What a terrible way to start the week. I was driving into work this morning, about 6:30am, so it's still dark out, and rainy. I was going about 30-35mph around a bend, when I drove over what I can only describe as a boulder. The glare on the road made it invisible until I was already on it, and it wasn't until I saw it in my rear-view that I could tell what I hit. There was enough traffic that I couldn't swerve around it, plus wet roads, reaction time, etc, etc.

My car's lowered on Tanabe DF-210s. I heard two heavy clunks, and the rear-end bounced as it passed. Everything seems fine, but I won't be able to get the car to a shop and on a lift to inspect until tomorrow night, so I'm worndering what I should be looking/listening for in terms of damage symptoms.

I inspected the underside of the car to the best of my ability in the parking lot at work, and nothing's obviously deformed or broken, but I know I had to have incurred some damage.

My low front end cleared the stone, and the clunks sounded/felt like one under my seat, and one at the back end, so I'm thinking/hoping that my oil pan and sump are unharmed. I expected my front lip to be smashed or cracked, and my exhaust to be hanging off, but neither were damaged.

I am really anxious about this, so I might try using the emergency jack to get a better look before I drive it home. I also plan to check the fluids.

 

Ah Shit eh.

If you do not have a puddle of oil and the brakes work then you should be OK until you can get a look underneath.

 

Ha, indeed.

I took it for a short drive during lunch, and all seems well. No leaking, creaking or other apparent issues. Another quick visual check and fluid check revealed no evidence of damage. Still, I'm nervous that something has been damaged and will fail unexpectedly.

 

Na, you would know. A lucky hit. Went under your but I'll bet. Bounced the rear huh?

 

I'd look carefully at the plastic undertrays in the front. You may have some broken plastic anchors.

Still, the cars are tough. Our Acura has holes in the front undertrays (naturally my wife denies EVER having run over anything!) and aside from a few $2 anchors, no problems.

 

That reminds me off when I hit a pretty big turtle doing about 70. That thing raped my undercarriage. Not my fit thankfully

 

Come to think of it I once watched out the rear view as a deer 'slip' under the front of a VW Beetle 3 lengths back. Deer was spread eagle after bouncing off my right rear wheel. Came off a side hill straight into me. I was going 60MPH up hill on I-90. I was driving a 74 Audi Fox [pos].