Car manufactures fu*k ups

[rideon]

A while ago.dik started a topic named "What's your biggest fu*k up" it is indeed a good thread but I'm interested more in 'producer's fu*k ups', something like..you have to strip the engine out just to change a spark plug..work for a half hour or so to change a fuse or a head lamp bulb and the customer is wondering what are you doing,what is taking you so long. Sometime i wonder if they do this on purpose or just .........

[racin-snake]

most of the time these problems are with the designers who actually design the car from scratch
but the best one ive seen is the alfa romeo 2.5 and 3.0 timing belts
brutal job also engine out for the fiat mareas
or timing chains on the vr6 golfs
the list of design balls ups are endless
this post could go on forever

[Dajan2009]

but the best one ive seen is the alfa romeo 2.5 and 3.0 timing belts

Oh, yes, If You want to drive a alfa and to change the timing belt all by yourself, you are in love with that car!
A fu**ed situation is also a VM 3.1 diesel engine in '98 Jeep Cherokee, their leaking rear plate seal is a real bingo. Or a quite common MB A class, need to change water pump-put down the engine, starter-same thing, oil sensor-hit me baby one more time! On Smart ForTwo, you need to lower the engine for changing spark plugs.

[the_big_d]

Citroen C8/Peugeot 807: Engine out to change the brake servo.
Nissan Micras: Locating the injection ECU directly under the heater matrix so when it leaks it goes straight into it.

[ziggystardust]

The floor is from old opel vectra and the hole in the floor dont match the fuel-pump placement on the saab tank , solution instead of take down the tank , i have started to make the hole bigger with a nibbler so i can change without take down the tank , fix the hole with a new panel with self drilling screw's

[racin-snake]

also who designed the struts on Almeras ect ?
they take the tyre out when they break
no guard to stop the pointed bit going through the walls of the tyre
and what mechanic friendly joker routes the brake pipes on cars ?

[jimdollar]

A few come to mind such as some 5 cylinder Fiats where you really need to remove the engine to do the cambelt as there is no room in front of the cam belt cover, though I know some people do it without engine removal.

And some V6 engined Vauxhalls where you have to drop the engine a bit to change the DIS/coilpack unit.

A V6 Turbo Audi A6 where the driveshaft and a few other things that need removed to change one of the lambda sensors.

I think manufacturers certainly do make a lot of these jobs hard to do on purpose to put a lot of people off doing them and (they hope) take it to the dealers, just look how difficult some cambelts are to do.

[armpower]

No need to remove engine in 5 cylnder' Fiat to do a cambelt job.
Just disconnect engine mounting , move the engine a bit and replace all the parts need to do a good job (H2O pump, cambelt and pulleys).
A worse job is trying to fix a oil leak from oil pan in Audi V6 Tdi.
or replace the hot air distributors flaps inside a G.Cherokee.
or dismantle a gearbox in clio I, just to replace the primary shaft' oil seal.
Or drop engine and gearbox in Subaru Tribeca (with GPL), dismantle the timing chains, camshaft, and so on just to do a valvle clearance job.
Interesting post

[Cannon535]

Renault Scenic II headlamp bulbs come to mind

As does the heater matrix on the Mk 5/6 Escorts where you have enough room to remove the thing, except the pipes are too long and stick through the bulkhead so you have to remove the dashboard and heater box.

I've said for a long time that designers should be forced into doing a 3 year apprentiship before being let loose with a pencil

[laldog]

French cars. If one pulls up to the garage i write a cheque out for 50.00 and give it to the driver before telling them to piss off,it works out cheaper in the long run!!!!!

[big-ted]

top thread, love doing the rover 75 v6 cam belts there great, and lets not forget the "one way" bolts holding the ecu's in on the renault masters after they have been exposed to the elements for 8 years.
a close second are the bolts made from plasticine on the rover k series holding in the alternator.

Renault laguna window regs

berlingos/partners when the good old screen folks didn't quite get the bonding area quite right for a change, (it does have a small target area) and it fills the bsi with rain water.

vw group temp sensors.
seat exterior temp sensors in the n/s mirror
all coolant temp sensors
diesel fuel temp sensors.

saab drive shafts.

fiat stilo headlamp bulb td with inter-cooler in the way

late honda civic diesel filter

Most pollen filters espically volvo c70's i'll just remove the fusebox brilliant now nothing works and all needs setting up again, sorry sir the electric roof doesn't work after your service, can't imagine why. What would happen if you had to unplug a peugeot or shitroen fuse box every service it would be chaos even more ~~~~ed bsi's and dead vehicles.

these are just the ones I though of today if I sat down there would be loads.

Ted

[fer001]

Most pollen filters espically volvo c70's i'll just remove the fusebox brilliant now nothing works and all needs setting up again, sorry sir the electric roof doesn't work after your service, can't imagine why. What would happen if you had to unplug a peugeot or shitroen fuse box every service it would be chaos even more ~~~~ed bsi's and dead vehicles.
Ted

That's why EU cars only need to remove the throttle pedal and hope the nuts don't get stuck

[Liteace]

vauxhall chevette starter motor, triumph stag clutch

[dik]

vauxhall chevette starter motor, triumph stag clutch

How about tr7 cylinder heads, remember they put one row of head bolts in at an angle and one row straight, thankfully they put a useless slot in the stud so you could remove them with a screwdriver - what bollox, I remember removing big end caps and sledge hammering the pistons against the head raising it up 2mm then cutting through studs with a air saw, then having an engineer drill out the studs from the head

[Wolfpack]

Thank god i don't do any of those jobs anymore. I only check out those problems and i only do electronic and electrical work. I have to say any job you need to remove the motor really su*ks. How do you replace the starter on a VW tourag you remove the motor. How do you replace the cats on a 2.7 turbo Audi you remove the engine. Now how stupid is that. On the other side how stupid are the flow charts when you are checking an engine code and it's says "Try a Good known Part" sure i have a $500 ECU laying around just to try. Always remember some things are very hard to do but others are so easy. One trick i have learned working on German cars is if you start to think like a German then you will realize why it was built like that.