Right, plastidipped my grill today, looks ace.

BUT, when re-fitting grill to bonnet i frickin dropped one of the screws that hold the grill onto the bonnet into the engine bay. It was one of the screws on the passenger side and directly above the battery. I've traced a line with my arm from the screw hole straight down and the screw would have hit the front of the battery cover, so has probably ended up around that area.

Now, i have searched everywhere for this poxy screw, i've had the bottom engine cover off (which was the obvious place to look) and i've searched with a torch into the engine bay. The bugger is nowhere to be seen.

The grill itself is screwed tight to the bonnet so im not overly bothered about one screw missing BUT i am concerned that this rogue screw might get caught up in an engine component and mess things up.

What are your thoughts folks, should i be concerned?

Cheers all.

Edited 18 October, 201312 yr by carefree

No.

Not even near any belts, it'll be sitting on the subframe hiding.

Which part of the engine bay?  Down the front?  Nothing really to impact there.  If it was down the left side, there is potential for fouling belts.  Chances are it is sat in the engine tray.

Thats the thing, the first place i looked was the engine tray, the f@@ker has just disappeared. I didnt even hear it bounce of anything, it just fell straight down.

i lost a 19mm spanner in the engine bay of a renault 19 once, no trace whatsoever, only found it a year later... dont worry about it, unless it finds itself into the air intake it'll be fine

It may turn up embedded in your front tyre!

 

DB

unless it finds itself into the air intake it'll be fine

Is that likely?

no really, it would need to pass through the air filter.. nearly 100% impossible tbh

I wont hold you to that, but cheers ;-)

Im still fretting about this fookin screw, had another look in the engine bay and on the ground where it was parked and nothing, the poxy thing has disappeared.

I have driven it and no unusual or worrying noises, so thats reassuring at least.

Anyone else done this (come on, reassure me).

I HATE cars.

Edited 20 October, 201312 yr by carefree

I lost a top mount bolt the other week, I could see it but not reach it. I put the car in reverse, slammed on the brakes, then the same forward, repeat two or three times and the bolt was on the drive!

Go up the road somewhere close to you and see if it manifests it self then you wont be stuck.

I'd only worry if you dropped it into the intake itself. I'm always losing stuff into the engine bay..It's pretty much my second toolbox in there.

Many of times ive lost screws/bolts/nuts/washers into the engine bay! Dont get too worked up about it.

I found a 13mm snap-on spanner wedged between subframe and anti-roll bar on my mk4 golf tdi!

Result