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Thread: Modern designs that drive you nuts

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    Default Modern designs that drive you nuts

    Changing the battery in a Cadillac ATS .... any old school mechanic here will truly appreciate this one;


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    Faaaaaark that for a joke! Time for a trade in!!!! Just 'cause of a flat battery!!!! Remind me NEVER to buy a Cadillac
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    Seen many things Similar.

    Mate had a Mitsubishi Delica.
    To change the battery on that, as I did once and said I would never work on the thing again, You had to remove the intercooler pipe, remove the intercooler, some other thing then you could reach right up under what was the dashboard from under the tiny bonnet and pull out the 2 N70 batteries though the gap with about 5mm clearance total around all sides. Fitting was the reverse of removal only with a shit load more frustration because now your arms were tired and your fingers cut and bruised from pulling the old 20 Kg batteries out.

    Daughter's Friend has a Mitsubishi..... whatever. Asked me to change the headlight Bulbs. Sure, no problem!
    About 40 Min later and reassembling duct work, replacing the battery and other things, Job done. Of course leaning over the low arsed thing for so long I couldn't stand up straight for a week.

    Parking lights on some ford Territory's is also fun. Remove a front wheel, the gaurd liner and if you have hands the size of 2 YO and arms made of Bungy cord, it's not too bad at all. If not, just removing the bumper is a viable option.

    Of course who could Forget things like the old porche 911's that required the ENGINE be removed to change the spark plugs, a trick repeated by a number of Manufacturers these days.
    Friend complained to me the mechanic wanted to rip her off by charging her half a Days Labour to change the plugs on her Suzuki Vitara. When I looked up that the engine was supposed to be removed but if you unbolt one engine mount and jack the thing up under said mount till the car starts to lift you can juuuust get at them then repeat procedure on the other side, I said book the thing in fast as you can, he obviously hasn't done them before and half a day is a bargain.

    Tail lights on one of the Foresters is similar to the battery in the vid. Requires pulling out half the boot lining and then a bunch of bolts to remove the tail light off the body and then get to the bulb holders. The previous Model you lifted the tail gate, undid 2x 10mm bolts and pulled the thing out of a couple of rubber grommets.
    Of course they improved that design by making it much more complex so the service dept could charge $50 for changing a tail light... and $18 for the " Genuine" globe.



    One a different note, a modern design that drives me insane is Blister packaging.
    Half the time it's impossible to remove the product without destroying it or slicing your hand open.
    I once bought something I had to take back and they said because the packaging was damaged they couldn't exchange it. I think quietly suggesting to the manager I might ram the whole package up his backside if they didn't exchange it might have made him see things my way.

    As well as Impossible to open, they also have this tendency to put a product about 5x5CM on a blister wrapped cards about 50 Cm long and 20 Cm wide. Packaging must cost and weight more than the product it contains.

    And maybe my " Favourite" piss off....
    Why the Fk does every modern Kettle on the market Put the tiny narrow water level window Right behind the Effing handle therefore making it as difficult to read as earthly possible?
    Of course over time the Cheap shit plastic yellows with the minerals in the water and you can't see it at all even with the usual 30 sec of trying to turn the thing to the light at the precise angle where you can see the water meniscus against the background colour that makes it hard as possible to see. Even if they put a little red floating ball in there it would be fine, but no, we have to make the level window completely useless!

    And every single Kettle I have looked at, all copy the same moronic, brain dead design!

    I'm no engineer but given the task, I have no doubts I could design a Kettle that you could easily see how much water was in the thing and the spout was better for getting the water into a cup than sprinkling the water over your petunias like a shower head and didn't run down the side all over the bench. Oh, and I'd make it so you could fill the thing through the spout from the tap, not have to open the lid every time.... Which on the designer one the wife wanted, isn't push button, has to be manually taken off.
    Of course you would have to do that even if you could fill through the spout because you can't see Shit through the stupid water level window that your hand is now covering as you hold the moronic thing!!!

    Once upon a time you could tell how much water was in them by lifting them. Now they are so heavy you can barely tell between empty and full and if you boil them dry, there is another $100 for the pretty white ones to match the kitchen Decor.
    Best one we bought was a Clear glass kettle with pretty blue LED Lights for about $27 From Kmart. No problem seeing the level on that one and poured straight and didn't leak. But no, that thing was too practical so had to replace it with an impractical POS 5x the price.

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    VW toe rag and some others the battery is under the front seat some jeeps you remove the front wheel to gain access to the battery
    Falcoon you remove the entire dash for a plastic rod in the the heater box and same with some WRX's
    Death smiles at everyone. Grumpy old men smile back.

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    Iirc it was a Prado ; complaint was long crank/no start, vehicle would clutch start just fine -- OBD2 tosses a crank angle sensor fault code ; they have 2, replace both, fault persists -- turned out to be the starter motor was creating noise in the circuit paths, making the signal from the sensors full of noise. Replacement starter was $700+ genuine ...

    Talking about VW, Tsi cold idle misfire... a good examination of the fault condition


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    Quote Originally Posted by george65 View Post
    Seen many things Similar.

    Mate had a Mitsubishi Delica.
    To change the battery on that, as I did once and said I would never work on the thing again, You had to remove the intercooler pipe, remove the intercooler, some other thing then you could reach right up under what was the dashboard from under the tiny bonnet and pull out the 2 N70 batteries though the gap with about 5mm clearance total around all sides. Fitting was the reverse of removal only with a shit load more frustration because now your arms were tired and your fingers cut and bruised from pulling the old 20 Kg batteries out.
    ive worked on a couple of those Delicas for my neighbours. The diesel version is the one you describe , absolute bitch of a job to get the batteries out and they ran 2 batteries because you couldn't start them with just one battery in winter. The same 4M40 dog of an engine is well known for developing ovality in its thin walled non sleeved blocks. and to top that off they enjoy cracking cylinder heads. Besides that the bodywork was assembled at the factory with corrosive sealant which soon started a bad rusting nightmare.
    the petrol V6 engine models in that range were a much better car , all Pajero and very reliable. complete contrast.

    For that reason I would never consider buying a diesel Mitsu , they still run that shitty 4M engine nowadays with the added bonus of dropping timing chains.

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    I had an old Tojo back in the day, so everything was fairly accessible. except..... I had a 289 V8 in it and to change the plug on cyl #8 I eneded up making a hole in the firewall so I could access it from inside the cab.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    I miss the old days when you use to be able to open a bonnet and actually stand in the engine bay next to the motor.

    These days you can barely see a bolt that needs to be worked on....

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    I remember having a HQ Holden.
    Used to just unbolt the entire front Bodywork in one single piece (except the Bumper bar) and sit it on the lawn when doing engine work. My brother and I could literally do it in 5 Min.
    Had a 6 and then put a small block in it and just having it sit there on the chassis rails made doing anything so easy.

    Now you open a Bonnet and all you see is plastic covers and badge work.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Godzilla View Post
    I miss the old days when you use to be able to open a bonnet and actually stand in the engine bay next to the motor.

    These days you can barely see a bolt that needs to be worked on....
    Aaah...memories. In the 70's I had a Triumph Spitfire. Lift the large bonnet, tilt it forward and just sit on the front wheel and work away....

    And back then you could stick just about ANY battery in any car and the leads would actually reach. Fancy that.....
    The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.

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    ENF did you just admitt to owning a oil leaker ????

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    I've got another one - the starter motor on any UZ equipped Toyota / Lexus. all induction manifolds have to come out for access to it

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    Toyota Kluger
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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    Fitted 308's in LC - LJ Tories. Very little room to do any repairs. You also had to strengthen the chassis rails or they would buckle and bend.. lol

    If you've owned one you'll know that the Steering Column isn't centered.. lol Growing up, we would organise meets.. mainly Commercial Zones at night.

    Many memories at Pipes Rd, Calder Park and Cherry Lane where I used to roar up and down the street testing the tune on the Carb.. lol
    Where do I start with new cars.. I just don't like them..

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    Quote Originally Posted by Johnno View Post
    Fitted 308's in LC - LJ Tories. Very little room to do any repairs. You also had to strengthen the chassis rails or they would buckle and bend.. lol

    If you've owned one you'll know that the Steering Column isn't centered.. lol Growing up, we would organise meets.. mainly Commercial Zones at night.

    Many memories at Pipes Rd, Calder Park and Cherry Lane where I used to roar up and down the street testing the tune on the Carb.. lol
    Where do I start with new cars.. I just don't like them..
    Yep Cherry lane.....thats where i got my wife to start dating me.......yep where else but at a illegal drag meet.

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    Yep Cherry lane.....thats where i got my wife to start dating me.......yep where else but at a illegal drag meet.
    the smell of burning tyres, throbbing v8s , pole vaulting males, tight jeans , big boobs, and they ban, it disgusting , wish those days were back again

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    Toyota Prado -- long crank/no start ...bit of a pisser if it's an auto ; if it's a manual and you think to check it, you'll find it clutch starts very easily. It was an auto as Murphy dictates ; plug in ODB2 scanner, it's flagging bad crank angle sensor (they have 2), replace both CAS units, no fix, throws the same DTC. Double check harness, all ok, do some online reading ~ suggested cause is the starter motor. You can hardly believe it, because the starter sounds fine & strong as an ox, and you check if it's making cranking rpm at the crankshaft - it is?!? Customer wants genuine toyota parts, we're talking more than $700 for the starter...book time for starter removal/replacement is nearly the same as the starter cost! You figure out a shortcut ...disconnect everything you need from top of engine bay, then stick vehicle on hoist, remove splash guards, power steering lines from rack, and you can just wiggle it out from underneath - get the new starter in there and bolted up, thing now starts fine. Double check cranking rpm...same as old one.

    You can go down the rabbit hole with a scope, and discover the starter motor is inducing noise in the CAS pickups.

    You're still left explaining to the customer ~ to them, the starter motor has been working fine, and they think you're ripping them off. You can't suggest replacing the old CAS units to save money, because the labor cost to do that is greater than the cost of the sensors.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hinekadon View Post
    ENF did you just admitt to owning a oil leaker ????
    Hahaha...yeah, I had a couple of Triumphs. A Herald and a TR4 as well....

    Then I discovered VWs, and what excellent handling was REALLY like.
    The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.

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    Yes sir I had seven bugs great cars the 1969 was my favorite 1200 cc , lowered to 2" of the ground , flying 1/4 at 104.8 mph , the only problem was the splines on the brake drums just tore the pom ones apart had to buy genuine German kombi to get any time out of them great HOON car
    Last edited by hinekadon; 09-04-20 at 06:54 PM. Reason: spelling

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    Only Volksie that I ever drove was a Beach Buggy made from an old bug with a Mazda Rotary in it. It belonged to a mate. I did not like the pedal setup, you had to "lie on the floor" to allow you to "see" the pedals properly. That said, with the rotary in it, it was as touchy as anything, you hit the pedal too hard and, instead of going around a corner, you'd end up facing back where you came from. It was still a fun car to drive.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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