8 Strange DIY Stories That Prove You Need a Mechanic

Throughout years of watching my father, my uncles, my grandfathers, and my friends, I’ve come to realise one thing: men can’t, or won’t, ask for help. I honestly can’t remember the last time I admitted I needed a helping hand. I’ve wrestled with maps, undercooked steaks once or twice, and chosen the wrong gift for my wife’s anniversary present, and I’ve lived with the consequences.

Getting lost for an hour or having to order pizza and throw out perfectly good steaks, albeit potentials for food poisoning, is fine. We all have to draw a line in the sand and determine where we won’t cross. When it comes to mechanical problems, that’s another issue altogether. We’d all like to be DIY geniuses, but we aren’t. And if my new Peugeot suffers because of it, the result will be costly- maybe even dangerous.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at what a few chaps did when they thought they were DIY geniuses.  

Weird DIY Missteps

BAA Reman, the biggest auto remanufacturer in the world, recently released a survey they performed. These were the results.

• A man once attempted to fix leaks in his radiator with bubblegum. In addition, he also read online that black peppercorns could repair radiator leaks, so he poured 250g of them into the radiator. The result was a severe blockage and a very strong, pungent odour.

• When a woman’s headlights went out on her car, she didn’t see the need to replace the bulbs or fix the electrical fault that caused them to stop working. Instead, she used rope to attach two torches to her bonnet.

• One summer, an elderly man grew tired of his air conditioner not working properly. Instead of replacing the thermostat or air conditioning condenser or checking to see what other car parts might be at fault, he taped 20 battery-operated handheld fans to the dash and turned them all on at the same time.

• A man in Bristol used a couple of empty beer can, some scissors, and some parcel tape to fix an exhaust pipe on his car that was leaking. He cut open the cans, wrapped them around the pipe, and taped them in place.

• An elderly woman lost both sets of keys to her Volkswagen Polo. Rather than replacing the keys, she decided to wrap heavy duty chains around her car and secure them with two padlocks. She wanted to make sure no one was getting in.

• A man from Stroud decided to skip the trip to the mechanic when he discovered his sunroof wouldn’t close. The problem could have been easily fixed with a new electronic mechanism that would allow the sunroof to open and close, but he fixed the issue with an open umbrella and a lot of duct tape. The rain stayed out, but the car was an instant target for thieves.

• Some car parts are necessary for driving, and that’s what a man from Leeds was thinking when he accidently snapped off his indicator lever. To ensure others new when he was turning and to avoid an accident, he replaced the lever with a twig.

• The car parts under your bonnet are sensitive and must be protected at all times, right? A couple from Epping knew this, but instead of replacing the absent Peugeot bonnet on their car, they used a duvet cover and a hefty amount of duct tape to protect the engine and other vital Peugeot parts.

Repairing Peugeot Parts? You Need a Mechanic

Think you don’t need a mechanic? If you don’t know how to fix the problem, don’t attempt to take care of the issue yourself. The result could be more disastrous and costly than it was in the first place. Put aside that manly pride and find a local shop you can trust to keep your car going.