Working With Kids - Sometimes They Really Do Pull Their Weight

Sunday my 4 year old boy was "helping" me replace a door speaker on my SAAB, light work compared to my ongoing hunt for the source of the LOUD metallic banging I get whenever I go over a speedbump or hit a pothole, and can never replicate in the garage. Here is our exchange:

Son: [Absent mindedly banging ratchet on ABS plastic rocker panel cover.]

Me: Its not a good idea to bang our cars with tools, we can break them.

Son: [keeps banging], pauses, and says "But you hit them with a hammer sometimes. You also say bad words."

Me: Well, yes, but only to fix things. Please stop now or I'll have to take that away.

Son: [keeps banging...LOUD METALLIC BANG!]

Me: Wait, do that again.

I looked at the underside of the rocker covers. The kid had inadvertently discovered that ALL 10 of the push rivets that anchor the covers were missing, and the banging was the sound of the covers hitting the underbody. Quick trip to Autozone, problem solved.

I don't know who was happier, me or the boy who got to tell my wife he fixed the car!

Related Question: How is it possible that all 10 rivets came out by themselves?!

That's funny.

I've had plastic rivets come loose by scraping in dirt on my Subaru. It doesn't take much force for them to shear out, and if it is due to snow/ice/dirt they can get damaged while just lightly scratching the rocker covers.

My four old nephew used a digging shovel to clear fresh snow from his mom's car. That was sort of helpful...

Give that boy a raise!

Cherish those moments, dude.

Unfortunately that reinforces the 'banging on things' approach.

gjz30075 wrote: Unfortunately that reinforces the 'banging on things' approach.

Well, is there really any other way to properly diagnose phantom clunks?

You WILL teach him E36 M3, berkeley and shiny happy person won't you?

Hammers? Worked for Clarkson.