Bonehead Award of the year

[SC2555HST]

If you don't know what this pic is, let me inform you. It is the CPU for the HST. And why does it have a hole in it? Because I intentionally drilled right through it. Well, sort of.

I was in the process of installing LED lights on my 2555HST. I pulled the cap off dash in an attempt to mount switch. I looked through the little hole with a light and I thought I was looked at a firewall. I got the drill, drilled through it, looked at particles falling from under dash, thinking it looked odd, I got the light and looked under the dash, and saw this box with 2 groups of wires plugged into it. My heart rate immediately jumped and I reached for my key to crank her up and see what damaged I caused.

She cranked right up and immediately went to full throttle without pulling lever down. Moving the throttle level made no change. I tried to go forward, no response from pedal. Tried reverse, no response.

I pulled the dash enough to get the box out. I then called my local dealer. This is when I almost stroked out. The cost of replacing it................... $659.00!!!!!!!

This is the start to my new year and I accept the Bonehead Award!

 

[MossRoad]

Bummer!

If it makes you feel a little better, that price is about the same for a 3 credit hour course at Indiana University, so just chalk it up to education costs and apply it toward your degree in life experiences. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

And if that were the case.... if most of us added up the costs of mishaps over our lifetimes, we'd all be working on our master's degree.

 

[orezok]

I did something similar years ago. I was drilling a hole in the lower fascia of my Jeeps dash and went right thru the A/C evaporator core.

 

[Thomas]

Pretty sure all of us had our moments know that I have like the old saying goes measure twice cut once,for me its measure 4-5 times.

 

[frugalangler]

Years ago when I first started in the cellular telephone industry, our installers (yea, phones were trunk mounted suitcases back then) would routinely drill through gas tanks under the rear trunk floor when they were attaching the mounting bracket for the phone box, unfortunately until there were a few complaints the company was unaware the installers would 'seal' the mistake w/ a glob of bubblegum, wasn't hard to figure out which installer, they just followed the trail of gum wrappers to his stash of double double in his tool crib!

 

[k0ua]

Whoops!. Well, that just sucketh. If you drill enough holes in vehicles, sooner or later you are going to "mess up". Go forth and sin no more!

 

[SC2555HST]

And if that were the case.... if most of us added up the costs of mishaps over our lifetimes, we'd all be working on our master's degree.

That made me laugh. So true.

 

[SC2555HST]

Thanks guys! Your replies made me feel a little less of a tool.

 

[SedonaDave]

Thanks guys! Your replies made me feel a little less of a tool. ��

Hey, we all make mistakes!....The key is to learn from them and not repeat it!!! LOL

I will bet, the next time you will triple check before doing anything.....I do appreciate your honesty, hard to find these days!!

 

[frugalangler]

Hey, we all make mistakes!....The key is to learn from them and not repeat it!!! LOL

Classic definition of 'insanity': Doing the same action repeatedly expecting different results!

 

[coldsteelva]

I had to learn the hard way, but then I discovered a better way. When I was drilling from the exterior of my home through the Hardiplank and sill plate, I knew there were electrical wires tacked along its length. I grabbed myself a ceramic tile from the previous owner and placed it behind the wires on the interior surface. When my drill bit punched through, it hit the tile with a tink and I knew to stop. No cuts and no chafing. From that point foward, I try to always use a hard backer when drilling through mostly blind surfaces. It also saves your finger from becoming the drill stop.

 

[airbiscuit]

It would be fun if we could vote on a Bonehead of the Year Award (kind of like the Darwin Awards). Lots of them will involve drills or loaders. There was a thread last year about a person who was installing a block heater and when drilling a hole in the frost plug, drilled through the engine block. That cost him more $$$ than you.

In terms of bonehead moves, there's lots of competition from all of us (how many of us have cut off our Skilsaw cord, or put a skidsteer on its nose?)

 

[jerrybob]

I guess I am the only one on TBN that has never done something stupid like that........oh well!:laughing:

 

[Industrial Toys]

DANG! You let that funny smelling smoke out!

Bet it didn't hurt as much as leaning on a cordless drill with square bit, only to have it slip off the screw and come down on your thumb nail.

I learned a long time ago to check what's behind. And then protect it.

The funniest one I ever saw was a guy making a new doorway in an office. Standard sheet rock and steel studs. He was making his way down the wall with a rather long blade on a saws-all. He was doing good and then ran into difficulty. He came around to the other side to see an executive chair up against the wall. He had gone through the upholstry until he got to some steel frame in the chair.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

And if that were the case.... if most of us added up the costs of mishaps over our lifetimes, we'd all be working on our master's degree.

I don't know about you folks, but I think I am working on a post-graduate PHD....(ah...that stands for "Piled Higher & Deeper)... BobG in VA

 

[SC2555HST]

Hey, we all make mistakes!....The key is to learn from them and not repeat it!!! LOL

I will bet, the next time you will triple check before doing anything.....I do appreciate your honesty, hard to find these days!!

I'll definitely double check next time.

 

[EddieWalker]

While not as expensive, I've nailed into PEX water lines multiple times. Worse case was after fixing it, I did it right away putting the siding back on!!!! Hope you learn faster then I do.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sliding a piece of tubing over a drill bit to limit depth is good too.

I just repaired a brand new piece of production equipment. No one cared that the turnings from self tapping screws got all over the circuit boards!

 

[Luvmyhindra]

Bummer! sorry to see or hear that but.... Bone head of the year? **** happens!

Then again, it's the only the 3rd of January, give me a few days! I'll beat that!