Imagine you pop the hood and start working on your car. While you’re poking around, you accidentally drop something into the engine bay. Uh-oh. What now?
You may be a mechanic with decades of experience or a novice trying to learn more about your car, but mistakes are bound to happen. If you spend enough time under the hood, you may mess up and drop something down there. Here is what you should do if you drop something into your engine bay.
Turn the vehicle off
As soon as you realize you dropped something into the bay, turn off your vehicle immediately. This will stop all of the moving parts so you won’t hurt yourself if you put your hands down there looking for whatever it is you dropped.
Use a flashlight
If you’ve ever looked deep inside of an engine bay, then you will know how dark it can be down there. Using a flashlight will make it easier to see and help you find whatever you dropped. If you are willing to get a little dirty, then try to check beneath the vehicle. Using a flashlight will help see down there as well.
Use a magnet
If what you dropped is made of metal, you can use a telescoping magnet to pick up the dropped item. These tools have a long handle and can reach into the bay to find the dropped item. If the product isn’t made from metal, then this method won’t work. Look online or in your local auto parts store for this inexpensive tool.
What if you leave the item there?
Some items dropped into the engine bay won’t be harmful if they don’t land inside of any components or reservoirs. A Ford factory worker once dropped his wallet into the engine bay of a 2014 Ford Edge as it was being made and the wallet wasn’t found until 2025. If you look for the item and can’t find it, it’s OK to just leave it there. It may casually fall out while you are driving and you won’t even notice.
What do experts say
Tony Kuczynski, who spent more than eight years as president of Mister Transmission, spoke with the Detroit Free Press about what to do if you drop an item into your engine bay.
“If something falls into the engine bay, it may not do any damage. But if something falls into the engine or into a component then it can be serious.” Kuczynski said. “There’s still a chance whatever you dropped can fall out while driving. Ask the dealership or mechanic when you get your car serviced if they see anything down there just to make sure.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dropped something into your engine bay? Here is what to do next
Reporting by Keenan Thompson, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
