# Wrench left in engine **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 7, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974 "2008-06-07T15:35:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wrenched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@wrenched](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wrenched)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/1 "2008-06-07T15:35:23Z")
A few days ago there was an odor in my one–year-old Camry. I checked under the hood and found a wrench near the battery. My last maintenance was a month ago. The Toyota dealer seemed nonchalant. Could something be punctured? What questions should I ask when I take the car back to the dealer? ---
**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/2 "2008-06-07T15:41:29Z")
What kind of odor was it? Gas, burnt oil/trans/ps/brake fluid, electrical, exhaust, coolant steam? If the wrench was just sitting tucked in a corner somewhere and was clean, I’d doubt it has done any damage. ---
**Author:** ![wrenched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@wrenched](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wrenched)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/3 "2008-06-07T15:46:02Z")
Thanks for responding. I don’t know enough to sort out the odor. I don’t think it was gas or oil, but I don’t know what the other fluids smell like. I haven’t smelled it since. The wrench looks clean, and I found it to the side of the battery, so I’m hopeful. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/4 "2008-06-07T15:50:50Z")
I doubt the wrench had anything to do with the odor. I once found a flashlight under the hood after having service performed. ---
**Author:** ![wrenched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@wrenched](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wrenched)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/5 "2008-06-07T15:56:04Z")
Thanks. In the future, I’ll have to remember to look under the hood after having the car serviced. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/6 "2008-06-07T16:01:29Z")
Examine the wrench for burn marks indicating it might have came in contact with the positive battery post…This is a long shot as todays battery posts are well protected from this sort of thing. If you can no longer smell anything, the dealership people will be of little help. ---
**Author:** ![wrenched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@wrenched](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wrenched)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/7 "2008-06-07T16:02:14Z")
Thanks ---
**Author:** ![marcusdb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marcusdb/32/185_2.png) [@marcusdb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marcusdb)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/8 "2008-06-07T16:53:05Z")
Maybe you could describe the smell? And what kind of service was performed? I am thinking the wrench is a red harring. Depending on what was done to your car, the smell could be an expected result of adding a new component or liquid to your system. It could even be that a bit of a liquid was dropped on a spot that heats up. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/9 "2008-06-07T16:55:35Z")
Some of the best tools that I have were left under the hood of various cars that I have owned over the past 40 years or so. None of these errant tools have done any damage, and in some cases, I didn’t discover them until days or weeks after the service/repair. So, yes it is possible for a left-over tool to do some damage, but unless you are the exception to what I have experienced, you probably have not suffered any damage. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/10 "2008-06-07T17:13:38Z")
Take the wrench back-the guy is looking for it. One of my best screwdrivers I found wedged against the exhaust and the engine where I must have dropped it. The exhaust melted the handle enough to really provide a great grip. Much better grip than any of my other screwdrivers. ---
**Author:** ![wrenched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@wrenched](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wrenched)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wrench-left-in-engine/14974/11 "2008-06-07T18:10:58Z")
Thanks I will take it back. Although I’m a lot more concerned about my $20,000 car than his wrench.