Latest news with #mechanics
Motor 1
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘How Bad Is This?:' Woman Opens Up Her Gas Tank. Then She Sees What Her Son Stuck Inside. Is it Fixable?
Kids do the darndest things. Sometimes it can end up costing their parents big bucks. It can happen in an instant. You're taking care of a child, and one moment they're playing peacefully, and the next they've cut their sibling's hair, taken a sudden fall, or shattered one of your coveted knick-knacks. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . In a viral video with more than 1.1 million views, mom Leigha Barth ( @watersmagic ) shared the not-so-great surprise her son left in her car. In the TikTok, Barth appears to be at a gas station about to pump when she notices something weird in the fuel hole. When she takes a closer look, Barth notices something strange that isn't usually there—a small stick stealthily inserted by her son when she wasn't looking. 'Welp…any advice?? My son put sticks in my gas tank. I did NOT get all of it out,' she says in the text overlay. In the caption, she asks mechanics, 'How bad is this?' What Should She Do? Getting something in your gas tank is definitely concerning, but this isn't necessarily a worst-case scenario. The severity depends on several factors: the size of the debris, how far it's traveled into the system, and whether your car has been driven since it happened, according to several car forums . Trending Now 'Just Beware:' Woman Buys A 2025 Nissan Rogue. She Says This One Feature Can Be Risky If You Don't Pay Attention 'I'm So Sorry For Wasting Y'all's Time:' Woman Notices a 'Burning' Smell in Her New Car. The Mechanic Says Something Unexpected Most modern fuel systems have built-in protections. There's typically a fuel pickup screen at the bottom of the tank that's designed to catch debris before it can reach the fuel pump. The fuel filler neck also has some natural barriers that prevent larger objects from reaching the actual tank. What you should do: Don't start or drive the car until you've addressed the issue: Try to remove what you can see using long tweezers, needle-nose pliers, or similar tools; and Get professional help if you can't remove all the debris or if any has fallen deeper into the tank. If organic material like wood breaks down in gasoline, it could create smaller particles that might clog filters or damage fuel system components. In worst-case scenarios where debris reaches the fuel pump or injectors, repair costs can range from hundreds to over a thousand dollars. Many people have dealt with kids, or perhaps a jilted ex , putting various objects in gas tanks. Often the debris can be removed without major expense if caught quickly. The key is acting fast and not driving the vehicle until the problem is resolved. A professional mechanic can assess whether the tank needs to be dropped and cleaned or if simpler removal methods will work. DIY or Take It to a Mechanic? People who reacted to Barth's post had conflicting suggestions about what she should do. Some were more serious than others. 'Get rid of the kid for sure,' a top commenter joked. 'Shrink the kid and make him fish it out. Call Rick Moranis or Wonka ASAP,' another added. A commenter who identified themself as a mechanic reassured Barth that it might not require professional assistance. 'Get what you can out, any of it that makes it to the tank isn't going to hurt anything. The pump will be fine. The filters wont clog up from that, the pump won't be affected, you can drive it where ever you need to go,' they wrote. 'I would even let my wife drive with the kids if this was our car is how little of an issue it is as long as you get enough out of the filler neck to allow gas to pump in normally. Get one of the skinny grab thingys from Harbor Freight or somewhere similar to get down in there and get any visible pieces out.' More From Motor1 'Completely Misses the Point:' Germany Slams the EU's Gas Car Rental Ban Idea 'So Do Not Forget It:' Lamborghini Owner Says This Is How Much Gas Caps Are. So Why Isn't It Attached to the Car? 'If He Acts Like That From Rejection in Public…:' Female Motorcyclist Gets Hit on by Man at a Gas Station. Then She Rejects Him 'Disaster for Me:' Hyundai's Sports Car Boss Mourns The Loss of Gas Hot Hatches Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Geek Dad
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Geek Dad
Organizing a Goblin's Garage: A Gearwrench Love Story
This is a love letter to Gearwrench and a thank you for helping my goblin husband get organized. I love my husband, but I tolerate his tool organization system. Until recently, I was content to ask him to find and dig for what I needed, until one day he wasn't around to do the digging, and I had to dive into the endless pit of despair to find something. He had duplicate tools because he bought them when he couldn't find what he needed. He had multiple devices to perform diagnostics on the cars instead of one streamlined tool. And don't get me started on the lack of lighting for nighttime repairs and projects… Here are the top three tools from Gearwrench that I introduced to our family to save my sanity and improve the quality of my husband's tool life. Gearwrench Mechanics 232 Piece Tool Set in 3 Drawer Storage Box Price: $280 Store: Amazon When it comes to my husband's toolbox, the thing that grinds my gears is when I need something but can't find it. I'm an organization wizard and my husband is more of a goblin hoarder. I need everything in its place and a place for everything. The Gearwrench Mechanics 232 Piece Tool Set with three drawer storage is a frustration-saver in terms of organization and variety. Now, when I need something, it's just a matter of remembering which drawer it sits in. Here's a full list of features: Full polished chrome SAE and metric 1/4″ and 3/8″ standard and deep sockets. 90-tooth gear gives a 4° swing arc, making it easier to turn fasteners in tight spots. Full polish chrome SAE and metric 72-tooth ratcheting wrenches, with a 5° swing arc. Set comes with a wide range of bit sockets, including hex, Torx®, and External Torx® sockets. Sockets have an off-corner loading design to help prevent rounding off fasteners. Magnetic bit driver with a comfy dual-material handle. Extension bars have a knurled grip so you won't slip. Includes long-arm hex keys. Comes with a 3-drawer storage box with sliding drawers, locking side flaps, a steel lid, and a tough handle. Meets or beats ASME standards. The only thing I would change about this product is the design of the case. The outer case is plastic and the items are not held tightly in place. In short, this is not something I would put in your vehicle and take places. If you knock this thing over, you're going to be playing 'where does this go' for a little bit because everything will come out of its assigned spot. If you were to buy every tool in this set individually, you are looking at paying at least double what they are charging for the set. For a complete listing of tools included, head over to Gearwrench's website. Gearwrench Everyday Diagnostic Tool Bluetooth OBDII Tester Price: $69.97 Store: Amazon If you ever wanted a digital pit crew for your vehicle, this would be the product to buy. The Gearwrench Everyday Diagnostic Tool Bluetooth OBDII Tester is great at tracking anything and everything under the hood. The entire process from download to install took at most 10 minutes. Once his account was active and the device was paired, he got an alert that his backseat speaker was going out (something he had no clue about). This device is meant to be plugged in and forgotten so that your phone gets real-time notifications on your vehicle's stats. Bonus! You can buy multiple testers to track additional vehicles in the same account. Now, we can check engine codes and clear them ourselves. I don't know about you, but my local mechanic charges a $200 diagnostic fee and having this helps me save that money for my Starbucks addiction. Something I appreciate about this diagnostic tool is that there are no subscription fees. You get software updates for life and there are no fees to use any of the features. There's also a 2-year no-hassle warranty. Gearwrench 2000 Lumens Rechargeable Shop Light Price: $39.84 Store: Amazon Need a light? The Gearwrench 2000 lumens Rechargeable Shop Light is small but mighty. It has dual LED 450 and 2000 lumen ratings and has a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion batter. Run time is up to seven hours on the lowest setting. It's versatile with the 180-degree pivot, so you can point the light where it's needed. A magnet base keeps it in place, whether you are working under the hood or attaching it to another metal surface. It has four light modes: spot light (450 lumens), flood light (low 500 lumens), medium (1000 lumens), and high (2000 lumens). It has an IP65 water resistance rating (translation: it can withstand some rain and your sprinkler without frying a circuit). The outside is tough for those accidental drops to the pavement. I love how small and portable it is. The light is close to blinding when you shine it in a dark room. I've had to use it under my desk a few times after a storm blew out our internet and the lowest setting worked beautifully for me. I don't look forward to our power going out this storm season, but I'm happy to have our little light buddy to get us through it if it does. This is easily the best light to have on hand if you live in a storm-prone area. Gearwrench has a whole arsenal of tools that I'm looking forward to upgrading some of our more beaten down items with in the future (I'm looking at you, 3 Ton Heavy-Duty Floor Jack). And I love the 2000 lumens Rechargeable Shop Light so much that I'll be ordering a couple more to keep in our cars for those late night tire changes. Make sure to check out their website for a complete listing of available tools for your next project. Disclaimer: GeekDad received a review sample. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Fox News
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Evening Edition: The Aviation Industry Wants And Needs You
The United States aviation industry is facing widespread shortages in various key job areas including pilots, traffic controllers, and possibly most importantly, mechanics. A large portion of the current mechanics are approaching retirement age and shortages can lead to aircrafts being grounded causing flight delays and increasing costs for a flight. It is predicted the airline industry will need nearly a million more mechanics over the next twenty years. Fox's Tonya J. Powers speaks to Suzanne Markle, the President and CEO of Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, an institution for aviation maintenance technology, who says it is key to encourage younger Americans to gain interest in this much needed occupation that is a large part of our economy and an alternate to college-based jobs. Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Here legally since 1999, thousands of immigrants have 60 days to leave
They are nurses, mechanics, sanitation workers and executives. They've fallen in love, bought houses and raised children. They've opened restaurants and construction companies, paid taxes and contributed to Social Security, living and working legally in the United States since 1999. Now more than 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans stand to abruptly lose their legal status as the Trump administration seeks to end their protections, in place since the Clinton era, under the temporary protected status program, or TPS. Amid a broader campaign to crack down on immigration, the Department of Homeland Security said that because 'conditions have improved' in Honduras and Nicaragua, it is ending the program for natives of those countries in early September.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Dispute over auto repairs leads to assault, carjacking in Victorville
A man is accused of attacking two mechanics with a metal pole and stealing one of their vehicles amid a dispute over automotive repairs in Victorville over the weekend, law enforcement officials said. The incident unfolded shortly before 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the 16700 block of Hughes Road, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department logs. A report of an assault initially drew a response from deputies, department spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez said. "They learned the two adult male victims were hit multiple times with a metal pole." Following the alleged attack, the suspect fled in a car belonging to one of the victims, she said. He was not found Saturday night. The injured men were taken to a hospital for treatment, Rodriguez said. An update on their conditions was not available. The violence stemmed from a dispute over auto repairs, she added. "The suspect was angry because the victims were working on his vehicle, and it was not ready for him to pick up." A person of interest in the case was detained Sunday, according to Rodriguez. The investigation remained "active." More: Artists says suspected human remains found in Victorville are actually his artwork Anyone with information can reach the Victorville Police Department at(760) 241-2911. Tips may also be provided anonymously to the We-Tip hotline at (800) 782-7463. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Dispute over auto repairs leads to assault, carjacking in Victorville
