I have, on more than seven occasions, dropped coins into my steering column – you know, hands over the wheel, transferring coins from one wallet to another. Will this hurt my car? And more importantly, should I tell my husband and son? They’re both VERY into cars to the point of having pictures of them on their phones but no picture of me.
Only if they manage to rub some wires and cause a short, I doubt this though.
But I’d start handing under the wheel or close to the chest.
I might be a little concerned that they would get in the gearing and stop it from being able to turn, but I doubt that, too, they are probably just sitting in the bottom of the plastic cover.
There are a lot of electrical connections and a lot of moving parts down in the steering column. I’d get them out. It’d be no fun at all someday if the steering wheel suddenly locks on you.
Coins are metal and metal conducts electricity. So, if the coins get somewhere where they can jam a mechanism or complete an electical circut it can be a problem. I don’t really know where stuff could go in a Pruis and disappear.
It likely won’t cause a problem if it hasn’t already, but coins rattling around where they aren’t designed to be can’t be good.
Change your methods of transfering the coins. Perhaps doing this over the passanger seat is best, but definately not over steering wheel or dashboard. Hold on to your little secret and hope for the best.
Seven times, eh? Interesting that you’ve counted.
Not only could it hurt your car, as others have suggested, it could set off your steering wheel airbag and hurt YOU.
I’d have someone remove the plastic cover from the steering column and try to retrieve the coins. I would not be comfortable knowing they’re in there.
I’m with everyone else. I wouldn’t take a chance on shorting out an electrical connection or having the steering wheel jam.
I guess I don’t understand why it’s easier to do this coin business over the steering column instead of over your lap.
Chances are your husband or son will most likely tell you this same thing:
Transfer the coins at home!
And yes, tell your husband and son that you’ve been dumping coins into the steering column.
They will probably think its a really important thing to get coins out of a place they have no business being inside of.
BC.