by "Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
Published 01/30/2017 at 18:49
by "Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
Published 01/30/2017 at 18:49
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STARS: 3
We have all seen the pictures of Audis of a certain vintage (around 2010 seems to be a benchmark) with what seems to the untrained eye as some serious collision repair when only some regular maintenace to the front of the engine was needed.
This isn’t a hood/bonnet opening up to an engine bay, it’s an idiot hole which may let you check some fluids but keeps everything else out of reach.
OEMs have been trying to make good on their dealers for giving them less margin to work with by trying to make sure customers return for maintenance with varying levels of nefariosness.
Having to remove the inner fender lining to change a Halogen light bulb was diabolical (I am looking at you Mazda, among others), but this is a completely different level.
"Laurence" (mrlaurence)
01/30/2017 at 18:57, STARS: 2
The worst example I know of - this is for changing a headlight bulb on a Cadillacs STS
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
01/30/2017 at 18:58, STARS: 0
Our X3 is a current-gen luxury crossover, all things you would think mean it would have a big plastic “KEEP OUT” cover over the hood. In fact, the engine bay looks like this:
Not quite a self-wrencher’s paradise, but better than the Audi.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
01/30/2017 at 19:03, STARS: 5
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
01/30/2017 at 19:09, STARS: 1
This is the 4Runner’s engine bay.
The cover is easily removable and hinges upwards. Very easy to get at the bits inside.
"jimz" (jimz)
01/30/2017 at 19:16, STARS: 5
Then there’s the Super Duty with the 6.7 Powerstroke, which doesn’t have an engine cover because there’s no room for one.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
01/30/2017 at 19:17, STARS: 2
Those seem like plastic covers that can be easily removed. Doesnt compete.
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
01/30/2017 at 19:59, STARS: 1
More access than a Mclaren 570s
"Censored" (chrisbrown2992)
01/30/2017 at 20:00, STARS: 2
My wife drives an 07 equinox, and headlight procedure is much the same. Bumper cover off, now when you dont care, you can pry them out with it on. Not sure why gm would be so foolish with a consumable.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 20:03, STARS: 0
Lots of cars do this now, not just GM. Why, I have no idea.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 20:03, STARS: 0
Yikes! What a servicing nightmare!
"BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind" (briangriffinsprius)
01/30/2017 at 20:04, STARS: 1
Meh. You pull kinda hard and the engine cover comes off.
"Censored" (chrisbrown2992)
01/30/2017 at 20:12, STARS: 2
They should all be punched. I am a machine engineer and put countless hours thinking about how maintenance techs will be able to quickly service our equipment. Every minute of their down time is money and the longer it is down for simple problems they are just going to be angry with my company. This would put future business at risk. Why aren’t cars treated the same way? If it takes 4hrs to change a headlight bulb that should take 15 min, thats 3 hrs and 45min of unnecessary down time.
"The World of Vee" (theworldofvee)
01/30/2017 at 20:26, STARS: 0
Am I missing something? The engine cover comes right off, just like pretty much every other car...
"Milky" (jordanmielke)
01/30/2017 at 20:26, STARS: 0
I thought that just was an Audi “feature” because of Quattro.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
01/30/2017 at 21:09, STARS: 0
I remember on my old VW Golf it was a 5 minute job. For both bulbs. When you have to dismantle half the car to change a bulb an older car can be economically totalled when a bulb burns out. That’s absurd.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 21:10, STARS: 0
I agree with you completely. I can only assume that the reason is there is such a huge disconnect between the manufacturer and the end user. Still, it’s getting more and more tediculous. That was a typo right there, but it actually kind of works, so I’m choosing to leave it.
"BigBlock440" (440-4bbl)
01/30/2017 at 21:56, STARS: 0
Once you get the cab off, everything’s right there! Probably.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/30/2017 at 22:36, STARS: 0
You’d think Ford learned from the nightmare that was servicing the 6.0.
"BigBlock440" (440-4bbl)
01/31/2017 at 09:35, STARS: 0
Keeps people coming back to the dealership I guess.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
01/31/2017 at 09:51, STARS: 1
I guess, yeah. A few years ago I read a quote from Roger Penske about the challenge of keeping service bays full and profitable now that cars have gotten so much more reliable. It was something to the effect of, ‘In the old days, our service bays were always full of warranty work. These days our service managers have to chase work, and provide better customer service to keep people coming back.’
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
01/31/2017 at 11:28, STARS: 1
Not talking about the engine cover. See how far the front crossmember goes back over the radiator and how far back the hood latch sits. It’s like they are intentionally blocking access to the front of the engine.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
01/31/2017 at 11:34, STARS: 1
Not talking about that cover. I think that the front crossmember has an unusual shape to it. Just as if it was designed to block access to the radiator and the front of the engine. The hood latch sits very far back, too.
"The World of Vee" (theworldofvee)
01/31/2017 at 13:12, STARS: 0
yeah but it comes off with like 10 screws
Long time Audi tuner (now onto fords) that’s just par for the course mang
"Svart Smart, traded in his Smart" (svartsmart)
02/17/2017 at 18:54, STARS: 0
Do I see weatherstripping? Does the hood seal keep air and moisture off of the engine completely when closed? Strange.