Why would you do that..........?

[Niffleman]

So, I've been reading here for a while but never posted.  However, I have been inspired (!) to do so by a little light servicing this weekend.  I have a modern-ish Volvo V50 which I bought about a month ago, Mrs Niffleman thinking that newer cars a generally better, safer etc etc etc.  Anyway, I thought I would change the cabin pollen filter as the air con was not very effective.  How hard can it be.....?  Answer, very hard.  Someone in the Ford design department decided to make it necessary to remove the main fusebox to get to the pollen filter housing.  The main fuse board on a car completely controlled by electronics.  Absolutely no potential for disaster there at all then.  None.   No, no problem, absolutely none.  Easy as pie.

 

So, my question is, what else has given you a, "Why would you do that?", moment when trying to repair or service, ancient or modern?

[Kiltox]

Encounter these almost daily with various cars - modern French tat has to be the worst for it though

 

Fitting an exhaust to a Picasso yesterday - joint for the cat and centre section is above the subframe making it an utter pain to get to. Why on earth not make the pipe from the cat a few inches longer and the centre a few inches shorter so that the join is very easily accessible?!

[HH-R]

Stupid "quick release" connector on the bottom coolant hose to radiator on my last Fiat. Try as I might with all manner of tools, the damn thing wouldn't come out.

 

Ditto the heater resistor pack, which is so far up the dashboard that if you lie on the floor and extend your arm as far as it goes, you can feel where it is. But it needs unscrewing...

[matty879]

I think the answer is simple, its to make you spend money at the main stealers on expensive workshop time,and force you to go there to keep their attractive warranty packages valid,i would question merc on their v6 engines,ok I know its a gm lump but why 12 spark plugs it would run great with just the 6,and the tossers don't even give you a dipstic to check oil or transmission fluid,ok there are sensors for that but if one fails? that's my why would you moment rant over.

[Bear]

Almost every single thing encountered on any higher-end Peugeot or Citroën.

But the most recent is the way VW assemble their door systems. Impossible to get to a lock without almost totally dismantling the thing - from the inside - but from a security perspective getting into a '90s one is laughably easy, at least the way the Beetle's handles are designed.

[matty879]

how about smart cars with their 5 sided nuts that you cant get a spanner or socket on.

[Bear]

Rear ARB drop link lower bolt on the 406. Completely inaccessible without dismantling more (fragile and expensive) stuff like ABS wiring.

 

Oh, and the inlet manifold has to come off to change the plugs. Though that's understandable and less misery inducing than changing plugs on the XJS.

 

Thing is, some of these things are "I know why you did that, but I wish you hadn't" - like Chrysler Voyager - you have to remove the wipers (and wiper motor housing) to do the rear plugs. Oh - Citroën XM heater matrix. On LHD cars it's as quick to change out as the pollen filter on many moderns (quicker than say, the A-class, where the wipers have to come off and scuttle panel get removed) - on RHD the parking brake gets in the way. You can do it, but it's difficult and many owners resort to hacksawing a bit off the housing.

[Station]

These:

 

 

 

No.

[mercrocker]

Absolutely with you on that hose clip abortion.  What the fuck is wrong with a proper Jubilee?

[Bear]

Or a nice Clic-R connector...

[catsinthewelder]

I prefer them to Jubilee clips if I can get to them easily. I can see why they could be a right twat in a confined space though.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I think I read somewhere that those springy hose clips are designed to 'adjust' a little with temperature change and are less damaging to the rubber hose.  That may be total bs though.

Mind you, I think they look a lot tidier than jubilees. 

[Kiltox]

Or a nice Clic-R connector...

Oh just fuck those!!

[Pillock]

I prefer those hose clips to jubilee clips, I find the chances of a jubilee being all rusted and chewed much higher.

I just use a monkey wrench, take the tension off the slide it a little further up the hose - but it still grips, unlike a jubilee which needs taking off and putting somewhere.

[SiC]

I believe those hose clips are down to factory assembly speeds. That's why you see so many torx fastening nowadays - can drive them much harder to get them in quicker and withstand being impact driven even by the most hamfisted operator.

 

My wtf? is the lack of engine oil dipstick on a lot of modern VAG products. You're supposed to rely on the electronic oil level gauge to know when to top it up. Dealers have their own workshop dipstick for oil changes - so I guess the independents have to get yet another special service tool...

[steveo3002]

the spring clips are constant pressure so kinda self adjusting for hot /cold ...i likes em , faster than pissing about with jubilees and sticking a screwdriver through the hose lol

[lisbon_road]

I much prefer the spring hose clips too.  I have this tool (well similar) which makes them easy in difficult places:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LASER-HOSE-CLIP-TOOL-3-8-D-5781-/361463230820?hash=item5428e33164:g:ZK8AAOSwUuFWulpx

 

I haven't so much experience of horrors with moderns.  I suppose I have got used to (for instance) having to take the front bumper off my wife's Zafira to access loads of simple things.  It doesn't take that long to get off.  

[DVee8]

Generally designed for ease of build on the production line. So that a car can roll off every 49 seconds.

[rantingYoof]

Aren't there various cars that have to have bumpers removed to change headlight bulbs?

 

It isn't too easy on the S60 either. You basically need hands like a Chernobyl mutant.

[SiC]

Aren't there various cars that have to have bumpers removed to change headlight bulbs?

Thats pretty much every modern hatch now. All started with the >2003 Megane II. Not quite bumper off job, but wheel off job.

 

My "Spaceship" Civic is a bumper off job - which is why I bought a model with HID lights as standard!

 

My fiancée Mk3 MX5 was possibly the worst I've known. Wheel off, most of the arch liner out and still have to negotiate a bunch of looms, bodywork and pipes. Took me an hour and half. 

 

Not quite sure the point of many EU countries requiring a spare bulb kit nowadays...

[billyboy406v6]

Its bad for us doing the odd job in our leisure time, I feel slightly sorry for the mechanics who do this all day long ?

[Station]

the spring clips are constant pressure so kinda self adjusting for hot /cold ...i likes em , faster than pissing about with jubilees and sticking a screwdriver through the hose lol

I do like them, but they're awkward, especially the big one on the radiator in hard to get at places.

[Bren]

Airbox removal necessary to change o/s headlight bulb on vectra C cdti.

[fraser.innes.3]

Thats pretty much every modern hatch now. All started with the >2003 Megane II. Not quite bumper off job, but wheel off job.

 

My "Spaceship" Civic is a bumper off job - which is why I bought a model with HID lights as standard!

 

My fiancée Mk3 MX5 was possibly the worst I've known. Wheel off, most of the arch liner out and still have to negotiate a bunch of looms, bodywork and pipes. Took me an hour and half.

 

Not quite sure the point of many EU countries requiring a spare bulb kit nowadays...

Through lots of experience I can now do megane bulbs in less than 5 minutes. The tricky part is pulling the bulb out as they get stuck in. The nearside is the worst and the first time it went I had to take the inner arch out. A bit of copper grease on the edge of the metal part makes it easier to remove.

 

On a separate note, Halfords do not include meganes in their change bulbs for a fiver service.

[HillmanImp]

I do like them, but they're awkward, especially the big one on the radiator in hard to get at places.

 

Thats the problem. Every singe one I have ever had to remove seems to have been fitted by Reed Richards from the Fantastic 4

[Lacquer Peel]

I worked on my friend's C class recently, all the hoses use stainless steel jubilee clips. Lovely.

 

Some Peugeots use bayonet fixings for the coolant hoses. Awful shit.

[Negative Creep]

We've invented cars that drive themselves so how is it beyond them to design a headlight that can just unclip?

[Lacquer Peel]

We've invented cars that drive themselves so how is it beyond them to design a headlight that can just unclip?

I think they do on some Fords.

[New POD]

These:

 

 

 

No.

 

 

When I worked at Garett, making Turbo's I was always impressed by these little bastards. If you have the correct tool, they are a piece of piss. Saves a lot of money.

 

The problem is a lack of requirements definition that includes servicing times.

 

If you said to the designer of a heating and ventilation system, "24 seconds to remove the pollen filter" with no tools required, and refused to sign off the concept design review until you were sure that the ideas on the table would work, and if stage payments depended on it, your supplier of HVAC systems would achieve it.

[twosmoke300]

Those Volvo v50 and mk2 focus pollen filters are a complete prick .

On the other hand they have the easiest headlight bulbs ever . One stainless pin slides up and whole headlight comes out in your hands