The manufacturers don't want to sell you a car that is easy to fix, they want you to buy a new car every few years.
Ha, awesome. This was probably designed by the same ***hat that retooled the 5.4L. If any of you own one, do not try to change spark plugs in your driveway. The extended electrode seizes into the aluminum head and snaps. Great idea. Couldn't leave well enough alone. Plus they put the vac*** connection for the brake booster underneath and behind the intake mani. No human hand can fit back there at least in an F150. *******s.
When I worked for GM as an engineer, it was last series of Tahoes, GM introduced a "new" Battery cable. This cable would allow the charging system to shut off when the battery was fully charged (to save 1/100th of a MPG) on the Z71 Tahoes. Problem was the unit was considered failed beyond use if the cable experienced a 2" fall. Bascically they designed a part for an "offroad equiped vehicle" that could not with stand a 2" drop. Our jobs as engineers in the plant was to make sure there was no way a person installing the cable could drop the cable 2" while installing the motor to the frame/frame to the body or the battery to the finished product. It was at that point I decided to become self employed. After working on ***enbly line engineering I am surprised that any of these vehicles get any parts replaced at all dealer or other wise. Johnboy
Not sure about the later model five speeds, but be careful with the hex bolt/plug or whatever it is. My 89 Ranger and 88 Mustang GT had five speeds. They did have the common internal square drive plug to add oil, but they also had - one on each side - an internal hex nut that looks like a plug, but it's not. They have something to do with retaining internal parts in the trans and pulling one of those could open a can of worms....
I spent a weekend in March in friggin' sub zero weather (no garage) replacing the plastic intake plenum on my 98 Buick daily driver because GM thought running the EGR pipe through the plastic intake was a perfectly fine idea. Instead the EGR melted the plastic over time and dex-cool got ****ed inside the motor and hydrolocked it on me. I was able to fix it, but damn the car only had 80K on the odometer. You're telling me they couldn't use an aluminum intake? If I took it to a shop that would have been at least a 600 or 700 dollar job. That car is friggin ten years old and I can only imagine what kind of **** they're up to these days. I've always been an American car type of guy, but I can't help but think part of the problem with Detroit is this type of short sightedness and just plain **** stupidity.
Hell it is just a degree now, I own a **** hauling company these days. Trust me there are some good engineers in every industry, then some idiots with out much common sense. I worked all the way through school as a maintenance tech on equipment, trust me I have cussed my share of engineers and still do to this day. Johnboy
It just seems to me that there is real interest in a "basic" car again. No GPS, no On Star, no quadrophonic stereo or ABS etc. I'm in love with my 65 Econoline. just good pure straightforward engineering. Simply a basic fuggin truck.
Ok,Heres one for...The other day my wife ask me to check the ****** fluid in her 2007 Chrysler 300 no big deal RIGHT????RIGHT. Well after about 30 friggin minutes of looking for the ****** tube i gave up.It turns out the dealer ship is the only folks that can put fluid in the dambed thing
DING ! DING ! DING ! Detroit used to be World Leaders,now they are followers. Slaves to the Bean Counters,Paper Shufflers,and Stuffed Suits.
"Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you" people?
The Jalopy Journal
