...let's say that someone dropped a socket down into the hole under the battery. Where does it end up? How do you get it out? Hypothetically...of course.

 

I think the said fictional socket would end up under the windshield washer reservoir. IIRC onehundred80 did this a few weeks back

Hopefully, you won't need that same socket to remove the fender to get the socket you didn't drop.

 

Did you hear it hit bottom? I dropped the M6 nut from the battery clamp down that hole, and it luckily hung up just below the opening.

 

Speaking hypothetically from experience, LOL, my nut, no laughing. ended up as John said on the WW reservoir. It could have fallen onto the plastic of the fender liner which continues back toward the rear of the car. You can remove this liner, or I should say you can loosen the screws that attach it over the wheel and bend it down onto the rotor and see into the area around and under the WW washer reservoir. Complete removal would be a beetch.

Tapping the underside of this liner near the jack pad may let you hear it bouncing around. I retrieved mine using the magnet on one of those clawed flexible retriever gizmo's. I was lucky as it stuck to the magnet just as I had given up fishing around after doing it fruitlessly for five minutes, it was under the tank against the body but it could have been anywhere in there.


All of the above is just hypothetical mind you.

A photo from Lugnuts how to on the WW tank replacement.

 

Thanks guys. It's good to know in case I ever do that.

 

Here is a pic with the battery tray removed. Have you tried a magnet stick with a flexible handle?

 

I have been hearing a vibration near the passenger door lately and I dropped it quite some time ago. Hopefully it hasn't gone into a crevice where I can't get it out.

 

Thanks James. I have, and it never pulled anything out. Kept getting stuck to other metal but never found the socket.

 

I know a guy who did exactly the same thing over a year ago , and he's still missing that socket. I gave up, I mean, he gave up and just went and bought another socket.

 

You can remove the fender liner completely if needed, but you have to jack up that side, then support with a jack stand at the lower ball joint so you leave the jack point free. You then remove the 2 10mm bolts ( I think - may be 8mm ) under the bottom, then the jack point pad by removing the plastic screw,. You can then slide the fender liner out.
Hope you don't have to go to that length for a fiction missing socket .......

 

Is dropping a nut a sign of old age? Is this what I have to look forward to?

 

No.... it usually happens by the time you are born(hopefully you drop two).... not when you get old....

 

I dropped two, but nit untill I was 7 years old