‘I installed this vato’s battery backwards’: O’Reilly’s worker causes massive car fire after routine installation goes awry. Here’s how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you
An O’Reilly Auto Parts employee's first day on the job reportedly took a catastrophic turn when a routine installation ended in a massive car fire.
The incident, captured on video and shared by TikToker Mike (@dr3amwurld) on Nov. 2, has already garnered over 1.5 million views, serving as a warning for car owners and novice mechanics alike.
@dr3amwurld ooops #gs300 #lexus ♬ original sound - Lupe Carreras
The footage shows a car engulfed in flames, with a fire truck nearby, while the TikToker narrates: “It’s my first day working at O’Reilly’s. I installed this vato’s battery backwards.”
In the comment section, viewers cracked jokes about the situation.
One commenter wrote, "Did you try turning it off and then on again.”
"Last day working at ORiley’s too,” a second added.
"Don’t worry man, chuck it up to experience. You’ll do better next time,” a third remarked sarcastically.
However, others questioned the quality control at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.
“No lie. I just got a new battery from oreillys and they didn’t tighten it down. I’m really really grateful we caught it before something bad happened,” one commenter said.
Another shared: “dude at O’Reillys tried to sell me LED strip lighting as a replacement taillight bulb.. so I believe this.”
According to one article, installing a car battery backwards can cause a short circuit, which can lead to sparks. This can damage not only the battery, but also “fry various electronic components in the vehicle.” The article states, “The damage can range from blown fuses to damaged alternators, control modules, sensors, and wiring.”
To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, always check the polarity of the battery terminals and the cables before connecting them. A WikiHow article notes that, “The positive terminal is typically red and might be marked with a plus sign (+),” while also adding that, “the negative battery terminal is usually black and may have a minus sign (-) near it.”
This is not the first time that car repair has come to the forefront of discussion on TikTok. In August, a user posted a video about a car parts website that can help you cut the middleman out and save money. More recently, a business advisor shared a tip about a non-profit that helps low-income, single moms by getting their cars repaired for cheap.
The Daily Dot reached out to Mike via TikTok direct messages and to O’Reilly’s Auto Parts via the media relations contact form on its website.
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