This is the third socket this month. Not to mention the screwdriver a few weeks ago. This is beginning to irritate me.

Today, it was my 10mm deep socket, attached to a ¼" extension. It fell off the ratchet and slipped between my turbo and the shelf. It fell out of site just as I was going to grab it. No noise from hitting anywhere; just disappeared into the abyss. I tried shaking the car. Nothing. I tried the "drive three feet and slam on the brakes" to dislodge it. Nothing. Drove around the block trying to get it to drop. Nothing.

My car is possessed and likes to eat metal. What the ****.

 

I bought a telescoping magnet thing from autozone just to get a socket I droped in my miata. I bought the best one they had, it was like 10 bucks, but it's a heavy duty version and has a lifetime waranty. So far it's recovered well over 50 dollars worth of sockets and bolts.

 

Neither of my telescoping magnets can find this one. I just wasted an hour trying to find it.

 

Send your wife out to the garage with a flashlight. Deborah always finds "missing" sockets for me, and usually within a few minutes.

 

I like it.

 

I know how you feel. I found a missing socket after I pulled my engine. It was wedged in a gap in motor mount so no noise b/c it was wedged inbetween rubber parts.

 

I found a lost nut lodged between my subframe and oil pan. Took me 30-45 minutes to find it. Hate that ****. I'm investing in a magnetic catchall bin this time.

 

Not a tool per se...

A few weeks ago I decided to finally clear out the drain tubes for the top rain rail. In particular, the left side one just didn't drain at all, but as infrequently as it rains here I'd never bothered.

After considerable frustration involving compressed air and such, I finally snaked a straightened-out coat hanger through the tube, from underneath the car, roto-rooter style. There were two bolts and an acorn in that damn tube, above which was piled a ton of little ****.

What gets me is- we don't have oak trees around here.

 

I need to clean my drains out too.

 

I use a straightened wire coathanger with the end wrapped in electrical tape to clean the drains out, in between abortions of course.

 

i have the habit of putting tools in the windshield cowl area, i remember they are when i make the first turn and it slide all over the place

 

And Deborah doesn't tell you afterwards: "you just don't know how to look for things" because mine has been doing that for too many years now. The worst thing is she is right!

 

My wiper arm linkage ate a pair of vice grips one time that I had sitting up on the cowl and forgot about. The wipers stopped working one day, I figured the motor went bad because I had 12v at the connector. I spent $40 at the JY for a new motor, only to find the pliers wedged in there when I pulled the motor out....

cant believe I just admitted that.

 

bawhaha

 

yeah i have to tighten my belts alot due to the squeaking, using a wrench to loosen the lower bolt on the alternator before adjusting it with the tensioner, well once i forgot to take said wrench off and heard it bouncing between my car and the road on a test ride, that and the wiper space eats my 10mm wrenches

 

I lost 3 extentions.. I have no clue how!

 

Been there before. Unfortunately they're mostly my dad's tools, which ain't good. But I've also gotten a few tools from new (used) cars when I fix oil leaks, etc. Still pisses me off though.

 

A mechanic at my shop left a drop light under the hood of a Buick. It was funny when I went to pull the car in over-night and found it glowing like it had neons.

 

a manual antenna works great. the end is already dull with that ball on the end so you don't have to worry about it piercing the rubber drain tube.