Shame the same couldn't be said for just about any other job on the car, really miss my old 20v turbo determined to get another one day
Nice common sense car design
- Thread starter SixTwoSix
- Start date
Shame the same couldn't be said for just about any other job on the car, really miss my old 20v turbo determined to get another one day
Soldato
My wife's old Corolla was a nightmare. You needed the hands of a small child, my knuckles were skinned so many times!
Associate
It's a great design and one of the things Volvo really got right (same on my S40). Wait till the heater matrix start leaking though and you need 10 hours of labour to remove most of the dash to get to it - It's like it was the first thing that was designed and the rest of the car was engineered around it
Soldato
Think it was my old Audi A3 where you had to remove the air filter housing to get to the drivers side light cluster. That was annoying.
Soldato
Amen to that
Associate
Not the most comfortable position bent over backwards over the engine bay to be facing the lights though, always find the metal clips take a while!
Common sense, cant last :/
Anybody recall the first of the FWD Vauxhall cavaliers (MK2?)
It had a nifty clutch design that meant that the clutch assembly could be removed and replaced from under the car, via a small panel, without having to separate the engine from the gear box.
However, when the MK3 Cavalier came out, this provision had been removed.
I was at a trade fair talking to the guy on the clutch stand why Vauxhall had gone back on this remarkably good design.
The answer was that workshops in general, and fast fit clutch specialists in particular, had bitched like mad about it since reducing the clutch swap to a 40 minute job meant they couldn't make any money out of doing the work any more.
Similarly, when huge plastic under shields were first introduced, they had little hatches that allowed access to drain plugs, filters etc.
That went too, for much the same reasons. Removing and replacing the massive plastic under shields can take a quarter, even a third of the time it takes to do a basic service. if you are a dealer charging £120/Hr that is a nice little earner compared to just dropping down a small flap.
Same also goes for cabin filters. there are some cars out there where replacing the cabin filter can take longer than the whole rest of a standard service put together. (With the result that replacements are often missed)
Madness
(Having said that, there is a genuine problem here, I may expand on it later)
Anybody recall the first of the FWD Vauxhall cavaliers (MK2?)
It had a nifty clutch design that meant that the clutch assembly could be removed and replaced from under the car, via a small panel, without having to separate the engine from the gear box.
However, when the MK3 Cavalier came out, this provision had been removed.
I was at a trade fair talking to the guy on the clutch stand why Vauxhall had gone back on this remarkably good design.
The answer was that workshops in general, and fast fit clutch specialists in particular, had bitched like mad about it since reducing the clutch swap to a 40 minute job meant they couldn't make any money out of doing the work any more.
Similarly, when huge plastic under shields were first introduced, they had little hatches that allowed access to drain plugs, filters etc.
That went too, for much the same reasons. Removing and replacing the massive plastic under shields can take a quarter, even a third of the time it takes to do a basic service. if you are a dealer charging £120/Hr that is a nice little earner compared to just dropping down a small flap.
Same also goes for cabin filters. there are some cars out there where replacing the cabin filter can take longer than the whole rest of a standard service put together. (With the result that replacements are often missed)
Madness
(Having said that, there is a genuine problem here, I may expand on it later)
I don't remember ever having an issue - but to be fair it was 13 years ago!
Caporegime
From an estate point of view my Saab 9-5 has a solid foldable parcel shelf. It's fantastic as you can actually split loads if you want as it can take the weight and can come completely out and be used for picnics etc as a sort of makeshift table. Pretty much all estate cars these days have those horrible flimsy blind like roller jobs. Top spec ones also came with a retractable boot floor so you didn't need to get in to put your shopping.
Associate
My Mx5 NC and The Mrs' MK1 Aygo were both a pain for bulbs, both requiring either wheel liners or Bumpers off to change, unless as mentioned, you had the Hands of a small child.
Fortunately I'm well known for having the hands of a small child, so turns out all is well
Fortunately I'm well known for having the hands of a small child, so turns out all is well
Soldato
Which generation of Mondeo? The mk3 and mk4 don't require this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9y4lrxPHS8
I thought bulbs had to be easy to change as part of a regulation now? How did they get that passed lol
I thought bulbs had to be easy to change as part of a regulation now? How did they get that passed lol
Yeah it's utterly ridiculous - especially given how excellent it was on the MK4 Mondeo. Just 2 torx screws and a plastic clip I think then the entire light cluster lifts out. Not sure how they managed to screw it up and take such a step backwards with the MK5.
It is, the problem is what is easy to you, might not be easy to someone else :/ It is very hard to legislate when it comes to things like this. Depends on the inspector...
Someone not clued up is supposed to be able to change it at the roadside. Having to take the bumper off is a fail on that.
Soldato
To have to partially dismantle the front end of a car to change bulbs is completely nonsensical. I don't understand why manufacturers think that is acceptable.
Soldato
My Skoda Octavia has a thumbscrew and lever, then it's just a case of unpluging the connector to remove the unit.