Never start a car by sticking your hand through the steering wheel to turn the key

[superbee_68]

I wanted to share my experience of learning the hard way so that others won't make my mistake. We have all done it, reach through the window to start the car while working on something under the hood. Let me tell you, never reach through the steering wheel to grab the key. I am buttoning up the restoration on my Belvedere and had just put on the power steering belt. I usually break in a motor with the power steering belt off, one less fluid to worry about. I reach in the window with the car on the lift with the front wheels off the ground. I planned to start the motor, then adjust the self center on the steering box. I reached through the open window and through the steering wheel to turn the key. As soon as the car fired, the steering wheel started turning to the left and locked my arm between the wheel spoke and the steering column. I was alone with no cell phone and thought my arm was going to break any second. I managed to twist my arm to the left and the steering wheel took off again pinning me against the column shifter. The key was still out of reach for both hands. I was pinned for about 30 seconds when out of sheer luck, the car sputtered and died freeing me. The car runs great and had no reason to die and has not died since so I have no idea what saved me.

After investigation, the rod that centers the spool valve had been removed by the previous owner. The valve slammed all the way to left turn and got stuck so there was no going back to the right. I have three huge bruises on my arm and it looks like a zig zag shape. The x-rays show no broken bones. Luckily I'm a big guy. A smaller boned person would probably not have been so lucky.

Never reach through the steering wheel to start a car. Get in the car and sit behind the wheel with your foot on the brake. You never know what's going to happen.

 

[krowbar]

Wow! Glad to hear you're alright. I'm sorry.....but picturing that in my head made me chuckle. who'd a thunk it?

 

[hunt2elk]

Wow, your lucky you or the car didn't get seriously hurt. Kinda sounds like something Christine would have done lol.

 

[coloradodave]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm betting that not many guys would have admitted to this because I'm sure it's embarrassing. I've done what you did many times, but NEVER again. Hope you heal soon. You've earned my respect.

 

[69Bee]

Know what else you shouldn't do:

1) Press the dryer safety switch and grab a hold of the turning sheets to see if you can stall the dryer, it ain't happenin
2) Yes, that staple does hurt like a bitch when you put your finger in it and smack the lever...

Sometimes, I am extremely surprised I didn't earn a Darwin award, even if I tried REALLY hard to. :icon_cyclops:

 

[Greg Ducato]

Glad your guardian angle was there with you to pull the coil wire while you were struggling with the wheel

 

[2059]

"The car runs great and had no reason to die and has not died since so I have no idea what saved me."

I do.

 

[ZR9B]

On my diesel ram...I reached through the wheel to shut off the truck...the wheel kicked back way hard....I about pissed my pants...scared the hell out of me.....yep Ill not do that again

 

[tallhair]

Glad you came out w/o major dammage brother and thanks for sharing. I'm sure I could think for a moment and come up with some actual stupid **** I've done, not that what you did was stupid at all. I've done that a lot of times and was just luckier but like coloradodave said, I won't be doing it again just in case.

 

[daredevil]

God loves Mopar people.

 

[Cranky]

Oh man!! Been there done that!! I'm sorry but I laughed my *** off when I read that because I know what you went through because I've done the same damn thing 35 or so years ago!!! Wasn't funny at all back then and it still isn't but...well, what can I say. After all these years our cars are still forking with us lol

 

[tallhair]

God loves Mopar people.

I always heard it as "The Lord loves a working man, don't trust whitey, see a doctor and get rid of it"

 

[A383Wing]

here's another one .......if you have to have someone help you with working on your car....find someone who knows how to understand English...

was working under the hood, told shop helper kid to get in the car and I will tell you when to crank the engine over...I had my hands & arms in the fan and fan blade area when he just started cranking over the engine as soon as he got in behind the wheel and it fired off.....needless to say, I "fired off" at him also

 

[747mopar]

I know exactly what your talking about. I rebuilt my steering box and knew about the adjustment but had know idea what it was going to do. It did just what you said but fortunately without my arm in it, glad to hear your OK.

 

[Cranky]

here's another one .......if you have to have someone help you with working on your car....find someone who knows how to understand English...

was working under the hood, told shop helper kid to get in the car and I will tell you when to crank the engine over...I had my hands & arms in the fan and fan blade area when he just started cranking over the engine as soon as he got in behind the wheel and it fired off.....needless to say, I "fired off" at him also

A similar situation happened to my dad in the 50's with a 56 Belvedere that stripped some teeth off of the flywheel. Whenever the engine stopped just right, the starter would just grind and he had to get under the hood and turn the engine over to where the starter could 'grab some teeth' and it would start. One time my uncle was going to help and hit the key before dad said to hit it and the fan got him pretty good. He was ready to kill someone that day! I was only about 7 or 8 but remember that day very well.

 

[bigblock]

Yeah,I did it too. Some things you just dont wanna tell.

 

[roadrunnerh]

OUCH! Hope your arm feels better. I'll make damn sure I never do that again!

 

[67Satty]

Anytime my car is running when I'm not sitting behind the wheel (checking trans fluid level, adjusting timing, adjusting idle, etc...) I'm really on edge, expecting the worst to happen.

 

[Propwash]

Good to hear you're alright..... Can we refer to you as "Gumby" now?

 

[mr. b]

glad to hear you are alright that had to hurt