Re: The "I accidentally drained my transmission instead of my engine" thread
Here is mine...originally posted last summer, cut and pasted from original post:
It is a matter of pride and satisfaction in knowing that a job is done the right way. That is why I faithfully change the oil in all of our family's vehicles instead of trusting it to Junky Lube or the dealership. Today, as a right of passage, I invited our 11 year old to help out with the oil change on the FJ.
I talked him through, step by step, going over details before we even started. Here is where the filter is located; this is a filter wrench; the oil pan will be located here, etc.
He was literally crawling out of his skin in excitement as we started, first removing the old filter and then crawling underneath the vehicle.
Then my phone rang, and being on call, I had run inside to answer it, as I had left my cell inside. I climb from under the FJ, tell my son to do the same, and to not touch anything.
Well, ten minutes later, I come out and see him beaming with excitement. He had "drained the oil himself, just like I had explained to him earlier". I get under the FJ and see that the plastic oval cover is still in place and that the oil collecting pan was sitting under the transmission.
Yep. He drained the transmission fluid. Looks like the FJ just earned a tow-ride to the dealer to get the fluid replaced.
I guess it is payback karma for when I was about the same age and somehow managed to spill cooking oil on my dad's brand new felt cowboy hat. He looked at me, patted me on the shoulder and said, "Son, don't worry about it, it just gives it character". My mom later told me (when I was an adult) that it really bothered my dad that his new (and expensive for us) hat was ruined.
Little did I know that it would take 30 years for me to realize the "character" that he was speaking of had little to do with the stain, and much more to do about "true" character.
All of that flashed back to me in an instant and I patted my son on the shoulder, told him to go inside, and that I would finish and clean things up.
My dad has been gone for 25 years now, but I am sure that he is getting a chuckle out of today's events.
And yeah...one more thing. Little man still has a LOT to learn about listening, obeying, and oil changes. He also has a bit of good natured ribbing coming his way in a few years when he is old enough to understand just what he did...lol.
