Pants shitting moment (got zapped changing plugs, now it wont start)

For Sure


I had a serious Brain Fart!!!

 

Yep...

 

Dang it!!
I was hoping for a real poopy pants story!!!!!
Caused by a Frankenstein moment

 

Had a bunch of Octoberfests weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

I came here for the poop.


Disconnecting the battery doesn't mean you get an instant ticket to safety. My uncle was a career Navy man, worked for the Corps fixing all sorts of mechanical crap for longer than I've been alive. He's been the family mechanic and fixed lawnmowers as a hobby. A few years ago he wasn't paying attention and set his wrench across both terminals on the car battery. He's alright, but he's got a permanent wedding ring!

 

IF you leave the plastic/rubber cover on the positive clamp intact AND you only disconnect the ground, that does not happen, or at least you have to try much harder. The OP evidently had done something to the plastic/rubber (+) terminal cover, or slipped the wrench past it. Likewise, if you disconnect ground and touch a wrench from the exposed (-) terminal to the body/engine, nothing much happens unless you have the key wedged into start - you'll get a small amount of current for whatever is turned on, but it's not a short. If you disconnect positive and touch a wrench to the exposed (+) terminal and engine/body, it's a short - so that does make a difference. And keeping the plastic/rubber cover intact on the (+) terminal can be a good thing, even if it takes 5 seconds longer to jump start...

 

Disconnect the neg side of the battery, remember the entire truck is a ground if the negative wire is connected to the battery.

 

Obviously I don't have to go into explaining myself as it seems the answer has presented itself. I have been working on car electrical systems for over 20 years. I do know a thing or two. No need to disconnect anything more than the ground on today's modern cars for GENERAL safety. Of course on the VW bugs from way back you have to do the opposite, because they use a common positive instead of a common negative, but that is another animal. lol.

as for putting a wrench on the battery accidentally shorting it out, I NEVER put down a tool on a car. Customer's cars deserve more respect than being used for a tool holder. Also my fender protectors tend to drape over the battery anyway.

 

The only reason I disagreed with you so you'd post again, meaing boobylicious would get posted again

 

next time just put a rubber floor mat on top the battery and call it done. You are the first person i know of that actually torques their spark plugs

 

Then I guess I'd be the second... it's not a bad idea. Your elbow-torque wrench isn't exactly accurate

 

And now third. Spark plugs get proper torque here as well. EVERYTHING that has a torque spec gets torqued if I am working on it.

 

I'm pointing out that simply disconnecting the terminal doesn't mean you've created an environment of complete safety. You need to still be aware of your surroundings. Guys typically do the first step in safety and think it's all good.

^^What I was getting at

Thanks for trying to put my uncle down, but no, it wasn't like that. He isn't sloppy and he isn't an amateur. He simply had an accident like we all do in life. I'm sure you have had something you did that made you say, "wow, I won't do that again any time soon."

 

Common positives...bahahaha haven't heard that since I was working on my dad's old '75 MGB! Lucas wiring FTW! Not sure if this was a common thing on MG's, but that old MG had all kinds of upside down sideways things happening!

Back on topic - unhook the negative, cover with rubber slash fender mat. Every time the hood is popped for more than a bird's eye view, 10 seconds to drop the negative lead is worth it.

 

Lol every time he posts something I can't even read it because I get distracted

 

WHOA! We have a DavidK and a DavidD! Spooky.

 

Scroll a few posts up and we have double d as well

 

It was not intentional. I was just simply stating my safety practices. My apologies.

 

I remember long long ago, welding an open end wrench to the firewall of a friends '69 Camaro. And yes, I've remembered to be more careful ever since.

 

Good to hear