It wasn't my S2000, but I had my Porsche 944 fall off the jack stands. I was kneeling next to it with the rear wheel off and my head in the wheel well. It rolled back far enough that it went halfway out the garage door. If I hadn't yanked my head out of there when I started to hear it go, it almost certainly would have decapitated me between the fender and the wall. I learned never to be lazy around jacks and double check that it's in gear, the hand brake is on, wheels are chocked, and that it's stable before going anywhere near underneath it.

 

That is one dangerous rude awakening. There was a local man that got crushed under his car while he was working on it. Definitely double and/or triple check before getting under a vehicle.

 

When I was removing the negative battery terminal on my Celica, the wrench slipped and landed on the positive end, giving my face and engine a nice firework show. It basically melt the bottom end of my wrench.

 

Not when I was working on my car, but last night after some aggressive driving, I went to turn onto the freeway, as I hit the brakes relatively hard for the turn, EPS light turns on and I lose power steering. It was damn hard to turn the wheel. I pull over at the next gas station, and the car wouldn't start back up. The battery tie down got loose, ripped out the positive cable. I was running off the alternator most of the way home. I bought some electric tape to tape the wire down for now, but still, keep an eye on the little things.

 

Trying to get a stubborn subframe blot loose on an Integra; did the small whack then big wack and the car shook. Fastest I have ever crawled, but it stayed up. Outcame a 10ft pole.

 

1. This ought to be required reading!
2. I made my kids learn to change a tire and check oil when starting to drive.
3. Since my son worked 35 hrs./wk. while in H.S. at the local supermarket, he just paid to get his oil changed once/yr. since school and work were only a mile from home, and I had big plans to make him learn to do it.
4. I told him to just keep making $ and pay to get the maintenance done b/c since he didn't grow up doing it and have some instincts and common sense about mechanical things, one mistake, and BANG.
5. Over the decades of changing my oil (not lately), and have twice forgot to put the bolt back in and the oil drained right out. On my 63 Bug, it pooled at my feet, no problem, but in a larger car I actually pulled away for an 800 mile trip, forgot something, backed up to the house, then noticed the trail of oil.

 

I saw that countless times in my freshman auto shop class back in the day. Teacher used to rage at the kids that'd leave the drain plug out, for obvious reasons.

I think that's the reason why I quadruple check that plug is in before I fill it with oil. lol

 

Never done that in 30+ years of diy auto repairs. I always check under car after pour in 1st quart, to check for leaks. Never had a leak but I always check.

The one time I didn't check for the old filter o-ring getting left behind, while changing oil in cold and dark, that is the one time it happened (In my old Ford Exploder). So once I put the new filter on, there were 2 o-rings stacked on top of eachother. It held when I started car and checked for leaks. It held when I drove off for work the next AM. It let go when I gassed it getting on the highway. Started spewing oil from filter area, leaving a trail of blue smoke.

I shut it down and coasted to pull over. Big pool of oil. I walk 2 miles home in cold, get change of clothes, new oil, jack, etc. and wifes car. Drive back and fix on side of road, drive wifes car back home, change back into clothes for work, walk back to Explorer, drive to work.

 

Not sure if this is related...Embarrassing but true story...X2

Changing a friends oil and I mistakingly drained the transmission instead of the motor oil. The very next week doing my own car (not my S) did the exact same thing. I only noticed the first car because a little T-fluid dripped on my white shirt while I was underneath the car.

Needless to say, I triple and sometime quadruple check that I have the right bolt now.

I've never felt so stupid in my life. That was back in my just learning phase.

'02 Silverstone Invidia N1, K&N Typhoon Intake

 

On s2000: One time, when I was working on my car late at night, I got startled by a possum or racoon.

I had to throw a wrench at it before it finally left; was very brave. So that's where my 17mm socket went...

On full-size suv: I jacked the car up and let the rear jackstands rest on the edge of the diff pumpkin (learning phase).

After a while, the jackstands slipped and shot out towards the edges of the rear axle.

I pissed my pants a little bit.

I now practice safe working procedures so much to the point some people might find it overkill.