Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Chrysler - a pox on their engineers! May their eggnog curdle and all the needles shed from their artificial trees. May their fruitcakes have weevils! May their lights be wired in series with one bad bulb! A lump of coal in their stockings would be too good for 'em... Anyone who's ever had to change the rotor and cap - and plugs! - on an '01 Ram Pickup with a six cylinder engine will know whereof I speak. Sheesh...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Gee, I have wished similar hexes upon Ford and Chevy engineers for various and similar reasons. Ya think it's a "conspiracy"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 Yeah, swapping out a bad heater core on a Ford pickup ranks up there... but that's hopefully not as common as the ignition parts. Actually, I spent two days replacing said core once, and had the new one fail in exactly three days. The dealer wanted a thousand bucks to replace a thirty dollar part.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Each and every time I've been forced to try to install a spare tire on any vehicle I've wished they'd kept a few Nazis to deal with the engineers that come up with the tools and system to change a tire. They need to send the engineers out on a cold, miserable night and have them change a tire while on a tire on a soft shoulder of a road using only the tools provided. We didn't have our 2013 F150 long before we had a flat while setting on a parking lot. The tools were as easy to find under the back seat. They were miserable to use. But getting the aloy wheal broken off the hub would have been impossible had I not had a 6" piece of 2x6 in the back to use to bludgeon the wheel loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Chrysler - a pox on their engineers! May their eggnog curdle and all the needles shed from their artificial trees. May their fruitcakes have weevils! May their lights be wired in series with one bad bulb! A lump of coal in their stockings would be too good for 'em... Anyone who's ever had to change the rotor and cap - and plugs! - on an '01 Ram Pickup with a six cylinder engine will know whereof I speak. Sheesh...! ........ don't hold back none ........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 I tried to change the plugs on an older Nissan Pathfinder. I got it done but swore that, what ever the cost, the professionals could do the next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 We have a 1999 Dodge 3500 with V10 engine. I think it coat $80 some years ago to get the plugs changed. Talking to the service manager, he said it was common for people to bring in trucks with V10 that the owners changed out 8 plugs and wanted to get back two changed. They were always shocked to find the charge was still $80 just to change the back two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 It runs through all auto design companies, from the drivetrain through the interior. I had a 2008 Dodge Caliber with a manual trannie. The other four versions of the Caoiber had auto trans. The manual was the only version w/o a tach. This means that Dodge designed and made a special gage cluster for the only version that would have used the tach. On the otherside, I have owned seven Ford Rangers and appreciated the heater design. The air is heated by an electrical board with exposed resistors. There is no coolant involved. The hot air is available before the engine heats up. Did anyone here ever change the top coolant tube on a Ford 390, the tube between the top of the thermostat and the radiator? New four-letter words are developed by what looks to be an easy task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Changing a tire on an 03 Toyota pickup in the dark on a dirt road that has be rained on recently makes me wish that the ppeople who designed the tools (threading a wobbly rod thru a hole in the back and into a slot to lower the tire for example) should be forced to do this the rest of their lives. Also, moving the lever that allows you to move the seat forward or backward so that it is placed UNDER the seat so far back that you would have to have the arms of a gorilla (sic Long) to reach it to accommodate some dippy lady who might catch her dress on the handle as she squirms about the seat is another example of engineering by idiots. JMHO OH - the cream of the cream of idiot engineering - a dash light goes out (cost about 1 tenth of 1 cent) - you must pull the entire dash out and replace it - I about blew a gasket when they quoted the price - component engineering. Yup - brilliant. GRRRR STL Suomi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 I don't even try anymore. The makers have all but engineered us shade tree types out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 The Chrysler folks have been doing that for years. My '54 Dodge had spark plugs at the bottom of a "well" so you needed a magnet to get them out, and the oil filter was between the engine block and the exhaust manifold. I still have nightmares about the water pump, too. Aside from that it was a great little car and after some tweaking (Thank you J. C. Whitney, Moon, and Sears) she ran light a purebred. Later, with a '56 Dodge pickup engine and a four on the floor and some other things, she was nearly unbeatable..... but still a bitch to work on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assassin Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Ford "Twin I Beam" suspension. Tire manufacturers loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Ford "Twin I Beam" suspension. Tire manufacturers loved it. Evidently Fords touted "Triton" engine is the latest lemon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Had a Chevy Lumina that required the engine mounts to be removed and the engine rotated to get to the back bank of plugs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Don't ya know? Modern cars do not need to have their spark plugs replaced! The only required maintenance is replacement of very expensive computers! The only thing hapless owners are supposed to do is put gas in, have the oil changed (do not attempt this complicated task yourself) and call AAA. That's it! That is what they invented cel phones for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Our F150 was getting 22mpg but started to run rough on idle until it would finally die. Got it to a Ford dealer and they hooked it up to the computer. They concluded that the elevation was set at 8,000 feet. We're at 500, more or less. They discontinued the battery to reset the computer. It ran ok but mileage dropped to 19mpg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueless Bob Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) Try changing the lowly battery in a Chevy HHR and forgetting the back hatch opens via seleinoid, only to remember this fact when you just removed said battery and closed the hatch to keep the weather out while you go get it's replacement. Another great idea from the same engineering team of Chevrolet is the air filter. No, it's not via a wing nut or latch to open a cover. You remove the entire air filter assemble, turn it upside down, remove 7 screws to remove it's cover. Edited December 18, 2016 by Clueless Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 As a line mechanic for nearly 40 years, I've come to the conclusion that engineers come up with all of this feces to justify their existence. For EVERY great thing developed by a good engineer, there are TEN lousy ideas dreamed up by the idiots who managed to muddle through college and get their engineering degree. Engineers should be REQUIRED to work as line repair technicians for TEN YEARS before they are EVER allowed to design ANYTHING!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish ike, SASS #43615 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 I have you all beat. Ford 3.5 liter v66 and eco boost v6. The water pump is internal to the motor behind the front cover. The cam chain runs the impeller. Seal goes bad, like they do, and all of the anti-freeze/coolant goes into the engine. And wala, junk motor. The engine is in around 10 different models. 65,000 to 150,000 miles. No warning. Just a sudden overheating problem. The fix is a used motor and $7,000. Which by the way will eventually have the same problem. Just to replace the water pump before it fails, $3,000 as the whole front of the motor has to be taken apart. We had a perfectly good Ford flex which is now going to the junk yard. Car was worth $7k, replace motor $7k. Not worth it. Ford is silent on the issue. Ike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 My Mazda has a unique way of replacing the cabin air filter. You must remove the glove compartment to get to the filter assembly. Needless to say, I don't replace it as often as I should.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) Had a Chevy Lumina that required the engine mounts to be removed and the engine rotated to get to the back bank of plugs! Late 90s Chrysler Town and Country with a V6 that required the same thing to gain access to one Spark plug. The other 5 were accessible. We bought the van used with all the service records. No issues till we moved out of state then started having engine trouble. Took it to a mechanic and when they removed the back center sparkplug they found electrode had been worn down so far that it was recessed a half an inch into the plug body. The other 5 had normal wear. They theorized the plug hadn't been changes since the car was new. Only cost us $300.00 to find that out. Edited December 18, 2016 by Sedalia Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assassin Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 We have a fleet of cars at work, probably 8 are Ford Fusions. There was a short in the passenger side visor light and it caused the drivers side window to become inoperable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 It ain't just newer vehicles - A couple years ago, I changed the starter on my '82 Honda Civic. It's right there in the open, easy to see and get to, but one of the bolt heads isn't visible... because it comes in from the other side. It involves a tricky maneuver using a universal joint and two extensions - two because one long one is too long to fit. Ya gotta stick one up there with the socket and universal, get it on the head of the bolt, then stick the other one on without the socket falling off the bolt head. I invented some new words before I was done. #@**%! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major E A Sterner #12916 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Just try changing the spark plugs on newer ford pickups,You have to unbolt and lift the cab to get to the rear plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) x Edited December 18, 2016 by Sedalia Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Just try changing the spark plugs on newer ford pickups,You have to unbolt and lift the cab to get to the rear plugs. We were shopping for a class 5 flatbed truck for our business. That's a F550 or Dodge 5500 size. I wasn't comfortable with what I saw under the hood on the F550. Nothing recognizable as an engine. I don't think you could drop a hand full of marbles and expect any to fall to the ground. The Dodge was somewhat better. We were talking to the local Ford dealer and I happened to mention how tight everything was and asked how service was done. The owner of the dealership took me back to the service bay to see an F350 being worked on. The whole cab assembly was lifted 6' above the chassis! We dropped Ford and Dodge from our list of candidates. We went to the local International dealer and bought a TerraStar. The one piece hood hinges forward and everything you need to check or maintain was right in front of you in easy reach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Our F150 was getting 22mpg but started to run rough on idle until it would finally die. Got it to a Ford dealer and they hooked it up to the computer. They concluded that the elevation was set at 8,000 feet. We're at 500, more or less. They discontinued the battery to reset the computer. It ran ok but mileage dropped to 19mpg. So, like I said now you need a new computer, or, like Obama said, just put more air in the tires! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shoer 27979 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 geee and nobody understands why I do not buy new vehicles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 We have a 1999 Dodge 3500 with V10 engine. I think it coat $80 some years ago to get the plugs changed. Talking to the service manager, he said it was common for people to bring in trucks with V10 that the owners changed out 8 plugs and wanted to get back two changed. They were always shocked to find the charge was still $80 just to change the back two.. Yup same thing with my V10 Ford! Climbed around under the hood scoping it out and drove directly to the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 So, like I said now you need a new computer, or, like Obama said, just put more air in the tires! That's another thing that burns my butt. Apparently all newer vehicles require low tire pressure warning system. The system on our F150 is smart enough to tell you that there is a tire that is low but not what tire. First cold day and you get the message. Air up each tire until you get the right one. Just another way government regulations cost us money. We had a tire repaired at one tire shop away from home and the bill included about $20 for a new stem. They said it was the law that a new stem had to be put in any time the tire was broken down. We have had a half dozen tires fixed and a set replaced and the tire shop said nothing about replacing the stem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 @012 Kia had to have the glove box removed to replace the cabin air filter. The 016 one we have now, you just pull out a drawer. Never had an issue with TPMS changing tires. Just the usual change in air temp issues, they never tell you which ones low either. Son has an 012 Mazda that requires 0W-20 oil, synthetic only, no substitutes. At least with our Kia's, we can use Syn blend or full synthetic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Howdy, You lease a car for three years, then turn it in and git a new one. Don't do any maint. OR get an old design that can be worked on by normal folk. The new cars are nightmares and really don't do any better than my Dads old 1988 caprice. Best CR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Seamus Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Drove a Chevy HHR as a company car for 4 years. Had to drop the front inner fender well to change a headlight bulb. Fortunately we had company mechanics to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) That's another thing that burns my butt. Apparently all newer vehicles require low tire pressure warning system. The system on our F150 is smart enough to tell you that there is a tire that is low but not what tire. First cold day and you get the message. Air up each tire until you get the right one. Just another way government regulations cost us money. We had a tire repaired at one tire shop away from home and the bill included about $20 for a new stem. They said it was the law that a new stem had to be put in any time the tire was broken down. We have had a half dozen tires fixed and a set replaced and the tire shop said nothing about replacing the stem. You sir got bilked for $20.00. Only time a TPMS stem has to be replaced is if it is inoperative per an NTSB mandate. Edited December 18, 2016 by Sedalia Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 I was talking with a service manager at one repair / tire shop and he was telling that one foreign car (model escapes me now) cost $1800 to change a light bulb. Most of the front of the car has to be dismantled. I have a 77 Corvette that needs a new brake buster. First thing you do is remove the driver's side seat so you can lay on your back to reach mounting bolts that are above the steering column. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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