Dropped Socket Into Engine Bay

[Kevin Oraha]

Hello,

I am not sure if this is the proper forum to be asking this question, but I dropped a socket into my engine bay while trying to remove the EGR valve… Am I okay to drive like this? It fell right next to the injectors.

In terms of it falling while driving, there’s really only one place for it to fall from and that’s the general area where the throttle cable. I attached a photo of the general area of where it fell.

Reason for asking is I’d really like to avoid having to take everything apart if I don’t have to.

Attachments:

• 20953180002_large.jpg

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[college man]

Use a telescoping magnet to fish it out.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/GM-2L.html?gclid=CLCikbnzur4CFQNqOgodE04AEQ

[Steven Cummings]

It’ll more than likely bounce out while you’re driving. If you don’t have one, a good thing to own in my experience is a flexible magnetic pickup tool.

[george gonzalez]

Yeah, many cars have new rattles caused by parts and tools dropped into inaccessible places. I once drove a VW Rabbit cross-country and halfway across I noticed one of my adjustable wrenches sitting on a cross-member, where I musta dropped it months before. Funny it didn’t wiggle over an inch and fall off during all those months. Also had an impact socket fly off the U-joint on the impact wrench and go flying 25 feet into the middle of the lawn, never did find that nice socket. At least it didn’t go through the windshield.

Anyway, back to your story, if it rattles you can fish it out with one of those mircale strong magnets on a stick.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”college man” post=98296]Use a telescoping magnet to fish it out.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/GM-2L.html?gclid=CLCikbnzur4CFQNqOgodE04AEQ%5B/quote%5D

+++1!

I do this all the time in these situations.

[Lorrin Barth]

I largest metric socket I own fell off the stick as I was removing another, bounced on the floor in the shop and disappeared, never to be seen again. Weird.

If you can see the socket, fish it out as above. If not, the only thing I would be worried about is it being in a place where it could drop into the accessory belt. Other than that it could lodge somewhere and make noise – sometimes lots of noise. So, up to you.

I was working on a car the other day with my VOM near the throttle body and one of the probe clips popped off and fell. The car had an under tray which I didn’t want to remove so I just said bye bye.

[Author]

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