| darenberg |
This morning as I backed out of my driveway I noted a flat. I went to change it...pulled thte car into the garage first because its below zero wind chill here. AS I cranked the jack up I could see & hear the jack starting to strain under the weight of the car. I took the lugs off anyway, thinking "There's no way this jack would fail....honda wouldn't sell something that flimsy". Anyway, the jack started to lean over from being warped, and I called my wife, and had her run to get a spare tire jack that I keep in the house for other purposes, intending to put it next to the first thinking I'd just be safe, but before I could get the second jack into place, the first one failed, and the car came crashing down on the wheel rim. I got my arms & legs out of the way just in time, and then I got really PO'ed thinking of how close I came to just getting mamed.
Has anybody EVER heard of a jack failing like that? I have changed plenty tires before, both for myself & for random strangers on the road trying to be a nice guy, and I have NEVER seen a jack do what this one did. |
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| jl_ss |
quote:
Originally posted by darenberg
This morning as I backed out of my driveway I noted a flat. I went to change it...pulled thte car into the garage first because its below zero wind chill here. AS I cranked the jack up I could see & hear the jack starting to strain under the weight of the car. I took the lugs off anyway, thinking "There's no way this jack would fail....honda wouldn't sell something that flimsy". Anyway, the jack started to lean over from being warped, and I called my wife, and had her run to get a spare tire jack that I keep in the house for other purposes, intending to put it next to the first thinking I'd just be safe, but before I could get the second jack into place, the first one failed, and the car came crashing down on the wheel rim. I got my arms & legs out of the way just in time, and then I got really PO'ed thinking of how close I came to just getting mamed.
Has anybody EVER heard of a jack failing like that? I have changed plenty tires before, both for myself & for random strangers on the road trying to be a nice guy, and I have NEVER seen a jack do what this one did.
Good to hear that no one was hurt. I don't believe anyone on this site has reported a jack failure. But I would guess that a majority of them never get used. What year was the Pilot? Are you sure the jack was the original (did you buy the Pilot new)? Did you use the jack points as indicated in the manual? Did the jack show any corrosion? If the jack was the original and you used the correct jack points, then I would definitely bring this to the attention of your dealer and Honda corporate. |
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| N_Jay |
You said it the jack was leaning. Unless the car moved or the jack moved, it should not have been leaning.
Most OEM jacks will not stand up to anything other then being used strait up. |
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| dragoncoach |
| I am also glad you weren't injured. The jack failure you are describing sounds as if either the jack wasn't completely centered under the jack point or the base of the jack wasn't on completely flat ground resulting in jack failure. No blame being placed, but just a possible explanation. It's always possible the jack failed, but I honestly have never seen it happen. Could the weather (temperature) have been a factor? The most important thing is you are okay. |
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| jl_ss |
| N_Jay makes a good point. You wrote that it was leaning from being warped but also noted that it seemed overstressed from the beginning. Are you sure it was not leaning any to begin with? You noted that you pulled it into the garage - my garage floor is actually sloped downwards (starting halfway along it's length) to make sure any water drains outwards. That would create a leaning condition if I tried to jack up the rear of my vehicle. |
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| LChisum |
quote:
Originally posted by dragoncoach
I am also glad you weren't injured. The jack failure you are describing sounds as if either the jack wasn't completely centered under the jack point or the base of the jack wasn't on completely flat ground resulting in jack failure. No blame being placed, but just a possible explanation. It's always possible the jack failed, but I honestly have never seen it happen. Could the weather (temperature) have been a factor? The most important thing is you are okay.
I had a jack fail (bend) on me with my previously owned CR-V. I was changing a tire in a parking lot, and doubt that the asphalt surface was level. Apparently, it must be perfectly straight up, which could not be achieved. Anyway, I was miffed that the jack was so fragile, and took it back to the dealer, and got it replaced under warranty.
Larry |
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| andyschneider |
I've used the Pilot jack many times to help during tire rotations in the garage, and I've learned that due to the height of the vehicle and the way the suspension is sprung, you have to be very carful as you jack the car up to make sure it stays straight all through the jacking procedure. while I haven't had the jack fall out from under the car, I have had it lean quite a bit to the extent that I had to lower it back down and start again. Sometimes, as you're jacking the car up, at mid-lift you can notice this "lean" and then gently kick the bottom of the jack to make it straight again, before all of the weight is on it.
Now, what I don't understand is the statement about the jack being "warped" - never seen this one before, so unless this jack was used before and damaged, I don't see how it could happen....
andy |
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| bobzz |
quote:
Originally posted by andyschneider
I've used the Pilot jack many times to help during tire rotations in the garage, and I've learned that due to the height of the vehicle and the way the suspension is sprung, you have to be very carful as you jack the car up to make sure it stays straight all through the jacking procedure. while I haven't had the jack fall out from under the car, I have had it lean quite a bit to the extent that I had to lower it back down and start again. Sometimes, as you're jacking the car up, at mid-lift you can notice this "lean" and then gently kick the bottom of the jack to make it straight again, before all of the weight is on it.
Now, what I don't understand is the statement about the jack being "warped" - never seen this one before, so unless this jack was used before and damaged, I don't see how it could happen....
andy
Sounds like this jack "aint worth jack" :2: :2: |
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| jestmaty |
Perpendicular to the car??? Any slope at all?? Level concrete floor??
I use my jack a LOT because I rotate my own tires and go as far as to take them off once a month to clean out the inside area of the rim. But in balmy Houston, Tx. , we don't have the cold that you do.
My driveway has just a barely noticeable incline, and I have found the jack to be rocking ever so slightly when trying to either remove or replace the wheel on the studs.
Maybe show us a picture? |
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| darenberg |
Thanks all for the input. In response to as many of the questions I can remember, I was using the jack on the reinforced jack-point. The car was in my garage, which is about as plum flat of a surface as I could have wanted. The parking brake was on, but the back wheels must have had just enough roll in them to allow the weight of the car to push the jack over as I raised it. When I looked at the long bolt after this thing happened, the bolt was bent in the middle...I guess that is what I meant by being warped. The jack was the original that came with my brand new 2003 pilot when I purchased it...I've been the only owner, and had never needed it before.
I have been very pleased with my pilot, and the service I get at the dealer. I don't even mind spending a little more than I would at a regular garage, because I like the people there and the convenience they offer (I live fairly close). However, I did get interesting, and discrepant opinions from the three individuals I dealt with at the service center. One swears he's never seen a jack fail like that, but the others (one guy who came out to help me change the tire with a more sturdy floor jack, and the service intake rep at the dealer) both remarked on how flimsy the OEM jack is relative to the size of the vehicle. I just could not fathom how Honda could sell such a flimsy jack for a car/truck of this size. I could not have found a more perfect surface on which to use it.
Just be careful all, if you use this thing, to look out for any lean, and if you see it, put the vehicle down ASAP, and get yourself a more sturdy jack in the mean time. |
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| Luwin1026 |
| Glad to hear you were not hurt. If you have the luxury of jacking up (literally, not figuratively) your car in the comfort of your own garage, it is a good precautionary mesaure to supplement with jackstands - here in CA, I always wondered what would happen if an earthquake were to suddenly hit, or if I accidentally bumped the car pretty good, etc., etc. |
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| bioshock |
automobile factory car Jack's are recommended to be used on even flat surface, Driveways are not the best place to use a jack because they are not straight.
With that said, i too have bent a jack using it on a 98 honda civic EX. |
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| darenberg |
I don't want to sound all ungrateful or anything, but all of these suggestions about making sure the surface is flat ring a little hollow. I challenge you to find a more ideal surface in which to raise a car on its jack. Flat as a pancake. I have since learned from a Honda mechanic that won't go on record, that the jack is NOT sufficient to raise an SUV, but its the only one that fits in the compartment.
I just bought a more heavy duty jack and carry it in the car. What a shame and waste of space, but god forbid you ever have to change a tire on the side of a highway and have this happen to you. |
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| iivtecracerii |
my pilot's jack failed as well (look for my WTB OEM jack thread).
granted i was using it on packed gravel (its level, and i placed a flat piece of plywood on top to make a more even surface for the jack), but i've used it on there before without incident. the jack started to bend as i was cranking it and my car (the accord) came falling down.
still have yet to goto the dealer and see if they will give me a new one. granted its a piece of crap, but still good to have something in the car just in case. |
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| bioshock |
Yes those jacks are a POS!!!! most are rated to 500lbs, thats why it needs to be even surface so its only supporting the weight on 1 side if not 1/4 of the car. If the surface is uneven specially if the area where the tire that needs to be replaced is lower, it will have to supoprt more weight.
I have also read on one automotive forum once that your suppose to get your jack replaced if you have used it before.
This thread even got me thinking about replacing my own jack stand now with the electrical type which i have used before and i have on my other car.
i will see tonight if i can fit a 6ton bottle type jack or the electric type in the pilots compartment.
here's the electric type
Here's the 6ton bottle type
and if your worried about non even surface, then get one that you can basically support the whole weight of the car:
http://automotive.hardwarestore.com...ack-653189.aspx
oh yeah. 20ton jack!. haha |
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| jscampbe |
Just out of curiosity on this...if you have a flat in the middle of no where, are you supposed to keep driving until you find a perfectly flat place to stop and put on the spare? Hope you don't have a blowout in the mountains or something....
I think I will be getting a new jack to go with my rig. I have a good floor jack for in the yard swapping the winters on but never realized how crappy the one in the vehicle would be |
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