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So....don't inhale brakleen

S

Starfury

Well-Known Member
While putting my oil pan back on last night (in the middle of swapping heads and replacing the timing cover seal) I was lying on a creeper under the car when I suddenly got really, really nauseous. I had to get out from under the car to breathe. I didn't really feel better after walking around, so I went upstairs and tried to make myself vomit. That didn't work (nothing in my stomach), so I sat on the couch for 20min. Felt slightly better, so I went back out and screwed the 4 corner bolts into the oil pan. Immediately felt worse, but forced myself to clean up. Walked upstairs and passed out for almost 10 hours.

I had doused the oil pan pretty good with brakleen, as I do with most parts that need to be cleaned and dried. Brakleen fumes are heavier than air, and I think I got a really good concentrated whiff under the car that sat in my lungs and screwed me up pretty good.

Moral of the story: don't breathe lots of brakleen.
 
I agree go get a check up.

Also lesson learned when using such products.....have a small fan on moving the air with the garage door open.
 
I'll be sure and give it a good inhale when I get home! Sounds like a great idea to me!
 
"garner67" said:
You really should think about going to get checked out by a doc.

We should all be careful with chemical exposure. For example, read this article scary article!!!

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm


Damn that really makes you want to think. I have a frind that uses brake Kleen all the time for cleaning parts. I will have to show him this.
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That only works with chlorinated brake cleaner (with heat and argon), which you can't get in CA. The stuff here is low-VOC on top of that.

I'm pretty much fine now. Minor headache, but that's probably from dehydration, and it's been getting better all day. It was basically like being really, really drunk. Can't get enough oxygen to the brain, so it screws up your balance and motor functions and makes you nauseous.
 
That is some nasty stuff, I wonder if that explains why my brain is fried??
 
Wow, since I have only 1 brain cel left, or partial thereof, I can't afford to take a chance. I better work in a well ventilated area.
 
I'm back at 100% now (well, before I started drinking). Thanks for the concern, guys. If I have any more problems, I'll definitely get checked out.

Keep in mind, this was outside, not in a garage. That's why I thought I was fine under the car. Should've set up a fan.
 
"cmayna" said:
Wow, since I have only 1 brain [glow=red,2,300]cel[/glow] left, or partial thereof, I can't afford to take a chance. I better work in a well ventilated area.
Click to expand...

Uh, I think that ONE brain cell is beginning to go.
 
It was basically like being really, really drunk. Can't get enough oxygen to the brain, so it screws up your balance and motor functions and makes you nauseous.
Click to expand...

What's the exact brand name that you were using?

If you had to guess, what do you estimate your exposure time to have been?

So you were laying on the ground and the recently cleaned oil pan was over/around your head....

How much do you weigh?


Just wondering about some stuff, thanks!
 
The house I'm buying has a 30ftwide by 50ft polebarn with AC heat and ventilators. I'm hoping this will suffice for any auto related purposes! :)
 
I was using CRC Brakleen, the non-chlorinated, low-VOC stuff for use in CA. Comes in a red can with a big yellow stripe along the top. My preferred brand, as it seems to work beter than most of the other stuff. Plus, I got a case for super cheap from work :D

Exposure time might have been a minute, tops. That was about how long I was under the car before I started feeling weird.

I was outside, under the car, which was raised on jack stands. The car wasn't up very high, though, and I was on a creeper, so I was jammed in there pretty good.

I weigh ~185lbs.
 
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