Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

[Chaotic Firebird]

So what was the easiest fix-it you've done to your car that made you look dumb towards yourself for not recognizing it earlier? When I bought my car, the ashtray lid was loose when I opened it. The rear end would sink into the console, so I had to wiggle it a little bit to get it fully opened. Today I was fidgeting with the lid trying to figure out why it was broken, or so I thought. I pulled out the ashtray it self and accidently dropped it on the center console. It amazing bounced off of the console onto my leg and back into the ashtray pocket. So I pushed the ashtray down snug to make sure it wouldn't move, and closed the lid. I went to reopen it and it reopened like it was never broken. I had to laugh at myself for accidently fixing my "broken" ashtray lid.

[ahank1]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

it was not with my camaro but my jeep cherokee, any one ever seen how there cooling system is set up. they dont have a radiator cap but a plastic bottle that you fill and then it runs threw the car from the plastic bottle in the back of the engin compartment... it started over heating real bad for a while. so i changed out the thermostat and tried it,, nothing changed still over heating,, so i changed the water pump,, nothing changed,, so then i changed the radiator,, still nothing, so i changed out all the hoses and nothing again.. so then i bought the new bottle with out the cap.. still over heating... then i was looking at it real hard and found the seal in my bottle cap was broken. and was not making enough pressure to push the water threw the hoses. the cap was 6 dollars.. i spent well over 450 on the cooling system lol

stupid me lol

[josh98bird]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

tranny went out in the old malibu, checked it out and it was out of fluid. So i have to rebuild tranny and spent so much time to do all of this. Then a couple weeks later, the same thing happened. So i checked for more leaks and sure enough, i used the same seal that was on the old pan and it aloud it to leak out onto the exhaust pipe and burn up when driving. I felt like an idiot when everyone asked y i was fixing the tranny again. cuz i'm a stupid dumb *** for not replacing the seal.

[98 3.8]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

One of the little plastic coolant elbows that runs into the lower intake manifold cracked. I didn't see the cracked elbow when I started leaking my coolant so I guessed my water pump had broke. Replaced the water pump, and it still leaked. Then I tore off the upper intake, lower intake, thinking I had an intake gasket coolant leak. Then I found the elbow. I spent 14 hours and $100 on gaskets and new water pump to find that a $4 elbow had broken.:rant: :cry: :spank:

[Camaroingfool]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

One of the little plastic coolant elbows that runs into the lower intake manifold cracked. I didn't see the cracked elbow when I started leaking my coolant so I guessed my water pump had broke. Replaced the water pump, and it still leaked. Then I tore off the upper intake, lower intake, thinking I had an intake gasket coolant leak. Then I found the elbow. I spent 14 hours and $100 on gaskets and new water pump to find that a $4 elbow had broken.:rant: :cry: :spank:

same exact thing here. :spank:

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

i think this belongs in the lounge..

[skorpion317]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

people have a tendency to over-estimate the cause of automotive problems. Very often it's the smallest thing that's causing it, but people are ready to jump in with the most complicated, time-consuming reasons for a problem.

moral of the story : check EVERYTHING before making any sort of repairs. It'll save you a lot of time and money.

[HokieBird]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

My headlights wouldn't flip up when you turned the knob. They would come up if I flipped them on, off, and then on again real quick. I fixed the problem by doing nothing and now they work fine. I've had a few problems that were completely random and eventually worked themselves out.

[bradmb]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

one time, i when i was 15, i got in my car ad drove it around for a second. parked and my key wouldnt come out. i started freaking out. my parents would have known i drove without them in the car, and i would be in trouble. i couldnt get it out for the world. then after a couple minutes of alling my friends i figured out it wasnt in park.

[nightrider2]

Re: Dumbest, simplest fix you've done to your car?

one time, i when i was 15, i got in my car ad drove it around for a second. parked and my key wouldnt come out. i started freaking out. my parents would have known i drove without them in the car, and i would be in trouble. i couldnt get it out for the world. then after a couple minutes of alling my friends i figured out it wasnt in park.

i did some thing simalar...when i first got my camaro i flipped cause the key wouldn't come out...theres a button...

anyway...i was getting rally ****t performance from my camaro and i couln't figure out why...i mean worse than stock 3.4 were talking got beat by a civic bad...changed the plugs, wires, tested the fuel pump, and injectors...tured out the ignition coils where going bad but still had just enough to run the car...sall the civic 2 days later... i was 2 car lenghts ahead mid way through second:banana: