Upon inspecting my coils, I dropped a 10mm socket right below the coil bracket. I had seen it for a while, tried to get it out using my makeshift magnet tool, lost it even further...I have to drive for two hours tonight...will this cause damage, or will it eventually fall out to the ground as I drive? Major stress right now

 

u should b fine I wouldn't see y it shoud cause any problems it may not even fall out all depends though...but I say ur ok

 

ok, I'm just gonna put everything back together and drive around trying to jerk it out for a while. I just hope theres no chance it gets tangled up with the belts or anything. FWIW, it fell through the biggest gap of the coil bracket which seems to be marked "L2"

 

It will likely be sitting on the top of the engine.....won't cause any problems if it falls...

 

Your intake will suck it up! Oh noes!

 

Try losing a socket in the door panel... then you'll REALLY be pissed.

 

Be thankful it isn't marbles in the overhead

1.3L

 

buy a good magnet stick I drop things a lot and it is a big help. I also have a magnet that is about five inches across, when I drop something in the grass that I cannott see the magnet finds it.you can also try the stick and epoxy method, put a glob of quick set epoxy on the end of a stick, when you feel it starting to set up, stick it to the socket,then wait a little then lift the socket out.good luck

 

Or you can train a mongoose to go and look for sockets instead of catching snakes.

 

It'll come out next time you drive the car the way it was meant to be driven!

 

don't worry, i lost 2 or 3 sockets while working on my car, it later mostly turns out on top of the plastic under carriage protector thinging

 

As long as it will not *fly* into the moving belts u will be fine.

 

I'm telling you, the mongoose will be the best way.

 

buy a telescopic extension magnet, (it costs like $10 from crafts man) and use that to get the socket out

 

You need Mr. Fantastic.

 

Mongoose...

 

Telescoping mongoose...

I have a telescoping magnet, a home-made magnet (Radio Snack magnet on a piece of drain auger) and a nifty little "grabber" tool. Grabber is a flexible metal housing (like a speedometer cable sheath) with a squeeze handle at one end and a 3-pronged hook thing at the other.

Yeah, I drop a lot of stuff, but I always get it back.

My best lost-and-found tale was when a spring from a carburetor sprang out, hitting me on the forehead. I was working in a gravel driveway, of course. Before my multiple magnet days. After a fruitless search, I clapped my hand to my forehead in dispair.

And felt the spring stuck in my hair, right at the hairline.

Ken