Been a mechanic for 23 years and one thing I always tell the new guys, you are always going to make mistakes and the most important part of making a mistake is to remember it and learn from it so you don't do it again
Actually the first thing they need to learn is to first own up to their mistake and second is to make it rite and not expect to get paid a second time to fix it
I did a head gasket on an older VR6 volkswagen for the first time and when installing the chains on the back of the engine I got pulled off to do a waiter. I went back to the vehicle and looked over everything and it looked ok so I finished installing the rest of the parts. I started it and it ran for maybe 20 seconds then a loud noise. I found out I didn't tighten a couple of bolts which cause the timing to jump and bend all 16 valves. I had to redo the job and the boss was pissed. I wrote him a check for the parts needed and he held the check for a few weeks. He finally gave it back to me and said he appreciated me willing to pay for the damage and it ment more to him that I learned from that. He was a great boss and mentor.
Making someone do a wait in the middle of a real job is so dumb, for this exact reason! But hey it was worth the $20 profit on the oil change they had you do though huh? What sucks is then YOU as the tech beat yourself up, when the whole problem should have been avoided by leaving you to your real work.
@@12brmien Ehh I get being annoyed like this but the lesson should be to properly document/wrap up what work you're doing before moving away from the job temporarily.
As a young mechanic I did a drum brake job with lots of enthusiasm to get it done and impress my boss with how well and how fast I could get it done. The vehicle was kind of high since I hadn't sorted out my favorite working height yet. So I stood on the drum to install the wheel on one side, working in too much of a rush. Imagine my surprise when I pumped the brakes trying to keep the car from rolling until the wheel cylinders came apart. Of course I learned how to rebuild wheel cylinders that day.
As an engineer I can't even replace a spark plug without fouling it up, so I am very thankful there are people like you who are able to do the hands on work while I stay at my AutoCad desk.
This is my favorite video of yours so far, because I’m still in the early stages of pain. God it hurts. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only guy learning the hard way
Many years ago early in my now 40 years as a mechanic my boss pointed to a white 240z in the parking lot of Datsun Zs and said bring it in and do a clutch, so I racked it and removed the trans, about that time he walked in my side of the shop with the work order ( the license plate was different). From that point on I never bought a car in without a work order and I always matched up both the VIN and the Plate. Great video Sherwood,I like the screwdriver through the evap core. I bet that got your attention!
A doctor did something similar concerning a leg amputation. They matched the wrong paperwork with the wrong patient and he didn't confirm it was for the correct patient and they didn't discover the mix up until after removing the leg.
I painted early in my career, I worked with a guy who did the prep work before the cars were put in the booths and he was learning to paint. He kept telling us that he was colorblind and somehow that helped him with color-matching which I thought was a crock. So one day we were behind and each booth was backed up so we had a complete on a Crown Victoria sitting in one of the booths so to get caught up I had him do the complete. Taking the opportunity to call him on the colorblind comment I printed the label for the Vic which was white, and I stuck the label on a gallon can of blue paint thinking he would have to tell me the paint was the wrong color. I was busy and didn't keep my eye on him and he painted the car blue. He did a good job, but it clashed with the red interior.
My most recent heart break would have to be leaving my straight long needle nose pliers under the hood of a chevy sonic after installing a new radiator and getting called to go back 3 days later with a coolant leak and sure enough there was my pliers in the $325 radiator. 4hrs, coolant, and a radiator i now own the most expensive duralast pliers in town!
A very close grade school friend and her mom asked me to repair their deceased brother/son’s 1960s Camaro. The owner sadly died in Vietnam and obviously the car had even more sentimental value then it did monetary. I was using a bay in my uncles auto body shop and I decided the car needed a carburetor which I started to remove that night. Early the next morning I get a frantic call from my uncle screaming that when he went to start the car it caught fire! The steering wheel, dash, wiring harness, carb etc were melted before the Fire Department got there bc I left the fuel line off. After hours of emotional, heartbreaking conversation with the family I told them I would fix it no matter how much it me. I thought I couldn’t be more heartbroken… the F D told me I had to park in on the city street because it was still considered a fire hazard. We put it out on Grand Ave in New Haven. Very early the next morning I’m driving down the street and there are cops all over. When I asked what happened the told me a city bus rear ended the car. It was half the size it was meant but not more broken than my heart. The family was gracious to say the least and I’m Facebook friends with my grade school friend. Talk about an expensive lesson
As a newer quicklube tech for a dealer, I was checking transmission fluid on an older car that needed level checked running in neutral. It had mechanical PRNDL and I got out of the car with the needle pointing at "N" but apparently was actually in reverse and by the time I got around to the engine bay, the car was rolling back faster than I could jump back in. the rear post of the lift folded the door right up to the fender. Looking back, I'm sure it was very amusing for the old tech watching it all happen through the big window between us, but I'm still embarrassed 20 years later.
Same shop, we had some in ground front/rear continuous trench style truck lifts and one was low on hydraulic oil. So I topped it up with tranny fluid out of the bulk hose but forgot to put the cap back in before I flipped the air supply lever over. Hydraulic oil needed to be cleaned off from the 30' high ceiling after that error.
I have a similar incident as my worse mistake. But I can’t blame being a newbie. I was definitely a few years in. Just finishing installing a transmission in a caravan. Was back and forth a few times getting fluid level right and running through some scan tool stuff. In a hurry and thought I had neutral and hopped out to verify fluid level again. Nope it was in reverse and by the time I turned back around and caught it, it was on the other side of lift post. Drivers door folded to the fender. I hope it’s the biggest embarrassment of my career. Still makes me sick to my stomach 15 yrs later.
My father when he was alive told me a phrase that's burned into my mind to this day, "Experience is the technical word for your F*ck ups!" Sadly he passed away when I was 18 shortly after I had graduated from high school. Thank's for sharing!
I'm not a mechanic, just a home DIYer, but I've worked on most car subsystems so I mostly know my way around one at this point. A few years ago I dropped the driveshaft on my AWD DSM to overhaul it, get rid of rust, check to see if the bearings needed replacement, replace the u-joints and snap rings, etc. Messy job but I got it done. When it was time to put it back up, I supported the rear section with a bungee cord secured to the body. Got it back up, everything's good, but then I realized that the way I'd strung the bungee cord through, there was no way I was getting it out because its hook was just too wide to fit through. So it was either take down the drive shaft, or hillbilly it. I did the latter, cutting the bungee cord with a sharp knife. Better to sacrifice a $5 tool than waste my time. I suppose that some people would have just left it there, and that WOULD have been a serious mistake. I've been lucky so far, but then I've been extremely conservative and methodical, working off of a very detailed checklist that I double-check, doing proper research and planning, taking breaks, etc., things that I can afford to do because I'm a DIYer but which for pro mechanics might sometimes be a luxury that they or their shop can't afford to do. But given what a car can do to its driver, passengers, other cars and people, and property, I'm super, super careful. The real world usually doesn't come with runoff tracks and experts standing over your shoulder making sure you do it right.
I am a 73 year old Automotive Engineer and really enjoy your videos not being in the automotive field anymore I miss it , well going back to work when I find an auto parts store here in Salt Lake City
Great stories Sherwood , I have many in my 44 year career as a HD diesel mechanic, The one I remember most was when I was 16 working on a Saturday by myself at my families trucking company shop , I was changing an alternator on a forklift, pretty straight forward, but I pinched the battery lead while installing the alternator and when I hooked up the battery it fried the engine harness and made it unable to start and move, the worst part was : I had the forklift halfway in the shop doorway. I couldn't move the forklift or close the door to go home , basically had to stay all night repairing the wiring . Moral of the story; either work in the shop or outside the door, never in the door way ! Shared this story many times with coworkers those chose to work this way.
I was but a shop flunky boy at a Mercedes-Benz dealer in the 80's. Thanks to the DIN chassis radio and the arrival of crack, smash and grab at night was a problem we tried to reduce by moving customers' cars into the bays and the aisle, too, before closing up for the night. I drove one car in (a 190E?) and as I got to the entry door all of the mechanics, standing around for the clocking out of timecards, started yelling and waving. I didn't know what the problem was. The problem was that this car was in the middle of some kind of oil cooler repair and I was driving it and leaving a long trail of oil on the ground. Not good. There was no note/sign on the steering wheel, so I wasn't in trouble, but somebody else was.
Loved this. My two favs were the missing pilot bearing, I put a pressure plate in backwards once, and the missing diff fluid, which happened to my buddy.
1980,s Oldsmobile 2.8 liter intake gasket replacement. Did not know that push rods were different lengths for intake and exhaust valves. Needless to say when I cranked the engine I bent most of the valves. Easy job turned into a nightmare. School of hard knocks.
You could see you reliving some of those moments, fair play to you. If you're not making mistakes in life, you're not learning. Great video for the youngins.
I feel ya on the Mustang clutch replacement- thankfully my first clutch replacement was while I was still in school and it was on the college's S10 that the security guard used. I did everything correctly but a week later it came back and the flywheel was just wobbling. Yep, forgot to torque the flywheel bolts.
Glad to hear you admit you didn't know how the carburetor worked, because as you now know so well if you want to fix the system you need to know how the components in the system operate. Anything else and we're just parts changers. Young techs need to understand this concept. Keep up the great videos.
When I get into something big, with a lot of steps, I like to write down everything I do and make notes on things to remember where they go, then I follow that list when putting things back together.
Takes a big man to admit and talk about his mistakes. Thank you for sharing, this makes me reflect on some of my mistakes working on vehicles, and reminds me to pay attention when working on anything I do.
Back in 84 I was 16 and JUST got through building the 396 for my 69 SS Chevelle... was using our home made tow truck hand crank boom to lower it in.. trying to get it in and tuned to go into town (Augusta Ga, Evans Ga, Martinez Ga area) to street race.. lowered her in.. butted up the trans on the dowels..set her on the mounts.. slid in the pin bolts.. unhooked the chains, pulled the tow truck to the side.. took a big bite of my greasy (with car grease hands) bologna sandwich and took a slug of tea.. it's go time.. tightened mounts.. secured a few ancillary things... slipped under the car laying on an old road sign on the dirt... tightened the bell housing bolts.. went to spin the convertor and align the flex plate holes up to the converter and it looked awfully empty in the bell housing area.. wait.. WHERE'S THE FLEXPLATE!?!?!?!?... derp.. still laying on the back of the ol' home made tow truck.. arrrgghhh!!!... OUT she came.. and back again... lol.. good news.. STILL got it together.. fired her up.. set timing, adjusted carb.. bled cooling system.. then drove it to Fast Fare... (a gas station about 8 miles away).. with no hood on it about 2 am.. got gas.. pulled up to the store.. went inside and got a hotdog off the roller machine and a drink.. went outside readjusted carb.. reset timing.. went home.. installed hood.. and out i went.. out all day and into the next night.. partying and racing..won a couple and lost a couple.. had the (it'll go or blow) mentality.. it lasted a good while and I hammered it good.. still have the Chevelle... man the memories.. I have to get it back on the road.. we tend to let things go when raising a family.. 💪🇺🇲🇺🇲💪!...
I installed an Autotech dead pedal on my buddy's A2 Jetta GLI, and my new Craftsman power drill and the usual ol;' drill bit didn't work very well, but eventually punched through, for two mounting holes. Then I discovered that my newfangled power drill was in reverse for some? all? of the job. Erosion? (shrug)
Great video guys 👍. I think it is a rite of passage in this industry to have at least a few jobs like that under your belt in your career that make you feel alive 😂. I have forgotten a pilot bushing before as well. That's a heart-stopper for sure, but my all-time "Oh no!!" moment was doing a timing chain on a 2005 Honda Accord and just as I put the timing cover back on and had everything sealed up, had all the bolts tight and was ready to start putting the Alternator and power steering pump back on, I noticed the reluctor plate for the crankshaft sensor sitting on my bench, which needs to go on before the timing chain case cover goes on lol 😮😬. I don't think I have ever removed one of those covers so fast in my life🤣🤣, and thankfully the silicone had not set yet, so I was able to clean it up and reapply everything without making a huge mess again 😁. It's always funny how those kinds of jobs stick with you 😊.
Great stories Sherwood, I worked at Oldsmobile Cadillac dealership 1978-2003 & brings back memories. We all make mistakes because we are human just learn to not repeat them.
#5 Did the same thing in a 66 Mustang with a straight six. After changing 2 transmissions sold it. New owner told me there was no pilot bushing in it. Big learning lesson on Attention to Detail. Was 17 then.
My biggest mistake has been doing a heater core on an older bucik, mid 90's. Simple to change but i left the lower cover off to make sure no leaks one the system was running and full. After feeling confident in the repair i instaleld the lower cover and one screw was slightly longer than the rest and the aftermarket core was not an exact match. Needless to say they met and sprayed full high pressure coolant over the off white interior. Many lessons to be lurned from that. The customer was very understanding and we took care of everything for them. They continue to visit us for service. And i got a very large amount of experience taking that interior apart after hours
i really appreciate your honesty and openness - a breath of fresh air. my greatest mistake? hmm, having turned wrenches for 15 years in dealer service departments, i've had my share. but the one that came to mind first is a z32 series nissan 300zx twin turbo with hydraulic lifter noise. this occurred in the mid-90s. i had to replace the complete set of lifters 2x. the 1st time, it was under an independent extended warranty contract. the 2nd time - no charge. after the car returned with the lifters ticking away all the time, i called the manufacturer's technical call center to see if there was anything i should know before even opening the hood again. the specialist on the phone casually said the cause were the oil passage check valves. debris would collect in them, keeping the check balls from seating which then allowed oil to drain out of the lifters. there's one on each bank, pressed into the deck of the block. needless to say, the heads needed to be removed...uhgain. the work itself is what made the job so painful. because it's so tight space wise under the hood it''s easier, but a LOT of busy work, to remove this engine to perform almost any needed engine repair. to rub more rock salt in the wounds, this occurred the week before thanksgiving. it wasn't a 'money making' job to begin with, as most extended warranty work isn't. but doing the work no charge the 2nd time, and both repairs during the same pay period, well...
A short time ago, I worked at a body shop. I was removing the transmission from a 21’ Suburban during a chassis swap. An exhaust gasket fell off the pipe at the point near the Engine/transmission connection. I didn’t see where it fell from. In my exhaustion and haste to complete the job, I threw it between the transmission and torque converter and hoped it would be quiet. I don’t have that job anymore.
I was working on a Mercedes hardtop convertible with my apprentice.We fitted some new roof seals and lubricated all the other roofseals with a can on silicone spray.....I was inside the car opetating the roof when hell broke loose.The apprentice had placed the can onto the roof panel and as the roof retracted back into the boot it clammed the silicon spray which exploded!!The roof was completly bent.....I felt awful about it,I took the rap.......Keep your eye on the newbie's👍👍👍
I installed 3 used transmissions and a torque converter on a newer Explorer. First 2 used transmissions were bad. 3rd one finally worked correctly😂. I had to argue with a salvage yard and I was going to sue them in small claims just to refund my purchase price. Book time was 13 hours.
Man this made me go down memory lane when you said vacuum lines I instantly remembered marking them with dots and lines vacuum diagram stickers under the hood, Haynes books and chiltons…good times
First and Second Gen Toyota Highlander control arms can be put on backwards. Spent the good part of an afternoon changing them on a friend's car about 10 years ago. Sent her to get alignment afterwards and got the call about 45 mins later. DOH! I will NEVER forget to look for the big L and R from then on.....
Working on a Sprint Falcon with a 289 in the 80’s. Had to remove the distributor for some reason. I knew the rod from distributor to the oil pump was not retained but thought I had it. I didn’t. It fell down into the oil pan. Not expensive or major but I get really aggravated when a project starts spawning sub projects.
I was literally nicknamed “bad luck” by my own dad from all the mess ups I had! It made me super careful and the most annoying guy to be around since I’m always trying to prevent a “mess up” from happening these days. All in all with out the mistakes it’s tough to learn. Thanks for sharing
Don't feel bad. In automotive repair business, we learn as we go. The most important thing is that we don't make mistakes twice. I made a lot of mistakes in my career, and I learned a lot. We fail as much as we succeed, That is called experience. Without mistakes, we never grow. Love your stories. Keep up the good work. Good luck.
I put a clutch a new in my old Civic last week. Took it for a test drive *without refilling the transmission fluid*. Doh! No harm done. I wasn't too far before I remembered and very gently drove the car back home. Next time a fluid has to be refilled I'm writing it on masking tape and sticking it on the steering wheel, as soon as I drain it, as a last chance reminder.
Remember having my Alfa's transaxle rolling off the jack at the Miramar hobby shop while I was doing something I can't remember... Learned the calipers should be attached after installed with that mistake.
I forgot to tighten a pinch bolt in a 1995 Chrysler LHS.I put in a transmission in it,started the nut during reassembly and left it loose.Came back with ball joint out of the knuckle.Luckily did not do much damage,only had to replace the right side axle and replace the pinch bolt.I now tighten them after putting them in starting the nut
In chronological order from oldest to newest 1. I left a sump plug lose in the rush of pushing az many services as i could out. Customer was driving down the road oil light came on customer shut it off. It was a fleet vehicle and they took it to the delearship where they 100% but another motor in it at my company's expense. And ofc we lost the business from that fleet. 2. I was rushing to replace a starter 20mins to closing. I come in the next day to find the car caught on fire when the customer was at a drivethrough. The insulation on the B+ terminal was dodgy and the aftermarket motor didn't have a tab to stop it from arching on the block, so it caught fire to the little insulation it had left on it. 3. I replaced a ford motor, try to start it and we find it was out of time slightly. Starts after timing it all up, i go to start it again and all the valves were bent. I should've never had touched the crank pulley.
Thanks for posting. Well My Mistake was I was working at Wyoming automotive formally Mark’s Marathon. We pumped gas full service garage. Well my first mistake was I forgot to put oil in a customers car it was getting an oil change. He received a phone call from the owner. He walked up to me and said are you going to put oil in the car. Very ugly. We had a a wrecker. So I proceeded to go up and put oil in the car. Only problem engine locked up like Fort Knox. So I had to tow it back to the shop. He assigned the car to one of techs in the back shop. I heard about it for a whole month. But I learned to double check every vehicle that came in. Oh I owned a 78 Old’s Cutlass. I installed intake manifold gaskets on it. You are right the intake was all cast. I did get the firing order wrong. Which Mark corrected. It was a great learning experience. I was also attending Cincinnati State Technical College. Automotive Service Management.
Not a pro, but when I was in my twenties, I had a Harley Evo with a leaking cylinder base gasket, and decided that I would take care of it myself, even though I had zero experience. I read what I could find (no real internet information then), and worked on and off when I had time. Got the job done, torqued everything to specs, and fired it up. It actually ran pretty well. I started final cleanup of my tools and parts, etc., and noticed that I hadn't installed one of the head gaskets. It did actually run fine, but I decided I had better take her apart and put the gasket on.
68 Pontiac 400 CID. Put a 4 barrel manifold on and decided to see what would happen if the primary and secondaries opened together. Well my linkage got jammed at full throttle, dropped it in neutral to stop and popped the hood to correct. Dumb idea 45 years ago.
DIY - I was helping a neighbor with his brakes. While I was handling the pads and rotors, he was trying to install a brake switch spacer. I had the passenger caliper removed and without thinking it through, told him how to place the spacer. He pressed on the brake pedal (a number of times), and the piston was forced out of the caliper. I wasn't able to rebuild the caliper, so I ended up buying a new one for him.
My first bone head mistake was with a Chrysler 383. I forgot the two little felt strip oil seals on the side of the rear crankseal carrier. Started the engine and had a major oil leak out the rear of the engine and got oil all over my brand new clutch disc! Expensive mistake! A learning curve! 😂😂😂
Im a young man working as a machanic... ive done some questionable things too... like going out in the yard and getting in the tow rig its a standard... didnt think to give it the wiggle got in started it and let the clutch out... i forgot somthing and didnt see it in gear anyways.. boom right into the side of a garbage truck didnt damage the garbage truck but dented the tow rig and smashed the front light... thats my worst lol and one other time im not sure how this happened but i did a transmission on a vw jetta 2.0l i think... took it out replaced with a used junk yard one everything goes good.. i go to fill it with 80-90 gear oil. We use a big metal barrel with a pump and when i went to fill it i pumped it a few times and the fluid came out... as it should... 2 weeks later guy comes in saying no 3rd gear... so all back apart again.... before i pull it out i check the fluid for shit and giggles and hardly any fluid comes out😳 i dont know if i didnt fill it right or what it only takes like 2L or less so i thought i had enough in it. Not sure what happened i did put it in as i had to call and see what the equivalent fluid was as we didnt stock vw oe fluid... transmission 2 i made sure to measure the right amount and recheck a few times wasnt making the same mastake twice those are my worst so far from the last 4 years
The TTV (Thermal Vacuum Valve) were used a lot in the 80's. Sometimes the vacuum routing charts were missing on the car and sometimes not available in SI. My uncle was my trainer from 10-15 years old, then started working for him, when I was free. I remember changing out a lot of those Holley vacuum actuated secondaries to mechanical. People put in so many radical profile camshafts that vacuum was so low it would screw up the vacuum secondaries. My only big mistake in 57 years (yes, I am 73 and work a little when I want to) was getting distracted by a shop owner when I was checking brake fluid. I forgot to double check the master cylinder cover bail. It was not on all the way and came off. Thank God the customer was able to stop after all the reservoir fluid was lost. We all make mistakes.
In my younger years, I was a transmission technician. I got really good at what I did. I got cocky. I started to put transmissions together without pressure testing prior to putting it back together. I apparently had a seal slip; i would have noticed, had i performed the pressure test using air. I had to pull the 440T4 Transmission again and build it a second time. It got burned up quickly with the slipped seal. Warranty pays garbage, but having to do the job twice, It ate my lunch.
Nice video Sherwood.Of all the mistakes I made ,the biggest is not understanding electrical and electronics.Thanks goes to Vince at Veejer to realize the basics,also to you and numerous others Cheers (big difference between mechanical and electrical repairs)
I was working at a GM dealership got my Mr goodwrench certified lol . Did my first rear main seal . Forgot the rope seal yeah how did I do that next day came back in and got it back went to my bench and their was the rope and tool to install it on the floor under my bench
Very early in my career and as a young dad, I got a call my daughter was being taken to hospital and I tried to finish what I was working on real quick before I left work and accidentally forgot to put brake shoes on steer axle and Thank God another Tech caught it before they shipped that truck and that literally scared me to death.
Over the years many mistakes were made (some were very costly indeed... nearly a million....), and in fact we had a say that the more expensive is the damage the more you learn.... but the most important thing I learnt, and teaches newbies is to own up to your own mistake, no matter how serious and embarrassing. This way, not only mean you are a responsible person but also you let others pour in their knowledge and help you out - saved many many days.
I decided I wanted to learn how to work on cars with no prior experience. I've never been hands on and I also cut corners habitually - a bad combination. I tried to jack the car up from the front subframe so that I could save time and just slide the jack stands into either side rather than doing each side individually. Well, I didn't pay too much attention and rushed. Next thing the car slipped off at full extension and the jack annihilated the radiator and the fans and got stuck for good measure. In hindsight I'm lucky it went forward and not straight up or backwards into the engine bay. If it wasn't for my neighbor coming over and convincing me that it could be fixed, I never would have touched a car again. It's easier said than done, but learn from your mistakes and take a step back and breath.
In number three; You were so blessed to have such a great and understanding shop owner. He sounds like a “School of Hard Knocks” kind of guy. Awesome mentor and friend! For number 4; I did the same thing with the oil pressure sender wire on a late ‘80’s TPI Camaro. Must have been in 1991, or so…. Got most of it back together, then went to stab the distributor back in, when I noticed the wire going right under the intake manifold (lower, on the rear valley wall.) It had set up over the weekend…. I was so mad at myself! I can laugh about it now…. 😂
Not a mechanic, just a car owner. Wife was stranded at work. I bought a starter for my wife's Explorer since I had replaced other parts already. Didn't know a screw or something didn't need tightening and I broke it. Luckily, O'reilly let me return it since it was broken in like 30mins lol. Got the replacement, installed correctly, still no start. Turns out the positive terminal disconnected from the battery terminal. It slipped off. I had cut and replaced the wire terminal earlier in the week, so I didn't even consider it could have been that. Haunts me to this day.
The biggest one i did was i did a brake job on my daughter in laws car , i use a bent rod caliper hanger to hold the caliper during the job. I finished the job and sent her on her way leaving one of my hangers on the front spring. She came back 2 weeks later and said the brakes work great but i have a rattle in the front now. I removed the first wheel and became red faced when i told her what i had done.
When I change my oil (or any other fluid) I always put the container of new fluid in the engine compartment. This way I cannot close the hood without being reminded to add the new fluid.
And thereby go all of us really. I had a recent issue repairing a BMW ZF 6HP28X auto, put two valves in the wrong position in the mechatronic unit after they were cleaned and during assembly. Only had reverse, nothing else. Thought it was a solenoid failure at first, changed a solenoid, no change. Didi not know if I had damaged the internals of the trans, so pulled it out again, stripped it down and luckily no internal damage (it was only run on the lift at this point). Pulled the mechatronic to pieces again and noticed the issue when I read the parts layout again. Only fortunate part is that it was my own car, not a customer car. Cost me a couple of extra days labor.
Like you I was young and working on my own. My brother just did his garage floor. It seems like when someone says something to me like don’t mess up the floor something always happens. I was changing my oil. I was adding my last quart of oil to it and glanced down and all of the oil was all over the floor. I never forgot an oil plug after that.
We sqeezed in a last minute oil change, I did it in the parking lot and left the drain plug loose. The guy went on vacation, he noticed it leaking but kept driving attempting to get off the thruway. We had to pick the car 3 states away and put in a free engine.
I do appreciate how you call customers clients, I now do the same because of you it's more classy, I do appreciate how you don't refer to engines as motors, biggest pet piev of mine, I complain all the time to creators, what will you call a tesla in ur shop, electric drive motor, or engine, they call all engines, motors pisses me off, first thing at Nashville Auto Diesel college they taught engine, internal combustion is a engine. Thanks guys grt video
Please be sure to write letters to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Company, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.🙂 No need to write to Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc., as they are defunct. You're not the only person with this concern but what I don't understand is why I only heard of it about two years ago. For a few decades, I read several major car magazines cover to cover and don't remember that coming up. Electric motors seem to be on peoples' minds with it, though, because that's always brought up as a contrasting example.
I remember fighting a transmission and tcase into an old CJ7. I had no idea I should have used an alignment tool. So much fighting that thing. The clutch in that thing was always a pain in the ass. Bell crank bushings were one of the worst ideas ever.
I was a 17 year old kid working at my friends dads gas station. I was pumping gas and learning how to turn wrenches. I had a 71 Firebird with a 350. His dad had a spare 350 and I wanted to trick it out and drop it in. I was going to send the heads to a machine shop so my friend and I started taking it apart. One of the heads wouldn't come loose. We got bigger and bigger pry tools and we finally popped it loose. Only problem was there was still a headbolt in it and a piece of the block was hanging off it. Needless to say my motor got new heads and a timing chain with the original block.
My very first day on the job I had a very nice newer vehicle on the lift. I had the hood open all the way. While raising the vehicle the hood broke through the shop lights. I was told to tell the customer how I planned to make it right. That cost me dearly being young and new to the industry. I learned Early by being responsible for my mistakes. The shop paid for all repairs and loaner vehicle. I made payments back to shop without interest. It took me forever to cover it. I slowed down to my normal speed from then on. It was a family shop and they said everyone makes mistakes, we never talked about after that day.
About 15 years ago my daughter bought her first car. A 2000 Ford Contour with a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. She brought it over to my job to show me. She was so proud. I noticed it had a misfire and told her I'd look at it the next day at my house. I opened the hood and found oil everywhere, even down the side of the car. I told her it had a hole in a piston and the engine needed to be replaced. She and her brother found an engine at a wrecking yard that came with a warranty. It was from an automatic and she had a stick shift. No big deal, right? In my garage, I dropped the subframe and pulled the engine off the transmission. I switched the flex plate for the flywheel and installed a brand new clutch assembly. I compared the crank sensors, they were identical. I put it all back together and replaced the output seals on the transaxle. New engine in place, I had a crank, no start. Upon inspection, there was a cup shaped part that went between the engine and the crank sensor. Those two parts were of different depth. Arrgh! I had to remove the flywheel to change this part. The whole job had to be done again to correct my mistake. This was for my daughter and I wasn't being paid at all. That's what dads do. It started right up the second time. She was happy which made me happy.
My first time changing a pinion seal on a late 90's silverado i didn't know i was supposed to put a new crush sleeve also and over torqued the crap out of it expensive mistake i made lol
Had to put an engine in ford box truck with a v10 about 10-12 years ago. Didn’t get the intake cleaned out completely, the new engine sucked debris down and bent some valves. Had to do the job again but got a new intake the second time!😂
I was just learning the tech side of things , very early on still in high school, pumping gas and learning everything i could , Bronco II 2.9 fuel injected , pulled the plugs to do a compression check and didn't disable fuel or spark ...well i had fuel and spark 🔥
One of my mistakes 😢 It was a ford pick up with a damaged wire at the pcm. I repaired the wire, and then heated my heat shrink with a heat gun that was as big as a hair blow dryer. We'll it did great a job on the wire I Repaired, but what I didn't know was it melted every wire in the bulk head connector to nothing but copper on at least 40 wires. The complete harness had to be replaced
If you think "test running" an engine after timming belt replace before all is back together = inclucing the harmonic balancer , well when we tried it on a v8 lexus = well the smal crank gear "walked off" and yes = there went the belt with result being bent valves . OUCH !!
Puncturing a freeze plug with a screwdriver it went thru the cylinder on a Mitsubishi mirage. New engine fix it. also was repairing a carb on Oldsmobile 307,the intake was without carb and fuel line over the bores. I just crank for fun and engine start full throttle pumping gas everywhere and catched fire. One of my coworkers extinguished when i was 2 block away running , i was 20 😂. I just sit and laugh from so many dumb stories
I have a '90 Ford Ranger. Could not get the A/C compressor to come on. Determined that the refrigeration system was good. At this point, realized that the problem was electrical. I have always been considered a fairly good automotive electrician. Traced out everything in the circuitry that I could think of. After finding all components and wiring under the hood acceptable with my multimeter , the no current problem led to the dash controls. Upon beginning to start removing the dash control panel, I looked at the fan switch and it said , " Push For A/C." What a Dufus I was that day. And had driven this truck many years prior to this incident.
I have two. I had a 86 Cavalier Z24 come in. It was a poorly maintained vehicle. It had a leaking soft plug on the engine because the cooling system was so rusty from lack of maintenance. I replaced the leaking soft plug. Of course it came back with another one leaking. I wrote an estimate at that point to replace all of them. The boss came back and said to me, the customer is not paying for this repair. Long story short, I removed the engine and replaced the rest of the soft plugs for free. I did not get paid for that job. The second one is funny. When I was an apprentice I was replacing synchronizers on a 4 speed front wheel drive transmission on yet another Cavalier. I made good time, had it back together and had just got the transmission lined up and on the back of the engine when my mentor tapped me on the shoulder and quietly said, you might want to put that back in there pointing at the workbench. It was the final drive for the transmission. These were great lessons I will never forget.
I also nade the mistake of not looking up the torque specs for a 96 honda civic for the timing belt tensioner and snugged it down til it went righty loosey. Tried everyrthing i could to tap it but could get it to the right torque spec.
I would love to see in depth videos with diagrams and hooking it up im trying to get familiar with setting up the scope to still a bit confusing but working on it
My own car ,trying to figure out a detention issue . Had air cleaner off , finally found broken spring in dist. Replaced the distributor . Took it for test drive without air cleaner on ! Stud backed out went down intake destroyed engine !
I’m 37 and never had any interest in mechanic work until recently. With the economy so screwed, I recently became a TH-cam mechanic and started doing some small things on my truck and wife’s car using TH-cam. I started with brakes. I put them on backwards. They left grooves in my rotors lol so I also learned how change rotors. Lessons learned
In 1981 a business down the street from my shop had a fleet of 1972 Ford Econoline vans. One had a misfire and needed a valve job. I pulled the heads and sent them to the machine shop. I got them back and installed them per the manual. When I cranked the engine, there was a loud commotion under the valve covers. I removed the covers and found bent pushrods and broken rocker arms as well as bent valves. I called my machine shop and was told the heads I brought in were from a 1968 engine. Valve lash needed to be adjusted instead of rocker arms torqued down per 1972. I told them 1972. They never told me 1968. I was upset with them, especially when they told me I had to pay them for the repairs. I agreed and they "repaired" the heads. I put it back together, adjusting valve lash this time. It backfired through the carburetor. I sent them the heads again and paid them a third time to correct the intake valve problem. It backfired through the carburetor again. I was livid. I called them and asked if they knew how to hand-lap the valves. They said they would. I told them I was NOT paying them a fourth time. They lapped the valves and the engine ran like a top. When that van rolled out, I closed my shop and started a mobile mechanic business. I set my own hours and worked only when I wanted. It was bliss.
My very first job was replacing water pump on 1968 Jeep Commando with Buick all aluminum V6. I was 14 my dad said don’t tighten bolts too much. About then bolt stripped in aluminum. He was very upset
In the mid 80s I was working at a Chrysler dealer. I had already ben a Chrysler Tech for about 15 years. We were replacing head gaskets on 2.2 engines all the time. I has probably done over 200 of them. I pinched the ground strap that went from the head to the firewall between the head and the block. It left a divot in the aluminum cylinder head. The head had to be sent out to be milled down to take the divot out.
During my first year working as a lube tech I drained the trans fluid on a subura which uses the same exact filter for the oil and transmission. Double filled the oil and tried to pull it out with no trans fluid in it.
#1 worst mistake i made was when I was apprenticing at an RV dealership. I was being trained to install 5th wheel hitches into pickup trucks and after I did a few with my trainer, i was left to do one all by myself. Lined up the brackets to the frame and drilled my pilot hole through the frame. Then when I moved up to the 1/2" drill bit I managed to send it right through a hard brake line that was tucked into the other side of the frame rail. Brake fluid all over the floor, truck had to get towed...bad BAD day for me.
I had an Isuzu truck come in with a blown turbo. It was a real tight pain of a job. Anyway got it done and it started up fine… let it run for a bit to warm up and after a minute or 2 gave it a little Rev, but the revs didn’t come back down. Turned the ignition off but no effect… the revs just kept climbing and I knew straight away that I had a runaway. Man, that was the scariest thing ever! Sounded like it was revving to 12,000 rpm and I was sure it was gonna explode. No way was I going near it. The stinkiest thickest smoke completely filled the workshop and the maybe 10 minutes it took to eventually die seemed like an eternity. Totally destroyed the engine. I hadn’t taken the intercooler out to check for oil from the original failed turbo - it ran away on the oil in the intercooler from the previous failed turbo. Damn I felt so bad.
Been a mechanic for 23 years and one thing I always tell the new guys, you are always going to make mistakes and the most important part of making a mistake is to remember it and learn from it so you don't do it again
Actually the first thing they need to learn is to first own up to their mistake and second is to make it rite and not expect to get paid a second time to fix it
@@dannyc1657I work in a shop full of kids and I wish they'd learn this. even when you watch them screw something up they'll deny it.
I did a head gasket on an older VR6 volkswagen for the first time and when installing the chains on the back of the engine I got pulled off to do a waiter. I went back to the vehicle and looked over everything and it looked ok so I finished installing the rest of the parts. I started it and it ran for maybe 20 seconds then a loud noise. I found out I didn't tighten a couple of bolts which cause the timing to jump and bend all 16 valves. I had to redo the job and the boss was pissed. I wrote him a check for the parts needed and he held the check for a few weeks. He finally gave it back to me and said he appreciated me willing to pay for the damage and it ment more to him that I learned from that. He was a great boss and mentor.
Making someone do a wait in the middle of a real job is so dumb, for this exact reason! But hey it was worth the $20 profit on the oil change they had you do though huh? What sucks is then YOU as the tech beat yourself up, when the whole problem should have been avoided by leaving you to your real work.
@@12brmien Ehh I get being annoyed like this but the lesson should be to properly document/wrap up what work you're doing before moving away from the job temporarily.
As a young mechanic I did a drum brake job with lots of enthusiasm to get it done and impress my boss with how well and how fast I could get it done. The vehicle was kind of high since I hadn't sorted out my favorite working height yet. So I stood on the drum to install the wheel on one side, working in too much of a rush. Imagine my surprise when I pumped the brakes trying to keep the car from rolling until the wheel cylinders came apart. Of course I learned how to rebuild wheel cylinders that day.
As an engineer I can't even replace a spark plug without fouling it up, so I am very thankful there are people like you who are able to do the hands on work while I stay at my AutoCad desk.
This is my favorite video of yours so far, because I’m still in the early stages of pain. God it hurts.
It’s comforting to know I’m not the only guy learning the hard way
Many years ago early in my now 40 years as a mechanic my boss pointed to a white 240z in the parking lot of Datsun Zs and said bring it in and do a clutch, so I racked it and removed the trans, about that time he walked in my side of the shop with the work order ( the license plate was different). From that point on I never bought a car in without a work order and I always matched up both the VIN and the Plate. Great video Sherwood,I like the screwdriver through the evap core. I bet that got your attention!
A doctor did something similar concerning a leg amputation. They matched the wrong paperwork with the wrong patient and he didn't confirm it was for the correct patient and they didn't discover the mix up until after removing the leg.
Yeah I’ll bet it was cold bath too!! lol. Been there and done that before.
Finely a video that didn't pixel my brain.....and now I know why you only use long screwdrivers for harness diag.
I painted early in my career, I worked with a guy who did the prep work before the cars were put in the booths and he was learning to paint. He kept telling us that he was colorblind and somehow that helped him with color-matching which I thought was a crock. So one day we were behind and each booth was backed up so we had a complete on a Crown Victoria sitting in one of the booths so to get caught up I had him do the complete. Taking the opportunity to call him on the colorblind comment I printed the label for the Vic which was white, and I stuck the label on a gallon can of blue paint thinking he would have to tell me the paint was the wrong color. I was busy and didn't keep my eye on him and he painted the car blue. He did a good job, but it clashed with the red interior.
Nice
My most recent heart break would have to be leaving my straight long needle nose pliers under the hood of a chevy sonic after installing a new radiator and getting called to go back 3 days later with a coolant leak and sure enough there was my pliers in the $325 radiator. 4hrs, coolant, and a radiator i now own the most expensive duralast pliers in town!
Holy shit new fear unlocked
A very close grade school friend and her mom asked me to repair their deceased brother/son’s 1960s Camaro.
The owner sadly died in Vietnam and obviously the car had even more sentimental value then it did monetary. I was using a bay in my uncles auto body shop and I decided the car needed a carburetor which I started to remove that night. Early the next morning I get a frantic call from my uncle screaming that when he went to start the car it caught fire!
The steering wheel, dash, wiring harness, carb etc were melted before the Fire Department got there bc I left the fuel line off. After hours of emotional, heartbreaking conversation with the family I told them I would fix it no matter how much it me. I thought I couldn’t be more heartbroken… the F D told me I had to park in on the city street because it was still considered a fire hazard. We put it out on Grand Ave in New Haven. Very early the next morning I’m driving down the street and there are cops all over. When I asked what happened the told me a city bus rear ended the car. It was half the size it was meant but not more broken than my heart. The family was gracious to say the least and I’m Facebook friends with my grade school friend.
Talk about an expensive lesson
You can tell the good technicians on TH-cam. They'll be the first to admit their mistakes. We all make them.
The "perfect" mechanics are just lying.
@@ShoMoto-ko1ix great point. TY
Jesus bro. That’s a tough one.
As a newer quicklube tech for a dealer, I was checking transmission fluid on an older car that needed level checked running in neutral. It had mechanical PRNDL and I got out of the car with the needle pointing at "N" but apparently was actually in reverse and by the time I got around to the engine bay, the car was rolling back faster than I could jump back in.
the rear post of the lift folded the door right up to the fender.
Looking back, I'm sure it was very amusing for the old tech watching it all happen through the big window between us, but I'm still embarrassed 20 years later.
Same shop, we had some in ground front/rear continuous trench style truck lifts and one was low on hydraulic oil. So I topped it up with tranny fluid out of the bulk hose but forgot to put the cap back in before I flipped the air supply lever over. Hydraulic oil needed to be cleaned off from the 30' high ceiling after that error.
I have a similar incident as my worse mistake. But I can’t blame being a newbie. I was definitely a few years in. Just finishing installing a transmission in a caravan. Was back and forth a few times getting fluid level right and running through some scan tool stuff. In a hurry and thought I had neutral and hopped out to verify fluid level again. Nope it was in reverse and by the time I turned back around and caught it, it was on the other side of lift post. Drivers door folded to the fender. I hope it’s the biggest embarrassment of my career. Still makes me sick to my stomach 15 yrs later.
@@CostiganCreationsI know that feeling too well and think I might rather lose a finger.
My father when he was alive told me a phrase that's burned into my mind to this day, "Experience is the technical word for your F*ck ups!" Sadly he passed away when I was 18 shortly after I had graduated from high school. Thank's for sharing!
Sorry brother. Thank you for sharing
I'm not a mechanic, just a home DIYer, but I've worked on most car subsystems so I mostly know my way around one at this point. A few years ago I dropped the driveshaft on my AWD DSM to overhaul it, get rid of rust, check to see if the bearings needed replacement, replace the u-joints and snap rings, etc. Messy job but I got it done.
When it was time to put it back up, I supported the rear section with a bungee cord secured to the body. Got it back up, everything's good, but then I realized that the way I'd strung the bungee cord through, there was no way I was getting it out because its hook was just too wide to fit through. So it was either take down the drive shaft, or hillbilly it. I did the latter, cutting the bungee cord with a sharp knife. Better to sacrifice a $5 tool than waste my time. I suppose that some people would have just left it there, and that WOULD have been a serious mistake.
I've been lucky so far, but then I've been extremely conservative and methodical, working off of a very detailed checklist that I double-check, doing proper research and planning, taking breaks, etc., things that I can afford to do because I'm a DIYer but which for pro mechanics might sometimes be a luxury that they or their shop can't afford to do. But given what a car can do to its driver, passengers, other cars and people, and property, I'm super, super careful. The real world usually doesn't come with runoff tracks and experts standing over your shoulder making sure you do it right.
I am a 73 year old Automotive Engineer and really enjoy your videos not being in the automotive field anymore I miss it , well going back to work when I find an auto parts store here in Salt Lake City
70 yrs old here used to work on my own cars and trucks
Great stories Sherwood , I have many in my 44 year career as a HD diesel mechanic, The one I remember most was when I was 16 working on a Saturday by myself at my families trucking company shop , I was changing an alternator on a forklift, pretty straight forward, but I pinched the battery lead while installing the alternator and when I hooked up the battery it fried the engine harness and made it unable to start and move, the worst part was : I had the forklift halfway in the shop doorway. I couldn't move the forklift or close the door to go home , basically had to stay all night repairing the wiring .
Moral of the story; either work in the shop or outside the door, never in the door way ! Shared this story many times with coworkers those chose to work this way.
I was but a shop flunky boy at a Mercedes-Benz dealer in the 80's. Thanks to the DIN chassis radio and the arrival of crack, smash and grab at night was a problem we tried to reduce by moving customers' cars into the bays and the aisle, too, before closing up for the night.
I drove one car in (a 190E?) and as I got to the entry door all of the mechanics, standing around for the clocking out of timecards, started yelling and waving. I didn't know what the problem was.
The problem was that this car was in the middle of some kind of oil cooler repair and I was driving it and leaving a long trail of oil on the ground. Not good. There was no note/sign on the steering wheel, so I wasn't in trouble, but somebody else was.
Loved this. My two favs were the missing pilot bearing, I put a pressure plate in backwards once, and the missing diff fluid, which happened to my buddy.
1980,s Oldsmobile 2.8 liter intake gasket replacement. Did not know that push rods were different lengths for intake and exhaust valves. Needless to say when I cranked the engine I bent most of the valves. Easy job turned into a nightmare. School of hard knocks.
You could see you reliving some of those moments, fair play to you. If you're not making mistakes in life, you're not learning. Great video for the youngins.
I feel ya on the Mustang clutch replacement- thankfully my first clutch replacement was while I was still in school and it was on the college's S10 that the security guard used. I did everything correctly but a week later it came back and the flywheel was just wobbling. Yep, forgot to torque the flywheel bolts.
Glad to hear you admit you didn't know how the carburetor worked, because as you now know so well if you want to fix the system you need to know how the components in the system operate. Anything else and we're just parts changers. Young techs need to understand this concept. Keep up the great videos.
When I get into something big, with a lot of steps, I like to write down everything I do and make notes on things to remember where they go, then I follow that list when putting things back together.
Takes a big man to admit and talk about his mistakes. Thank you for sharing, this makes me reflect on some of my mistakes working on vehicles, and reminds me to pay attention when working on anything I do.
Back in 84 I was 16 and JUST got through building the 396 for my 69 SS Chevelle... was using our home made tow truck hand crank boom to lower it in.. trying to get it in and tuned to go into town (Augusta Ga, Evans Ga, Martinez Ga area) to street race.. lowered her in.. butted up the trans on the dowels..set her on the mounts.. slid in the pin bolts.. unhooked the chains, pulled the tow truck to the side.. took a big bite of my greasy (with car grease hands) bologna sandwich and took a slug of tea.. it's go time.. tightened mounts.. secured a few ancillary things... slipped under the car laying on an old road sign on the dirt... tightened the bell housing bolts.. went to spin the convertor and align the flex plate holes up to the converter and it looked awfully empty in the bell housing area.. wait.. WHERE'S THE FLEXPLATE!?!?!?!?... derp.. still laying on the back of the ol' home made tow truck.. arrrgghhh!!!... OUT she came.. and back again... lol.. good news.. STILL got it together.. fired her up.. set timing, adjusted carb.. bled cooling system.. then drove it to Fast Fare... (a gas station about 8 miles away).. with no hood on it about 2 am.. got gas.. pulled up to the store.. went inside and got a hotdog off the roller machine and a drink.. went outside readjusted carb.. reset timing.. went home.. installed hood.. and out i went.. out all day and into the next night.. partying and racing..won a couple and lost a couple.. had the (it'll go or blow) mentality.. it lasted a good while and I hammered it good.. still have the Chevelle... man the memories.. I have to get it back on the road.. we tend to let things go when raising a family..
💪🇺🇲🇺🇲💪!...
...and paying on/for rent/home mortgage for that family...
I remember putting on a trailer hitch on a Mk1 VW Rabbit and drilling up into the spare tire. Lessen well learned.
I installed an Autotech dead pedal on my buddy's A2 Jetta GLI, and my new Craftsman power drill and the usual ol;' drill bit didn't work very well, but eventually punched through, for two mounting holes. Then I discovered that my newfangled power drill was in reverse for some? all? of the job. Erosion? (shrug)
Great video guys 👍. I think it is a rite of passage in this industry to have at least a few jobs like that under your belt in your career that make you feel alive 😂.
I have forgotten a pilot bushing before as well. That's a heart-stopper for sure, but my all-time "Oh no!!" moment was doing a timing chain on a 2005 Honda Accord and just as I put the timing cover back on and had everything sealed up, had all the bolts tight and was ready to start putting the Alternator and power steering pump back on, I noticed the reluctor plate for the crankshaft sensor sitting on my bench, which needs to go on before the timing chain case cover goes on lol 😮😬. I don't think I have ever removed one of those covers so fast in my life🤣🤣, and thankfully the silicone had not set yet, so I was able to clean it up and reapply everything without making a huge mess again 😁. It's always funny how those kinds of jobs stick with you 😊.
Great stories Sherwood, I worked at Oldsmobile Cadillac dealership 1978-2003 & brings back memories. We all make mistakes because we are human just learn to not repeat them.
#5 Did the same thing in a 66 Mustang with a straight six. After changing 2 transmissions sold it. New owner told me there was no pilot bushing in it. Big learning lesson on Attention to Detail. Was 17 then.
My biggest mistake has been doing a heater core on an older bucik, mid 90's. Simple to change but i left the lower cover off to make sure no leaks one the system was running and full. After feeling confident in the repair i instaleld the lower cover and one screw was slightly longer than the rest and the aftermarket core was not an exact match. Needless to say they met and sprayed full high pressure coolant over the off white interior. Many lessons to be lurned from that. The customer was very understanding and we took care of everything for them. They continue to visit us for service. And i got a very large amount of experience taking that interior apart after hours
i really appreciate your honesty and openness - a breath of fresh air. my greatest mistake? hmm, having turned wrenches for 15 years in dealer service departments, i've had my share. but the one that came to mind first is a z32 series nissan 300zx twin turbo with hydraulic lifter noise. this occurred in the mid-90s. i had to replace the complete set of lifters 2x. the 1st time, it was under an independent extended warranty contract. the 2nd time - no charge. after the car returned with the lifters ticking away all the time, i called the manufacturer's technical call center to see if there was anything i should know before even opening the hood again. the specialist on the phone casually said the cause were the oil passage check valves. debris would collect in them, keeping the check balls from seating which then allowed oil to drain out of the lifters. there's one on each bank, pressed into the deck of the block. needless to say, the heads needed to be removed...uhgain. the work itself is what made the job so painful. because it's so tight space wise under the hood it''s easier, but a LOT of busy work, to remove this engine to perform almost any needed engine repair. to rub more rock salt in the wounds, this occurred the week before thanksgiving. it wasn't a 'money making' job to begin with, as most extended warranty work isn't. but doing the work no charge the 2nd time, and both repairs during the same pay period, well...
A short time ago, I worked at a body shop. I was removing the transmission from a 21’ Suburban during a chassis swap.
An exhaust gasket fell off the pipe at the point near the Engine/transmission connection.
I didn’t see where it fell from. In my exhaustion and haste to complete the job, I threw it between the transmission and torque converter and hoped it would be quiet.
I don’t have that job anymore.
Sherwood, thanks for your candor. Funny stories!
I was working on a Mercedes hardtop convertible with my apprentice.We fitted some new roof seals and lubricated all the other roofseals with a can on silicone spray.....I was inside the car opetating the roof when hell broke loose.The apprentice had placed the can onto the roof panel and as the roof retracted back into the boot it clammed the silicon spray which exploded!!The roof was completly bent.....I felt awful about it,I took the rap.......Keep your eye on the newbie's👍👍👍
I installed 3 used transmissions and a torque converter on a newer Explorer. First 2 used transmissions were bad. 3rd one finally worked correctly😂. I had to argue with a salvage yard and I was going to sue them in small claims just to refund my purchase price. Book time was 13 hours.
i think the only way it would be worse was if you did it for a dealer lmao
Man this made me go down memory lane when you said vacuum lines I instantly remembered marking them with dots and lines vacuum diagram stickers under the hood, Haynes books and chiltons…good times
First and Second Gen Toyota Highlander control arms can be put on backwards. Spent the good part of an afternoon changing them on a friend's car about 10 years ago. Sent her to get alignment afterwards and got the call about 45 mins later. DOH! I will NEVER forget to look for the big L and R from then on.....
Working on a Sprint Falcon with a 289 in the 80’s. Had to remove the distributor for some reason. I knew the rod from distributor to the oil pump was not retained but thought I had it. I didn’t. It fell down into the oil pan. Not expensive or major but I get really aggravated when a project starts spawning sub projects.
I was literally nicknamed “bad luck” by my own dad from all the mess ups I had! It made me super careful and the most annoying guy to be around since I’m always trying to prevent a “mess up” from happening these days. All in all with out the mistakes it’s tough to learn. Thanks for sharing
Don't feel bad. In automotive repair business, we learn as we go. The most important thing is that we don't make mistakes twice. I made a lot of mistakes in my career, and I learned a lot. We fail as much as we succeed, That is called experience. Without mistakes, we never grow. Love your stories. Keep up the good work. Good luck.
But twice happens all the time! And then it's twice on something else. And then again.
I put a clutch a new in my old Civic last week. Took it for a test drive *without refilling the transmission fluid*. Doh! No harm done. I wasn't too far before I remembered and very gently drove the car back home. Next time a fluid has to be refilled I'm writing it on masking tape and sticking it on the steering wheel, as soon as I drain it, as a last chance reminder.
Remember having my Alfa's transaxle rolling off the jack at the Miramar hobby shop while I was doing something I can't remember... Learned the calipers should be attached after installed with that mistake.
I over torqued the guide pin bolts on a 18 Yaris. Nice slice in the guide pins. I definitely know what NOT to do
I forgot to tighten a pinch bolt in a 1995 Chrysler LHS.I put in a transmission in it,started the nut during reassembly and left it loose.Came back with ball joint out of the knuckle.Luckily did not do much damage,only had to replace the right side axle and replace the pinch bolt.I now tighten them after putting them in starting the nut
In chronological order from oldest to newest
1. I left a sump plug lose in the rush of pushing az many services as i could out. Customer was driving down the road oil light came on customer shut it off. It was a fleet vehicle and they took it to the delearship where they 100% but another motor in it at my company's expense. And ofc we lost the business from that fleet.
2. I was rushing to replace a starter 20mins to closing. I come in the next day to find the car caught on fire when the customer was at a drivethrough. The insulation on the B+ terminal was dodgy and the aftermarket motor didn't have a tab to stop it from arching on the block, so it caught fire to the little insulation it had left on it.
3. I replaced a ford motor, try to start it and we find it was out of time slightly. Starts after timing it all up, i go to start it again and all the valves were bent. I should've never had touched the crank pulley.
Everybody makes mistakes, its how we learn from them that makes a good tech! Good video guys!
Thanks for posting. Well My Mistake was I was working at Wyoming automotive formally Mark’s Marathon. We pumped gas full service garage. Well my first mistake was I forgot to put oil in a customers car it was getting an oil change. He received a phone call from the owner. He walked up to me and said are you going to put oil in the car. Very ugly. We had a a wrecker. So I proceeded to go up and put oil in the car. Only problem engine locked up like Fort Knox. So I had to tow it back to the shop. He assigned the car to one of techs in the back shop. I heard about it for a whole month. But I learned to double check every vehicle that came in. Oh I owned a 78 Old’s Cutlass. I installed intake manifold gaskets on it. You are right the intake was all cast. I did get the firing order wrong. Which Mark corrected. It was a great learning experience. I was also attending Cincinnati State Technical College. Automotive Service Management.
Not a pro, but when I was in my twenties, I had a Harley Evo with a leaking cylinder base gasket, and decided that I would take care of it myself, even though I had zero experience. I read what I could find (no real internet information then), and worked on and off when I had time. Got the job done, torqued everything to specs, and fired it up. It actually ran pretty well. I started final cleanup of my tools and parts, etc., and noticed that I hadn't installed one of the head gaskets. It did actually run fine, but I decided I had better take her apart and put the gasket on.
Good ethical moral
68 Pontiac 400 CID. Put a 4 barrel manifold on and decided to see what would happen if the primary and secondaries opened together. Well my linkage got jammed at full throttle, dropped it in neutral to stop and popped the hood to correct. Dumb idea 45 years ago.
DIY - I was helping a neighbor with his brakes. While I was handling the pads and rotors, he was trying to install a brake switch spacer. I had the passenger caliper removed and without thinking it through, told him how to place the spacer. He pressed on the brake pedal (a number of times), and the piston was forced out of the caliper. I wasn't able to rebuild the caliper, so I ended up buying a new one for him.
My first bone head mistake was with a Chrysler 383. I forgot the two little felt strip oil seals on the side of the rear crankseal carrier. Started the engine and had a major oil leak out the rear of the engine and got oil all over my brand new clutch disc! Expensive mistake! A learning curve! 😂😂😂
Im a young man working as a machanic... ive done some questionable things too... like going out in the yard and getting in the tow rig its a standard... didnt think to give it the wiggle got in started it and let the clutch out... i forgot somthing and didnt see it in gear anyways.. boom right into the side of a garbage truck didnt damage the garbage truck but dented the tow rig and smashed the front light... thats my worst lol and one other time im not sure how this happened but i did a transmission on a vw jetta 2.0l i think... took it out replaced with a used junk yard one everything goes good.. i go to fill it with 80-90 gear oil. We use a big metal barrel with a pump and when i went to fill it i pumped it a few times and the fluid came out... as it should... 2 weeks later guy comes in saying no 3rd gear... so all back apart again.... before i pull it out i check the fluid for shit and giggles and hardly any fluid comes out😳 i dont know if i didnt fill it right or what it only takes like 2L or less so i thought i had enough in it. Not sure what happened i did put it in as i had to call and see what the equivalent fluid was as we didnt stock vw oe fluid... transmission 2 i made sure to measure the right amount and recheck a few times wasnt making the same mastake twice those are my worst so far from the last 4 years
The TTV (Thermal Vacuum Valve) were used a lot in the 80's. Sometimes the vacuum routing charts were missing on the car and sometimes not available in SI.
My uncle was my trainer from 10-15 years old, then started working for him, when I was free.
I remember changing out a lot of those Holley vacuum actuated secondaries to mechanical. People put in so many radical profile camshafts that vacuum was so low it would screw up the vacuum secondaries.
My only big mistake in 57 years (yes, I am 73 and work a little when I want to) was getting distracted by a shop owner when I was checking brake fluid. I forgot to double check the master cylinder cover bail. It was not on all the way and came off. Thank God the customer was able to stop after all the reservoir fluid was lost. We all make mistakes.
In my younger years, I was a transmission technician. I got really good at what I did. I got cocky. I started to put transmissions together without pressure testing prior to putting it back together. I apparently had a seal slip; i would have noticed, had i performed the pressure test using air.
I had to pull the 440T4 Transmission again and build it a second time. It got burned up quickly with the slipped seal. Warranty pays garbage, but having to do the job twice, It ate my lunch.
Nice video Sherwood.Of all the mistakes I made ,the biggest is not understanding electrical and electronics.Thanks goes to Vince at Veejer to realize the basics,also to you and numerous others Cheers (big difference between mechanical and electrical repairs)
I was working at a GM dealership got my Mr goodwrench certified lol . Did my first rear main seal . Forgot the rope seal yeah how did I do that next day came back in and got it back went to my bench and their was the rope and tool to install it on the floor under my bench
Very early in my career and as a young dad, I got a call my daughter was being taken to hospital and I tried to finish what I was working on real quick before I left work and accidentally forgot to put brake shoes on steer axle and Thank God another Tech caught it before they shipped that truck and that literally scared me to death.
....So now you're dead?
Over the years many mistakes were made (some were very costly indeed... nearly a million....), and in fact we had a say that the more expensive is the damage the more you learn....
but the most important thing I learnt, and teaches newbies is to own up to your own mistake, no matter how serious and embarrassing. This way, not only mean you are a responsible person but also you let others pour in their knowledge and help you out - saved many many days.
I decided I wanted to learn how to work on cars with no prior experience. I've never been hands on and I also cut corners habitually - a bad combination.
I tried to jack the car up from the front subframe so that I could save time and just slide the jack stands into either side rather than doing each side individually. Well, I didn't pay too much attention and rushed. Next thing the car slipped off at full extension and the jack annihilated the radiator and the fans and got stuck for good measure. In hindsight I'm lucky it went forward and not straight up or backwards into the engine bay.
If it wasn't for my neighbor coming over and convincing me that it could be fixed, I never would have touched a car again. It's easier said than done, but learn from your mistakes and take a step back and breath.
I would love to see a tour of your shops (outside and inside) Love your channel and professionalism.
In number three; You were so blessed to have such a great and understanding shop owner. He sounds like a “School of Hard Knocks” kind of guy. Awesome mentor and friend!
For number 4; I did the same thing with the oil pressure sender wire on a late ‘80’s TPI Camaro. Must have been in 1991, or so…. Got most of it back together, then went to stab the distributor back in, when I noticed the wire going right under the intake manifold (lower, on the rear valley wall.) It had set up over the weekend…. I was so mad at myself! I can laugh about it now…. 😂
we all have those experiences, teaching new techs, you get to remember certain incedents.
Not a mechanic, just a car owner. Wife was stranded at work. I bought a starter for my wife's Explorer since I had replaced other parts already. Didn't know a screw or something didn't need tightening and I broke it. Luckily, O'reilly let me return it since it was broken in like 30mins lol. Got the replacement, installed correctly, still no start. Turns out the positive terminal disconnected from the battery terminal. It slipped off. I had cut and replaced the wire terminal earlier in the week, so I didn't even consider it could have been that. Haunts me to this day.
The biggest one i did was i did a brake job on my daughter in laws car , i use a bent rod caliper hanger to hold the caliper during the job. I finished the job and sent her on her way leaving one of my hangers on the front spring. She came back 2 weeks later and said the brakes work great but i have a rattle in the front now. I removed the first wheel and became red faced when i told her what i had done.
When I change my oil (or any other fluid) I always put the container of new fluid in the engine compartment. This way I cannot close the hood without being reminded to add the new fluid.
Love how the life long techs can remanise in happy thoughts
Thank you for sharing your valuable experiences - I will learn from them
The best tradesmen are the ones who made mistakes and survived. Thanks for your honesty.
And thereby go all of us really. I had a recent issue repairing a BMW ZF 6HP28X auto, put two valves in the wrong position in the mechatronic unit after they were cleaned and during assembly. Only had reverse, nothing else. Thought it was a solenoid failure at first, changed a solenoid, no change. Didi not know if I had damaged the internals of the trans, so pulled it out again, stripped it down and luckily no internal damage (it was only run on the lift at this point). Pulled the mechatronic to pieces again and noticed the issue when I read the parts layout again. Only fortunate part is that it was my own car, not a customer car. Cost me a couple of extra days labor.
Hi, you are giving the auto repair business a shot in the arm. I fell like I have an honest mechanic , I heard buy word of mouth he is.
Like you I was young and working on my own. My brother just did his garage floor. It seems like when someone says something to me like don’t mess up the floor something always happens. I was changing my oil. I was adding my last quart of oil to it and glanced down and all of the oil was all over the floor. I never forgot an oil plug after that.
We sqeezed in a last minute oil change, I did it in the parking lot and left the drain plug loose. The guy went on vacation, he noticed it leaking but kept driving attempting to get off the thruway. We had to pick the car 3 states away and put in a free engine.
I do appreciate how you call customers clients, I now do the same because of you it's more classy, I do appreciate how you don't refer to engines as motors, biggest pet piev of mine, I complain all the time to creators, what will you call a tesla in ur shop, electric drive motor, or engine, they call all engines, motors pisses me off, first thing at Nashville Auto Diesel college they taught engine, internal combustion is a engine. Thanks guys grt video
Please be sure to write letters to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Company, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.🙂 No need to write to Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc., as they are defunct.
You're not the only person with this concern but what I don't understand is why I only heard of it about two years ago. For a few decades, I read several major car magazines cover to cover and don't remember that coming up. Electric motors seem to be on peoples' minds with it, though, because that's always brought up as a contrasting example.
I remember fighting a transmission and tcase into an old CJ7. I had no idea I should have used an alignment tool. So much fighting that thing. The clutch in that thing was always a pain in the ass. Bell crank bushings were one of the worst ideas ever.
I did not latch the hood good on my own car. It came open at 70mph and took out the wind shield. I was on the newly open I-20 in Louisiana
Thanks for sharing Sherwood.
Exciting stories.
Thank you for sharing your "learning experiences"
I was a 17 year old kid working at my friends dads gas station. I was pumping gas and learning how to turn wrenches. I had a 71 Firebird with a 350. His dad had a spare 350 and I wanted to trick it out and drop it in. I was going to send the heads to a machine shop so my friend and I started taking it apart. One of the heads wouldn't come loose. We got bigger and bigger pry tools and we finally popped it loose. Only problem was there was still a headbolt in it and a piece of the block was hanging off it. Needless to say my motor got new heads and a timing chain with the original block.
My very first day on the job I had a very nice newer vehicle on the lift. I had the hood open all the way. While raising the vehicle the hood broke through the shop lights. I was told to tell the customer how I planned to make it right. That cost me dearly being young and new to the industry. I learned Early by being responsible for my mistakes. The shop paid for all repairs and loaner vehicle. I made payments back to shop without interest. It took me forever to cover it. I slowed down to my normal speed from then on. It was a family shop and they said everyone makes mistakes, we never talked about after that day.
About 15 years ago my daughter bought her first car. A 2000 Ford Contour with a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. She brought it over to my job to show me. She was so proud. I noticed it had a misfire and told her I'd look at it the next day at my house. I opened the hood and found oil everywhere, even down the side of the car. I told her it had a hole in a piston and the engine needed to be replaced. She and her brother found an engine at a wrecking yard that came with a warranty. It was from an automatic and she had a stick shift. No big deal, right? In my garage, I dropped the subframe and pulled the engine off the transmission. I switched the flex plate for the flywheel and installed a brand new clutch assembly. I compared the crank sensors, they were identical. I put it all back together and replaced the output seals on the transaxle. New engine in place, I had a crank, no start. Upon inspection, there was a cup shaped part that went between the engine and the crank sensor. Those two parts were of different depth. Arrgh! I had to remove the flywheel to change this part. The whole job had to be done again to correct my mistake. This was for my daughter and I wasn't being paid at all. That's what dads do. It started right up the second time. She was happy which made me happy.
My first time changing a pinion seal on a late 90's silverado i didn't know i was supposed to put a new crush sleeve also and over torqued the crap out of it expensive mistake i made lol
Had to put an engine in ford box truck with a v10 about 10-12 years ago. Didn’t get the intake cleaned out completely, the new engine sucked debris down and bent some valves. Had to do the job again but got a new intake the second time!😂
I was just learning the tech side of things , very early on still in high school, pumping gas and learning everything i could , Bronco II 2.9 fuel injected , pulled the plugs to do a compression check and didn't disable fuel or spark ...well i had fuel and spark 🔥
One of my mistakes 😢 It was a ford pick up with a damaged wire at the pcm. I repaired the wire, and then heated my heat shrink with a heat gun that was as big as a hair blow dryer. We'll it did great a job on the wire I Repaired, but what I didn't know was it melted every wire in the bulk head connector to nothing but copper on at least 40 wires. The complete harness had to be replaced
If you think "test running" an engine after timming belt replace before all is back together = inclucing the harmonic balancer , well when we tried it on a v8 lexus = well the smal crank gear "walked off" and yes = there went the belt with result being bent valves . OUCH !!
Puncturing a freeze plug with a screwdriver it went thru the cylinder on a Mitsubishi mirage. New engine fix it. also was repairing a carb on Oldsmobile 307,the intake was without carb and fuel line over the bores. I just crank for fun and engine start full throttle pumping gas everywhere and catched fire. One of my coworkers extinguished when i was 2 block away running , i was 20 😂. I just sit and laugh from so many dumb stories
I have a '90 Ford Ranger.
Could not get the A/C compressor to come on. Determined that the refrigeration system was good. At this point, realized that the problem was electrical. I have always been considered a fairly good automotive electrician. Traced out everything in the circuitry that I could think of. After finding all components and wiring under the hood acceptable with my multimeter , the no current problem led to the dash controls. Upon beginning to start removing the dash control panel, I looked at the fan switch and it said , " Push For A/C."
What a Dufus I was that day.
And had driven this truck many years prior to this incident.
What i like is you really seem to enjoy this line of work. 👍🏼. Better than listening to some old grump
I have two. I had a 86 Cavalier Z24 come in. It was a poorly maintained vehicle. It had a leaking soft plug on the engine because the cooling system was so rusty from lack of maintenance. I replaced the leaking soft plug. Of course it came back with another one leaking. I wrote an estimate at that point to replace all of them. The boss came back and said to me, the customer is not paying for this repair. Long story short, I removed the engine and replaced the rest of the soft plugs for free. I did not get paid for that job. The second one is funny. When I was an apprentice I was replacing synchronizers on a 4 speed front wheel drive transmission on yet another Cavalier. I made good time, had it back together and had just got the transmission lined up and on the back of the engine when my mentor tapped me on the shoulder and quietly said, you might want to put that back in there pointing at the workbench. It was the final drive for the transmission. These were great lessons I will never forget.
Great story teller!
I also nade the mistake of not looking up the torque specs for a 96 honda civic for the timing belt tensioner and snugged it down til it went righty loosey. Tried everyrthing i could to tap it but could get it to the right torque spec.
I would love to see in depth videos with diagrams and hooking it up im trying to get familiar with setting up the scope to still a bit confusing but working on it
My own car ,trying to figure out a detention issue .
Had air cleaner off , finally found broken spring in dist. Replaced the distributor . Took it for test drive without air cleaner on ! Stud backed out went down intake destroyed engine !
I’m 37 and never had any interest in mechanic work until recently. With the economy so screwed, I recently became a TH-cam mechanic and started doing some small things on my truck and wife’s car using TH-cam. I started with brakes. I put them on backwards. They left grooves in my rotors lol so I also learned how change rotors. Lessons learned
Here's a tip I learned when I went to Vo-Tech for Auto Mechanics back in 1986. Before you start taking things apart, take pictures of it.
Sherwood as my old man always said , it doesn’t matter how old you are every day is a school day ! 😂
In 1981 a business down the street from my shop had a fleet of 1972 Ford Econoline vans. One had a misfire and needed a valve job. I pulled the heads and sent them to the machine shop. I got them back and installed them per the manual. When I cranked the engine, there was a loud commotion under the valve covers. I removed the covers and found bent pushrods and broken rocker arms as well as bent valves. I called my machine shop and was told the heads I brought in were from a 1968 engine. Valve lash needed to be adjusted instead of rocker arms torqued down per 1972. I told them 1972. They never told me 1968. I was upset with them, especially when they told me I had to pay them for the repairs. I agreed and they "repaired" the heads. I put it back together, adjusting valve lash this time. It backfired through the carburetor. I sent them the heads again and paid them a third time to correct the intake valve problem. It backfired through the carburetor again. I was livid. I called them and asked if they knew how to hand-lap the valves. They said they would. I told them I was NOT paying them a fourth time. They lapped the valves and the engine ran like a top. When that van rolled out, I closed my shop and started a mobile mechanic business. I set my own hours and worked only when I wanted. It was bliss.
My very first job was replacing water pump on 1968 Jeep Commando with Buick all aluminum V6. I was 14 my dad said don’t tighten bolts too much. About then bolt stripped in aluminum. He was very upset
In the mid 80s I was working at a Chrysler dealer. I had already ben a Chrysler Tech for about 15 years. We were replacing head gaskets on 2.2 engines all the time. I has probably done over 200 of them. I pinched the ground strap that went from the head to the firewall between the head and the block. It left a divot in the aluminum cylinder head. The head had to be sent out to be milled down to take the divot out.
During my first year working as a lube tech I drained the trans fluid on a subura which uses the same exact filter for the oil and transmission. Double filled the oil and tried to pull it out with no trans fluid in it.
#1 worst mistake i made was when I was apprenticing at an RV dealership. I was being trained to install 5th wheel hitches into pickup trucks and after I did a few with my trainer, i was left to do one all by myself.
Lined up the brackets to the frame and drilled my pilot hole through the frame. Then when I moved up to the 1/2" drill bit I managed to send it right through a hard brake line that was tucked into the other side of the frame rail. Brake fluid all over the floor, truck had to get towed...bad BAD day for me.
My old boss said if you don’t make a mistake once in a while you’re not learning anything. You just don’t want to learn to much from them.
I had an Isuzu truck come in with a blown turbo. It was a real tight pain of a job. Anyway got it done and it started up fine… let it run for a bit to warm up and after a minute or 2 gave it a little Rev, but the revs didn’t come back down. Turned the ignition off but no effect… the revs just kept climbing and I knew straight away that I had a runaway. Man, that was the scariest thing ever! Sounded like it was revving to 12,000 rpm and I was sure it was gonna explode. No way was I going near it. The stinkiest thickest smoke completely filled the workshop and the maybe 10 minutes it took to eventually die seemed like an eternity. Totally destroyed the engine. I hadn’t taken the intercooler out to check for oil from the original failed turbo - it ran away on the oil in the intercooler from the previous failed turbo. Damn I felt so bad.