces up and smashes in to a windshield.

Yep, a car hit it-then it started going the other way--I was surprise when I seen the big dent in the guys hood...what happen afterwards, IDK--I left.

[cudabob496]

I had a shop replace my leaf springs, and by the time I got home, 3 of the 5 lugnuts were almost off my left rear Weld Pro-Star. The 3 piece aluminum wheels have to be torqued carefully, with more than one pass. Good thing I didn't live another 25 miles away.

[torredcuda]

I forgot to mention that when I was a teen, a neighbor was under his car in the garage, draining gas out of his tank. The gas water heater was 15 feeet away, but the pilot light still ignited the gas fumes, and the guy burned to death under his car, and his house burned down too! So, be careful out there!

My garage heater had to raised 3' off the floor to pass biulding code.I have a buddys car in there now that has a very minor drip from a fuel fitting and when you lay on the floor you can smell the fumes.They are heavier than air which is the reason the pilot should not be close to the floor.

Jack stands-even if only for a second.Hydrolics can and do fail and in less than a second so you will not be quick enough to get out!We have hydrolic brake presses at work and I cringe when I see guys reaching thru the dies.The machine presses up from the bottom but works off of switches that I have seen fail and bring the dies together without anyone steping on the peddle.These machines will cut off your finger or your whole arm without even straining-50-100 tons of pressure!

[bordin34]

P-plates? Never heard of those before.

[cudabob496]

Saftey Reminder...

Dont give Subarus to 1st year Youth drivers.

They drive like idiots, 100mph in  a bloody 40mph zone... and they wonder why accidents happen.

Just the other day, we were turning right (from the left lane as we in aus drive on left side) There were 2 lanes to turn right... Green arrow turned on and a subaru flys past in the 3rd lane screaches tyres and turns right infront of us and the car next to us... totaly cut across ileagly and could have caused a massive accident. Guess what?

Huge P plate on the back (2nd year driver)

Retards all of them. Never seen a normal P plater in a car like that IN my life. I had a trans am on my P's I never did idiotic stuff.

 

I hear ya! But lets be honest. We've all done one or two really stupid things while driving our cars. We're just fortunate to still be alive.

[Jacksboys]

P-plates? Never heard of those before.

  Me either.   

[mojavered]

I know this is an extremely old thread, but one of my dad's buddies just was not thinking when he had an overheating problem on his classic car.  With a rag, loosened the rad cap and rad fluid shot up right into his face.  Doc said he was luck he was wearing glasses or he would have blinded himself for the rest of his life.  His face has many burns on it, horrible.

On a different subject, i thought this was a good safety message: http://www.injam1.com/