So, I changed my AC filter.

Upon retrieving the AC filter tray, the top hinged cover suddenly "popped" and is no longer held down firmly. It just flops about now.

What happened here?

How come when I do my own DIY maintenance, I end up breaking something, causing twice the hassle and cost to replace?

Needed to vent. I'm sooo frustrated, I want to break something, but I already did...

 

Yea that usually happens so me too, either I brake something, scratch something, or something just doesnt go back the way it was before. BUT.... I think of this, when I think of that... I am convinced that these modern cars today cant be taken apart and put back together EXACTLY the way they were before. Too many cheap plastic parts. So, that being said Im convinced that ANYONE who takes the car apart breaks something, scratches something, or something doesnt fit right, YOU just dont know about it!!! Everytime I have taken a car to a dealer to have something done, something was always out of place or scratched or something bad. Most people just dont notice it, or think for some reason that shop monkeys can somehow do a better job than you who cares and has the utmost concern about your own vehicle can.

I add this to compliment your venting

 

dang and you were just talking about that too with your k&n filter. maybe u jinxed yourself?

 

I do the same thing!!! I just finished installing my springs and I broke a clip! darn it, good thing you dont see it!

 

BTW sorry for your mishap

 

Which top hinged cover? The one on the part behind the glovebox? Did you put the vent to recirc before you tried to get the filter out?

 

LOL reminds me of the old days when i would rebuild T-2/T-3 motors in my garage for my 72 SR-5's (plural) and AFTER everything is put back into the car there would always be alot of extra bolts BUT i've never broken nething, not even stripped a headder bolt Breakage for me comes from driving, 'Pound it, Break it, Fix it, Pound it again'

 

No. It seems that was something I overlooked...

 

it's okay dude, we fail at things so we can get better at it. You can't just be good at DIY over night.

 

I do this sometimes because I'm impatient. I have to learn to take it slow and think everything through before I do it. A lot of us guys do not even read the manual. Then again, it's a learning process. I just won't make the same mistake twice.

 

As flipsonic stated above, I used to break things too. Now, everytime I'm doing "DIY" I will always be careful.

 

we dont' read the manual because we have done many DIY before. After a while you get familiar with a lot of things, you can just look at it and able to tell how to disassemble and reinstall it before you even touch it.

 

I have done many DIYs too. For me, not reading the manual may work sometimes but not all the time. It depends on what I'm working on. Sometimes, I find it would have taken me less time had I read the manual.

 

If you're talking about oil change and simple stuff then you don't need to read the manual. If you swap the engine, diagnose the problem then you need to read it.

 

I hope you are not sharing this observation with your physical therapy clients! :P