Big problem after jacking up my car!!
 

I just got a set of ASPEC rims for my 07 type s and was jacking up the front end, I was almost up high enough to put the jack stands under both sides when the hydraulic jack gave out. I panicked for a minute and thought everything was ok, but when I took a step back to look at my car, I realized that the hood was unlatched. Now it won't close. Something under the hood must have been pushed up when it fell. I feel sick right now and have no idea why it won't close or what was pushed up. I've done this a hundred times and never had a problem with all my cheaper cars! I finally get a type s and it fails on me. Any suggestions or anyone have this happen to them?

Sorry to hear that dude. Have you inspected the latch? Is there anything in the areas where the hood closes that may prevent it from closing? Can you take and post a picture/video or both?

This is irrelevant but what brand floor jack were you using?

How could anything of gone wrong? You jack up the car and put the jack stand under before you take the tire off.

Not understanding this very well. Chalk your tired. E brake. Flat hill. Loosen the lug nuts before you start to jack the car up and try not to touch the car very hard when up.

No idea what you're talking about. But sorry

I think when the jack gave out it moved and caught the radiator. It looks like it's higher than it used to be. That's not good.

Not exactly sure the brand but I got it from advanced auto parts. I can check tomorrow.

Has nothing to do with any of that. All of that was done. While jacking up my car, it gave out, must have slipped and caught something else (thinking the radiator) because now the hood won't close.

If the jack slipped off of the front center jack point you probably bent the radiator or some off the radiator support up a little. It happened to a member on my prelude forum and it bent his radiator support.

Don't freak until you inspect under the car where the lack hit but if the jack slipped off of the lift point the car's weight was applied to whatever was in it's way. Good luck, I hope it's no biggie after all.

mustve hit the radiator.... another member had the same thing happen (forgot who) but he ended up replacing quite a few parts if i remember correctly.

but anyways. telling us / showing pictures wont really help unless we were in front on the car to inspect each angle inside and out... take it to a mechanic.:2cents:

Have you tried slamming the hood shut lol

Either my car's hood is messed or they were made this way but i cant seem to close my hood using a civilized way (soft close till it catches then press down for final lock)

I have to let it slam down by itself with the hood maybe a foot up, just enough that the struts dont keep it up.

Anyways best of luck

the first thing you need to do is check if the latch is functioning correctly. use a screwdriver and put on the lever and see if it locks. if it doesnt, then you alrdy found your problem.

I'm assuming the latch somehow got shifted during the fall and is too low to catch the hood. it only has to move probably like 5-10mm before it wont catch the hood

or, maybe the radiator shroud isnt sitting in place anymore therefore blocking the hood from closing all the way.

so many possibilities, so little info. if you want us to help, you gotta help us understand.

lol, my jack slipped and hit the radiator.
busted the radiator and bent the radiator support upwards.

i had to remove radiator(obviously busted) to replace it, but also had to bend the metal back down as it was bowed up.


but this isnt useful to you, as maybe your situation is different.
we all make mistakes, yes even machines do.
count your blessings that no one was hurt under the car.

you'll need to actually inspect the car and find out what exactly is preventing the hood to not close

^As usual, beat me to it.
The jack didn't fail, it slipped off the aluminum jack point and destroyed/bent anything above.

Got to make certain the jack/car is on a flat smooth surface so that the jack/car can move as the car is lifted. If not, esp. with e-brake on, the jack arm comes forward and as the car goes up it will move back, bad combination.

also add to use that wheel chuck things you place behind them when jacking up the car.

I looked at it again this morning and it looks like the radiator was pushed up a couple inches. The coolant cap is what is stopping the hood. Also now it is leaking coolant. Is the car safe to drive to a mechanic or should I have it towed? Obviously I'm going to take it to a mechanic, but any advice from you guys? I'm an OEM kinda guy but is there any good brands of non-OEM that you recommend?

What are the best brand jacks that you all recommend for our cars? I'm lowered if that helps at all.

I don't know how to quote everyone in one post (how do I do that?) but thanks for all the help guys. It's the worst feeling being excited to put some new rims on and then you end up screwing something else up in the process.

the OEM radiator is made by Denso. from the stealer its close to 300 dollars.
I ordered a denso radiator for $100.

I use a harbor freight floor jack.
did yours fail or did it slip?
if it failed, you can just rebuild it.

machines sometimes fail. you need to make sure that its in properly working condition.

Alright thanks, I'll look that brand up. From what happened I thought it failed, I was pumping it up and then all the sudden, it all came crashing down. I didn't see or feel anything like it slipped or moved and then fell. It felt like it just gave out.

so, test the jack.
righty tighty and then jack it up.
then put a little load on it.

Sorry to hear about it OP. Hmmm I jack the car up from the center front a lot.....this story makes me want to stick to the sides from now on.

A failing jack is something that some people don't even think about or expect but it CAN happen. And for those of us who are aware that it can, this is our nightmare. Because this could have been worse. At least it didn't crash down when the wheels were off, or worse yet, while you were under it!

Good luck, hope the radiator will be a quick fix.

Thanks man, I normally use the sided but then you have to do one and then move to the other. Thinking the front would be easiest, I was wrong!

the front is the easiest and the proper way to jack it up.

you still havent answered if the jack failed or slipped.
if it hit the radiator, it slipped. as that's how mine went down.

I would think if it failed it would just lower the car, would make sense if it slipped because the jack would still be up in the air while car landed on it in a different spot(like the radiator)

that's what Turbo and I think as well.

but we need OP to check jack by tightening jack and lifting while placing small load on it.
it can even be the car, just keep tires on.

unless he jacked it up on the radiator support, facepalm

my troubles of the jack slipping

geeesh....sorry for your grief but thanks for the warning. i know to watch my jack from now on.

a good thread to read about lifting points.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/lifting-points-tl-815788/

So today I decided to try it again and get these ASPEC rims on the car. I got under the car after jacking it up and then putting the stands under it and took some pictures. It looks like the jack slipped and then hit the radiator. I need to join a website so I can upload pics. But I'm thinking that for some reason the jack slipped and pushed the radiator up preventing the hood to close. Hopefully all I have to do is buy a new radiator. Is that an easy DIY? I'll get pictures up soon.

If it's leaking coolant I wouldn't risk it. You could run out of coolant on the way there. The tow is cheap compared to the heat damage that could happen if you ran out of coolant and it overheats.

Did you see my pics? i did it diy.
it was fairly easy. except for banging down the metal...

Alright, well I'll give it a shot after I order the radiator and if I can't do it, I'll get it towed.

banging down that steel was pretty hard.
i think i must have made all the neighbors mad. :snicker:

Here are the pictures that I took.
http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/...psmnl4uotb.jpg

http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5g01fmbo.jpg
http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/...psacarlssb.jpg

http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/...psnnaqwaop.jpg

http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/...psqjqh911v.jpg

oh, yeah, the radiator is a little high.

this probably means that the steel was bowed up, Just like mine.

Exactly. This wasn't a jack failure. As stated, the arm comes up in an arc on most floor jacks and if it's just barely hanging on to the jack point, it can be enough to let the car slip.

I've probably jacked cars up a few hundred times and just a month ago I forgot to set the ebrake of the fiancee's Murano. It was in park but you know how that goes with the open diff. It began rolling back and I got it lowered down before I lost it but it slightly bent my expensive aluminum jack. I could only be mad at myself. Luckily I already had my hand on the long handle and just had to twist it to let it back down.

When I was younger I had my father's Opel GT fall on me. Luckily it did not have an engine in it and at the time I was competitively power lifting. I was able to keep my arms locked out and hold it but yelling was so incredibly hard with that weight on me. My father heard me and got it off of me but my back was cut up and bruised. My chest was somehow bruised even though nothing touched it. My hands were bruised and cut to hell, wrists swollen. I think it was pure adrenaline that kept it from crushing me and the fact that I was able to keep my arms locked out. You would think after an experience like that I would not forget things like setting the ebrake. This particular time was a hydraulic failure and the car came down relatively slow but too quick to get out from under it. After that I started using jack stands or blocks of wood.

Dang man that would be scary. Glad your ok. But yeah when I jacked it up the second time I made sure the that the jack was %100 on solid contact.

This is off topic but what year is her Murano? And have you ever had a problem with the gas pump clicking off because it thinks the tank is full when it isn't?