Has anyone else noticed that they have designed the new cars that makes it difficult to service your own vehicle?
I cant change the spark plugs in my car without taking out half the engine.I needed to change the headlights on my wifes car and when I took it apart the small compartment where the lamp sits I didnt have the tools to open it with. Besides the screws were damn near microscopic. My point is the car companies have designed the newer models so that it pretty much forces you to go to the dealer and pay for service.
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It is my understanding that practice began in the 90’s my father’s BMW has a huge steel plate that has to be taken off to get to the engine and of course you need to purchase a special tool to remove the bolts and screws.
What’s the deal with keyless ignitions? That’s the stupidest feature ever in a rental car.
Is there a site that gives basic maintenance costs on cars? The Pep Boys guy told me that there was one car that cost $2300 to replace a headlight, because it was a complete unit.
Fortunately, they’re also designed to not need a lot of maintenance. I had a ‘65 Chevy with the old-fashioned ignition system: points, plugs and condenser at each tune-up, and tune-ups at… (oh, hell, Dad… how often?).
I had a ‘69 VW Beetle that needed to have the valves checked with each oil change.
Now I have an ‘04 Camry: I change the synthetic oil once a year. My big problem these days is that I can’t find supermarkets that sell windshield washer fluid like they used to.
I noticed this a long time ago.
I couldn’t change anything on my own, so I’m screwed anyway.
Yes, even girly me used to do some of the repairs and service on my 1962 Mercury Meteor. ( I bought it way used, btw, I’m not quite that old :)) But that was about the vintage of a car that I could even think of doing any of my own work on. I could deal with it when it was more mechanical, but now there are so many computer operated things, and complex electronics and all of that…
I changed the oil on my truck and it was easy to get at the oil filter also. I changed the bulbs in the taillights in 10 minutes…I guess it depends upon the vehicle.
OHHH and in my neighborhood you are forbidden to change your own oil. Stupid clause they added to our association rules and regs.Its an environmental hazard they say. Yeah i’m going to go pour used motor oil on my lawn and watch oil trees grow.
As a person that was trying to learn the basics of engine maintenance until I smashed the whole car I definitely noticed this. The only things I managed to even begin to understand (and try) were changing my oil, air filters, and wiper fluid. If I had ever actually had a problem all of the manuals in the world wouldn’t have helped me.
My 2000 Saturn LS-2 is the same way .
You have to take out part of the engine just to get to the air filter… and there is NO dipstick for you to check the transmission fluid…
This car will stall out every quarter to half mile once it is warmed up . Was told it is a computer problem, of course… means more $$$$ to a dealer unless I trade .
Yes, I’ve noticed that with newer cars. To make them more compact, serviceability has taken a back seat. One of the reasons that I intend keeping the last new car I bought (1972 M-B 220d) lasting forever. It was actually designed to be repaired.
This has changed years ago. I used to buy a Chiltons manual for every car I had. Today it makes no sense for me to do so anymore. Most of the Chiltons now is schematics. I have no clue what to do with that.
I have a Mercury Mountaineer. One morning it wouldn’t start. Since the battery was pretty old I decided it might be time to change it. So, I got a new battery and put it in. The car started once but it was a struggle. The gas pedal didn’t work, either. You could press it to the floor and the engine wouldn’t rev at all. I turned it off and tried to re-start it, but it wouldn’t catch.
So then I panicked and figured something was really wrong. I brought the battery back because I was low on funds at the time.
One thing led to another, though, and I ended up getting a new battery again. I put it in and tried it starting it again. No good. That’s when I saw that all the lights on the dashboard that had something to do with a major engine problem light up.
I spent a lot of time on the internet looking this stuff up and it turns out that when you change the battery in these beasts the on-board computer needs to take time to gather some meteorological information. Temperature, humidity, altitude, and who knows what else. If it doesn’t get this info it either doesn’t start or starts up in “limp home mode,” where there’s enough gas going to the engine to idle your way home (that would be the gas peddle not working). I had to wait almost two hours to be able to drive it again.
When I buy another car, I think I’ll be going here and buy something that doesn’t have a computer in it.
Oh, and next time I’ll have the battery checked first.
@mrentropy, based on the whiff of news I’m hearing from Copenhagen, you won’t have to worry for much longer about a “next car”. I’ve got my eye on a nice Schwinn.
@CyanoticWasp I’m in Texas so I guess I should buy a horse. They still have emissions, though.
I can’t even see the engine…
@mrentropy, here in Connecticut, people pay money for horse emissions. It’s a funny world, isn’t it?
Years ago they said Humans would always be involved but slowly we ARE being replaced by computers- as least in the Fuel management area!
I work for a dealer so I can’t really complain about this but it is true. A lot of the newer cars require diagnostic equipment to remove service lights and carry out other routine maintenence. Most manufacturers will also make the warranty void if you don’t have it serviced at a dealer but like I said before I work for one so I can’t complain.
You want simple? Buy a VW Beetle (not the New Beetle) or a pre-1980 M-B diesel.
Easiest vehicle to work on is the 1972 C-10 Chevrolet 2 wheel drive pickup truck. Even a backyard mechanic can replace a worn motor mount with very little trouble. Unfortunately, finding parts for the 350 Chevy V8 is much harder these days. Seems the stock car drivers love that engine for racing.
The engineers that design new cars should be hung by their toes and have flaming arrows shot into their genitals.
@camouflage_pants I have that ‘72 with a crate 350 engine, new electronics and a custom bench with built in subwoofers. Body is completely stock. I have (in my fleet) one of three bentley conv’s on nyc island and yet I’ll take that chevy all the time. Maybe it’s my subconscious way to pay deserved homage to what makes this the greatest country. That doesn’t mean we can’t love those great new american designs coming at us.
@Tomfafa
I can’t even see the engine…
Well if you get your bangs cut you want have to attempt to hold your hair up while opening the hood. :P
NYC island? Roosevelt, Staten or Riker’s?
@SeventhSense I am so busted! How did you know? Have you seen me on some stage or putting around the LES on my scooter? Next time stop me and say hello. I keep a vacation home on the island of rikers.
Shout out to my homies on cell block D… :)
Umm…you got me there. That’s as far as my Prison Humor dictionary goes. I’ve had some pretty bad parking violations though. Oh the man has been after me for years
Some cars are practically maintenance free and virtually dependable.
True- except for the $600.00 service at 30k and 60k
I have never fixed any parts of my cars if they were not broken or needed replacement. Aside from lube., brakes or tires, nothing else was ever needed before 150,000.00 miles if we are talking about non domestic cars.
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