getting something out of the engine bay?

jksgoh · 07-09-2009, 08:29 AM

i accidentally dropped a small plastic cap (similar but slightly smaller than a drink bottle cap) in the engine bay. tried looking for it with a torch but couldnt see it. anyone got any tricks???

Lester · 07-09-2009, 08:33 AM

Ha - they can fall anywhere. You need a good strong flashlight. Sometimes, you need to drop another identical object from the same position and follow it with a flashlight to see where it goes.

atr_hugo · 07-09-2009, 09:04 AM

But Lester, isn't there a law of physics that says anything dropped from a comparable height will fall through a crowded engine bay in the same manner as a Pachinko ball? In other words, randomly. ; -)

Mister Zag · 07-09-2009, 10:08 AM

Ha, my engine bay has been the proud owner of a lens cap for months now. It happened while documenting the installation of my JB3. I fear the beast accepted it as a tribute and rewarded me with massive power gains. Now, after a long session of carving up of some of the wondrous country roads near me, I must often repress the sometimes overwhelming urge to drop additional little trinkets in there.

Addict...Nah Im A Junkie! · 07-09-2009, 10:32 AM

The 135's engine is packed in there pretty tight. Not sure how one would go about finding anything in there.....

I have a hard enough time just trying to clean the damn thing. Have you tried removing any under panels of the car and going in from the bottom??

Remember your Price is Right rules, the plinko chip never falls the same way, even if you drop it in the same place over and over again.

///M1 · 07-09-2009, 12:32 PM

Don't get me started! Lasst week when I did a dyno test I had to take off the engine plastic cover, one of the bolts fell and it was resting on the underskirt. Had to jack the car, then take about 20 screws (not kidding) to remove the plastic skirt and find it.

And guess what, on my 2nd attempt to put the bolt back on...it fell again! Annother 30 mins and I was back in business... Moral of the story: use magnetic tools and DO NOT drop anything down that abyss!

joeo · 07-09-2009, 06:30 PM

It's easy - just turn the car upside down and shake.

-Joe
http://www.lovehorsepower.com

cagekicker · 07-10-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeo

It's easy - just turn the car upside down and shake.

-Joe
http://www.lovehorsepower.com

LOL!

jksgoh · 07-10-2009, 08:22 PM

dont think its worth removing the under panels. think i'll just let it find a home in there...

1speedbike · 07-10-2009, 08:33 PM

Haha, I dropped a screwdriver down there today while installing my JB+. luckily I was able to fish it out through the wheel opening

Jay-K · 11-14-2012, 05:55 AM

From the 3 series forum, i drop a torx screw in my engine bay, went crazy about it. Finally i tried to pull it out with a magnetic screw strapped on strings. Just when i want to grabbed it with my hand it fell and no where to be found or seen, well i guess i just let it find a home down there since my technician said it will not matter. Sorry for my bad english - im indonesian

Ammonia · 11-14-2012, 07:04 AM

I've dropped a few things in the engine bay. The best thing I think I've done, is forget a wrench I left resting on the side of the bay. A few days later when I went to clean my intakes, I saw it sitting there in the same position.

Jtalismanyes · 08-01-2018, 05:15 PM

I dropped my key in the engine bay. Luckily I have my spare, but that thing is long gone.

desertman123 · 08-01-2018, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jtalismanyes

I dropped my key in the engine bay. Luckily I have my spare, but that thing is long gone.

1) this thread is old af lol
2) given the price of those keys, the intake manifold would 100% come off if it needed to be to retrieve it.

I almost did that for the $5 strut tower bolt cover on the windshield cowl. Ended up deciding against it and I just bought another. It's actually 2 pieces - the plastic cap and a rubber seal. Who knew lmao, my previous owner must've lost the rubber seal.

The Wind Breezes · 08-01-2018, 10:31 PM

Hell of a necro. I'm not against them but damn!

Stock4Evr · 08-02-2018, 12:23 PM

I dropped the cover of an alligator clip on the left side of the engine. I saw the problem with removing the entire cover and thought I would just let it stay and maybe would fall out in the garage and not on the road. I tapped lightly on the cover and heard where the plastic cover was. I tapped and it move over to the right side where I could get my hand into a cut out and retrieve the plastic piece. Do not know if this will work for you but this is what worked for me. Good luck.

desertman123 · 08-02-2018, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

Hell of a necro. I'm not against them but damn!

I don't mind either I just find it funny

If the E82/88 was still in production when the thread was made, I consider it too old.

YearOneOne · 08-02-2018, 05:39 PM

I've dropped things in my bay I still haven't found

chris_flies · 08-02-2018, 06:36 PM

I dropped a foot long extension down there. Had to remove 20-odd undertray screws to get it back. A foot long extension could've done an impressive amount of damage to any number of things down there.

rowsdower · 08-02-2018, 08:14 PM

First of all, if you are going to drop something in your engine bay, make sure it is made of metal.

Second, your toolbox is not complete without one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/SE-8036TM-NEW.../dp/B000RB3XBA

Third, get these while you're at it! Really makes searching for fallen items a lot less frustrating.

https://www.amazon.com/Tooluxe-20734.../dp/B0034L471U

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYTI2HV

07-09-2009, 08:29 AM	#1
jksgoh Major 141 Rep 1,448 Posts Drives: M2 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Melb, Vic, Aus iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 E82 125i [0.00]	getting something out of the engine bay? i accidentally dropped a small plastic cap (similar but slightly smaller than a drink bottle cap) in the engine bay. tried looking for it with a torch but couldnt see it. anyone got any tricks???
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07-09-2009, 08:33 AM	#2
Lester Brigadier General 295 Rep 3,350 Posts Drives: Join Date: Oct 2007 iTrader: (0)	Ha - they can fall anywhere. You need a good strong flashlight. Sometimes, you need to drop another identical object from the same position and follow it with a flashlight to see where it goes.
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07-09-2009, 09:04 AM	#3
atr_hugo No longer moderate 325 Rep 4,401 Posts Drives: '13 135i Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: - iTrader: (0)	But Lester, isn't there a law of physics that says anything dropped from a comparable height will fall through a crowded engine bay in the same manner as a Pachinko ball? In other words, randomly. ; -)
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07-09-2009, 10:08 AM	#4
Mister Zag Driver 0 Rep 26 Posts Drives: 135i SGM / Coral Red Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madison, WI iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 135i [0.00]	Ha, my engine bay has been the proud owner of a lens cap for months now. It happened while documenting the installation of my JB3. I fear the beast accepted it as a tribute and rewarded me with massive power gains. Now, after a long session of carving up of some of the wondrous country roads near me, I must often repress the sometimes overwhelming urge to drop additional little trinkets in there.
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07-09-2009, 10:32 AM	#5
Addict...Nah Im A Junkie! Captain 34 Rep 786 Posts Drives: 09 135i, 98 M rdstr Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	The 135's engine is packed in there pretty tight. Not sure how one would go about finding anything in there..... I have a hard enough time just trying to clean the damn thing. Have you tried removing any under panels of the car and going in from the bottom?? Remember your Price is Right rules, the plinko chip never falls the same way, even if you drop it in the same place over and over again. __________________ '09 135i 6MT : Space Grey/Black ette : Cold Weather Package : Sport Package : Glacier Silver Aluminum Trim : iPod and USB : Nav : HD radio : Premium hi-fi system
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07-09-2009, 12:32 PM	#6
///M1 Brigadier General 273 Rep 3,164 Posts Drives: Many Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: North of 7K RPM iTrader: (1) Garage List 2020 BMW M2 CS [0.00] 1994 Audi RS2 Avant [0.00] 2021 Audi RS6 Avant [0.00] 1988 BMW E30 M3 [0.00] 2011 BMW 1///M [0.00] 2017 BMW F80 M3 30 ... [0.00] 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3 [0.00] 2015 Porsche Macan ... [0.00] 1998 Porsche 993 C4S [0.00] 1994 Lancia Delta I ... [0.00] 2008 Audi RS4 [0.00]	Don't get me started! Lasst week when I did a dyno test I had to take off the engine plastic cover, one of the bolts fell and it was resting on the underskirt. Had to jack the car, then take about 20 screws (not kidding) to remove the plastic skirt and find it. And guess what, on my 2nd attempt to put the bolt back on...it fell again! Annother 30 mins and I was back in business... Moral of the story: use magnetic tools and DO NOT drop anything down that abyss! __________________ *2011 BMW E82 1///M: AW, all options; Renntech, Akrapovic, Forge, P3, RevoZ CF bits, many mods 1988 BMW E30 M3: Hennarot, S14, stock 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3: PtS, CXX, LWBS, PCCB 1998 Porsche 993 C4S: Zenith Blue, last aircooled widebody, Bilstein PSS10, Fister II + Fabspeed exhaust 2008 Audi B7 RS 4*: Sprint Blue, Audi Exclusive Euro Bucket Interior, Premium+Titanium, many mods
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07-09-2009, 06:30 PM	#7
joeo Lieutenant 120 Rep 475 Posts Drives: 2009 Crimson Red 135i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Sterling, Va iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMM 135i [9.50]	It's easy - just turn the car upside down and shake. -Joe http://www.lovehorsepower.com
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07-10-2009, 08:22 PM	#9
jksgoh Major 141 Rep 1,448 Posts Drives: M2 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Melb, Vic, Aus iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 E82 125i [0.00]	dont think its worth removing the under panels. think i'll just let it find a home in there...
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07-10-2009, 08:33 PM	#10
1speedbike Brigadier General 732 Rep 3,274 Posts Drives: 2022 X4 M40i, 2008 135i Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: MKE iTrader: (15)	Haha, I dropped a screwdriver down there today while installing my JB+. luckily I was able to fish it out through the wheel opening __________________ 2022 X4 M40i - 2008 135i - 2015 F700GS On Order - 2024 i4 M50 Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived... Mmhm.
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11-14-2012, 05:55 AM	#11
Jay-K Brigadier General 384 Rep 3,450 Posts Drives: Slow Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: LA iTrader: (0)	From the 3 series forum, i drop a torx screw in my engine bay, went crazy about it. Finally i tried to pull it out with a magnetic screw strapped on strings. Just when i want to grabbed it with my hand it fell and no where to be found or seen, well i guess i just let it find a home down there since my technician said it will not matter. Sorry for my bad english - im indonesian
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11-14-2012, 07:04 AM	#12
Ammonia Captain 37 Rep 747 Posts Drives: 440i GC Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Wilmington NC iTrader: (4)	I've dropped a few things in the engine bay. The best thing I think I've done, is forget a wrench I left resting on the side of the bay. A few days later when I went to clean my intakes, I saw it sitting there in the same position.
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08-01-2018, 05:15 PM	#13
Jtalismanyes Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: May 2018 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	I dropped my key in the engine bay. Luckily I have my spare, but that thing is long gone.
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08-01-2018, 10:31 PM	#15
The Wind Breezes Lieutenant Colonel 912 Rep 1,850 Posts Drives: 135i N55 DCT Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Hell of a necro. I'm not against them but damn!
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08-02-2018, 12:23 PM	#16
Stock4Evr RetNavSpook 67 Rep 398 Posts Drives: 2012 135i - 2016 320i Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Canyon Lake, Texas iTrader: (0)	Slap, tap I dropped the cover of an alligator clip on the left side of the engine. I saw the problem with removing the entire cover and thought I would just let it stay and maybe would fall out in the garage and not on the road. I tapped lightly on the cover and heard where the plastic cover was. I tapped and it move over to the right side where I could get my hand into a cut out and retrieve the plastic piece. Do not know if this will work for you but this is what worked for me. Good luck.
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08-02-2018, 05:39 PM	#18
YearOneOne Captain 361 Rep 727 Posts Drives: 13 135i mineral grey Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Maryland iTrader: (1)	I've dropped things in my bay I still haven't found
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08-02-2018, 06:36 PM	#19
chris_flies Sideways and Smiling 3027 Rep 2,860 Posts Drives: In Exuberance Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Rosamond, CA USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW E91 328i [0.00]	I dropped a foot long extension down there. Had to remove 20-odd undertray screws to get it back. A foot long extension could've done an impressive amount of damage to any number of things down there. __________________ 2012 BMW 328i 6-Speed Wagon \| Deep Sea Blue with Grey Dakota Leather \| Manual Swap, 330i Intake + Tune, 3.15 Helical LSD, Öhlins R&T (SOLD) 2009 BMW 128i 6-Speed Coupé \| Monaco Blue with Black Sensatec \| chris_flies' 128i thread
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08-02-2018, 08:14 PM	#20
rowsdower Captain 641 Rep 695 Posts Drives: 2011 128i 6MT Sport Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	First of all, if you are going to drop something in your engine bay, make sure it is made of metal. Second, your toolbox is not complete without one of these: https://www.amazon.com/SE-8036TM-NEW.../dp/B000RB3XBA Third, get these while you're at it! Really makes searching for fallen items a lot less frustrating. https://www.amazon.com/Tooluxe-20734.../dp/B0034L471U https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYTI2HV
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