Funny workshop yarns .. What's yours?

[onemanempire]

Was thinking about some of the funny stories I have heard and thought this might make for a good read.

Here's a couple to start with:

Toyota dealer lunch room

Prius is up on a hoist for a service. Has the sump plug removed and oil draining when lunch time rolls around. Everyone downs tools and head to the lunch room.
While having lunch the smoko room starts filling with smoke.
Mechanics head out into the workshop to find the Prius had decided to start itself up to recharge the batteries... and lunched the engine.
Bump Barr.

Toyota Land Cruiser double seal

Lady books her 200 series V8 in for it's 1st service. Picks up the cruiser, heads home to Port Wakefield from Adelaide. Gets to Dublin and the engine stops. She makes a call to the service department, a tow truck tows it back to the dealer, and on inspection, turns out the 2nd year mechanic failed to remove the old oil filter seal from the block, when fitting the new oil filter. Thus it leaked between the two seals and the engine seized. $40K later (yes under Toyota warranty) she was on her way again. This is from my mate who was the service manager there.

Seat mounting bolt

Ford workshop back in the day.. Full of pranksters. Old mate working under an early model falcon in summer, wearing shorts, had an agate on display. Co worker gives it a tickle with a broom handle, and old mate under the car jumps (as you do) and head butted the protruding seat bolt under the car. Claret leaking from a 15 mill deep hole in his forehead. Mate you better get some stitches for that...

[MDS69]

I worked at a Toyota dealership as a young fella with a mate from school who was an apprentice at the time. He had a fairly new car up on the hoist draining the oil. Refitted the sump plug and lowered the car. For whatever reason he started the car without refilling the oil. Motor seized. Panic ensued and they filled it with oil, turned it by hand amongst other things then restarted the car. Car returned to customer without another work said.

[swamp]

hi
Maintenance w/shop for industry . Anyways the Patrol was on the hoist . Auto sparky drove off . Problem it had fuel tank problems . Must be all back together [tank was half out ]
Not so smart drove off the hoist but did not get far cough fart cough fart STOP

LOL LOL

[minheim]

Not a workshop but more a service issue. We purchased a brand new AU falcon classic with Tickford gas fitted. (dealership had a relationship with Tickford to do it). Anyway the car had an issue shortly after delivery where it would not start on LPG. Could start on petrol however. Numerous trips to dealer and two to Tickford looking at it with no luck. After a fair number of weeks of no joy we were in the dealership with Mrs M and she was voicing our dis-satisfaction. Anyway the dealer rep kept talking to me and had had been ignoring Mrs M. She then told him didn't he realise the car was in her name and and that it was not good enough. The look on the dealer staff faces was priceless. This lead to us complaining to Ford customer service and them agreeing that we could utilise our previous dealer Etheridge Ford from then on. Etheridge were great and identified the issue fairly quickly and as compo from Ford when the problem was finally fixed Etheridge assisted in getting us a cd stacker fitted for free.

[arm79]

Was told a tale from many a yesteryear from a mate who worked at the old Binks Ford in Footisgray.

Brand new EL GT in for its complementary first service was apparently entrusted to an apprentice to drive into the wash bay after said service.

Apprentice decided to try his luck and do a skid in the wet bay, but the tyres grabbed and the GT shot through the back wall which then proceeded to collapse on the irreplaceable vehicle.

Apprentice managed to extricate himself from the wreck, grabbed his belongings and was never heard from again.

[BENT_8]

Not workshop specifically but I opened up a brand new Hiace van from 'B' pillar to tailgate infront of a number of SA's dealership elite at a 90's motor show.
Was driving it up the ramp into the main pavillion between a pole and some parked cars when a bloke in a ute with steel tray decided to drop the tailgate.
Pierced the side of the van like a can opener.
As I was accellerating to go up the ramp, by the time I realised what had happened and stopped it was sliced open.

Had to take it back and explain to DP.

Once put a z145 on an Ecotec by accident after my parts guy gave me the wrong one, ****ed 4.5l of Magnatec out everywhere but I caught it before it siezed.

[onemanempire]

Originally Posted by arm79

Was told a tale from many a yesteryear from a mate who worked at the old Binks Ford in Footisgray.Brand new EL GT in for its complementary first service was apparently entrusted to an apprentice to drive into the wash bay after said service.Apprentice decided to try his luck and do a skid in the wet bay, but the tyres grabbed and the GT shot through the back wall which then proceeded to collapse on the irreplaceable vehicle. Apprentice managed to extricate himself from the wreck, grabbed his belongings and was never heard from again.

God Daaauum. Spewin!!! The owner must have been beside himself, or herself. That's a horror story.
Thanks for sharing

[onemanempire]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Not workshop specifically but I opened up a brand new Hiace van from 'B' pillar to tailgate infront of a number of SA's dealership elite at a 90's motor show.Was driving it up the ramp into the main pavillion between a pole and some parked cars when a bloke in a ute with steel tray decided to drop the tailgate.Pierced the side of the van like a can opener.As I was accellerating to go up the ramp, by the time I realised what had happened and stopped it was sliced open.Had to take it back and explain to DP. Once put a z145 on an Ecotec by accident after my parts guy gave me the wrong one, ****ed 4.5l of Magnatec out everywhere but I caught it before it siezed.

Bugga! Atleast you caught it before it went bang.. Good job!

Reminds me of one of my own numpty moments.
Was changing the oil on my R1. Had drained it, refitted sump plug.

Phone rang, talking... talking.
Refill with oil and take it for a flog up to Lobie via the Gorge.
Got into a few corners on Gorge Rd, and just before the Quarry on Gorge Rd, I was fangin up a straight, cranked into a right hander, and the back stepped out on me big time, like bars went to the stop kinda step out...

Then the next things I saw was blue smoke. Couldn't see the dash kinda blue smoke. Thought, W T A F? Hit the kill switch, pulled over and saw a trail of oil on road behind me... leading to where I had stopped.
The sump plug was snagged between the exhaust and the fairing, luckily. So did the phone a friend for a 17mm spanner and some oil. Done.
So how do you get rid of all the oil on the back tyre?
Simple. move it to the side of the road that has dirt, and do a burnout. Easy done. Cleaning it up after I got home was A be atch.

Lucky not to be dead... AGAIN. So many close call stories..

Cheers

[Citroënbender]

…Shop owner taking a car for a test drive with no oil in the gearbox…

…An acquaintance turning up ABC FM and declaring “Feel the love” as he shaved slivers of lead off wheel weights and peened them carefully into a water pump weep hole…

A mate refitting a gearbox, using both hands plus a cocked shoulder and a workmate clamps the Vise-Grips on his tackle…

…Another business, the apprentice asked “What are we doing first today, Pete?” To which the answer was “We’re going to play catch-and-kiss”. He being a slightly funny-bent unit and this being in the days when (as :4: paraphrased it once) you could set fire to your apprentices, the kid realised Pete was serious and started running away as he was chased around the workshop. Said apprentice dashed outside without looking well enough and was cleaned up by the Kwiksnax truck just entering their industrial complex…

…The “unfixable” car, sent away by a main dealer after their lack of success. No start, no clues. I went through the diagnostic procedure to re-pair everything, it then said on the screen “Start the car”. I tried, and it was fine…

[ford71V8]

My mechanic friend was putting the heat on a customer that had his car back after repairs but yet to pay his bill.
Bloke was crying poor and eventually payment was made.....with chickens.
So 5 or 6 chickens lived behind the garage for a short time.
There was an incident where one escaped, his story was hilarious trying to get his payment back behind the fencing he'd put up.
I think it all ended when council intervened.