Anthony Greene/Shutterstock One of the biggest internal hurdles I've had to clear in order to build the confidence to work on my own car is the fear of royally screwing something up. I have never owned more than one car at a time, so whatever car I have is my sole form of transportation, and I know I'd be so mad at myself if I mucked something up, leaving me stranded at home, simply because I was too proud to admit a job was out of my personal scope. I'm not sure how universal my experience is, or if it's just another result of the internalized shame complex and fear of failure that I'm working through in therapy right now, but let's turn this into a moment of vulnerability for the group. So I ask you, dear reader, what is the most annoying problem you caused by working on your own car? Share your experience in the comments section down below. Humans are imperfect beings, so don't be afraid to share an example of your humanity! The squeaking. The cursed, incessant squeaking Logan K. Carter/Jalopnik The most annoying problem I have caused by working on my own car (so far) is failing to apply a sufficient amount of silicone lubricant to the rubber bushings when I upgraded my Mini's rear sway bar. Sometimes when I'm driving my Mini, I feel like Mr. Krabs after he gives SpongeBob the squeaky boots in that one episode — you know, when he basically has a psychotic break and snaps? Let's just say I now intimately understand the importance of sufficient lubrication. In order to amend this mistake, I have to drop the rear subframe, and I, as someone who lives in an apartment in the heart of Los Angeles, don't frequently have access to the time or tools necessary to accomplish this task. It's either going to be annoying and labor-intensive to fix it myself, or expensive to pay someone else to do it. Initially, the squeaking only occurred on chilly mornings, but lately it has been ever-present. It's a loud, embarrassing racket that often requires explaining my mechanical faux pas to passengers, and I know it's audible outside of the car, which also doesn't feel great. Thankfully, it's just an annoying noise, and it doesn't keep the car from operating just fine, but still, it drives me nuts. What's the most annoying problem you caused by working on your own car?
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