What's the worst thing you've done while doing DIY?

Lord Nikon

I'll get the ball rolling...

While giving my old petrol 5 Series a service in the driveway, I loosened the oil filter, which is situated on the top of the engine. Then, not thinking at all, decided to move the car a few feet forward. Queue oil all over the engine bay and all over the driveway. Disaster.

bladespin

Underestimated how much oil is in a Mondeo, driveway never recovered, I'd say there'll be a good few oil change stories lol.

biko

I have been lucky. Worst one is changing oil on a windy day.
The draining oil blew all over the place, including me

Max Moment

Sheared off a brake caliper sliding pin bolt after changing front pads and discs. Wouldn’t mind, I wasn’t even going to town tightening it. I use torque wrench as much as possible now for everything.

Last bolt to be tightened too after fitting as well. The joys of DIY!

Cee-Jay-Cee

Another oil one here...years ago was servicing a DC2 Integra and drained the oil, let it drain for about 10 minutes, went away and done something else, came back, removed the drainage tray and proceeded to pour 4 litres of oil into the engine. Dipped it and couldn't figure out why there was no oil showing on the stick. Poured another 1/2 litre in and went to get a clean cloth and as I was walking back to the car spotted the 4.5litres of oil on the ground.

I had no option but to put the old oil back in again and drive to the town to get more oil and a new filter too (just to be sure)

gibbon75

I fell into the pit.

iphone6

Changing a light bulb had to unclip the bumper. Broke the clips on bumper do had to go off breakers yard and buy second hand one as the clips wouldnt go back on original bumper.

bfa1509

I forgot to put a compression retaining pin in the tensioner spring assembly when removing the alternator in my corsa a few years back.
BOINGGG!!!
It took 3 hours and a lot of swearing to get the spring back into compression. Lesson learned.

corks finest

Left the cap off after changing oil,drove for milesuntil the smell/smoke alerted me, family,and all within a quarter of a mile,what a dose to clean

corks finest

Left the cap off after changing oil,drove for milesuntil the smell/smoke alerted me, family,and all within a quarter of a mile,what a dose to clean nice

corks finest

Left the cap off after changing oil,drove for milesuntil the smell/smoke alerted me, family,and all within a quarter of a mile,what a dose to clean nice. Wow,that's a real dose

Cee-Jay-Cee

corks finest wrote: »

Left the cap off after changing oil,drove for milesuntil the smell/smoke alerted me, family,and all within a quarter of a mile,what a dose to clean

corks finest wrote: »

Left the cap off after changing oil,drove for milesuntil the smell/smoke alerted me, family,and all within a quarter of a mile,what a dose to clean

corks finest wrote: »

Left the cap off after changing oil,drove for milesuntil the smell/smoke alerted me, family,and all within a quarter of a mile,what a dose to clean

Imagine making the same mistake 3 times!!!!

fancy pigeon

There are many I can think of... Smashed my teeth out, had a sledgehammer head fly off and hit my foot, pinned to the wall with a live rear van axle, lacerations/welding burns, a gearbox fell on my foot, many pulled muscles/trapped nerves, have had various solvents/fuels in my mouth at some stage to name a few. Things have quietened down in the old injury dept though

Once an a/c rad blew up in my face unexpectedly, couldn't see through one eye for a day

Cars don't really suffer though. 2 I can think of are where on a Punto I didn't fit the bonnet catch right, thus the bonnet flew up and smashed the windscreen. Or changing a lower mount on a 406 and never fitted the mount stabilizer. Cue the engine leaping forward and smashing everything in front of it on moving it off the lift....