Engineering fail!

[jimnyc]

All that work and its an electric short. Curses mopar. CURSES!!!!!!!

Wow, you just getting out from under the car this morning?

[Marcus Aurelius]

I noticed my dad's car, an '04 Chrysler Concorde, had a headlamp out. Being the good son I am I volunteered to swap it out for him. Little did I realize that the HID lamp assembly fits in there so perfectly. How perfectly you ask...it requires the removal of the front bumper cover to remove the whole assembly in order to access the bulb. With that type of engineering I should be thankful it doesn't have square wheels.

three plastic pegs in the front, and a couple screws on each side, and that is all that holds your bumper cover on. It's a 3 minute removal, if that.

[ConHog]

three plastic pegs in the front, and a couple screws on each side, and that is all that holds your bumper cover on. It's a 3 minute removal, if that.

UM WHAT? lol had one in shop the other day put headlights in. 2009 chevy malibu. had to remove the front bumper entirely to change headlights. 3 hour job



look at that bullshit to change a headlight bulb. of course changed all 4 and the turn signal bulbs while we had it apart.

[Marcus Aurelius]

UM WHAT? lol had one in shop the other day put headlights in. 2009 chevy malibu. had to remove the front bumper entirely to change headlights. 3 hour job



look at that bullshit to change a headlight bulb. of course changed all 4 and the turn signal bulbs while we had it apart.

Yeah, those have a lot more holding the bumper cover on than the the a fore mentioned Concord. Still, you could pull the pins in the wheel well, and the crap load of bolts above the radiator, and just gently bend it down like they did in the 3:00 Minute mark here...

[tailfins]

UM WHAT? lol had one in shop the other day put headlights in. 2009 chevy malibu. had to remove the front bumper entirely to change headlights. 3 hour job



look at that bullshit to change a headlight bulb. of course changed all 4 and the turn signal bulbs while we had it apart.

They call it Government Motors for a reason.

[logroller]

three plastic pegs in the front, and a couple screws on each side, and that is all that holds your bumper cover on. It's a 3 minute removal, if that.

Perhaps you missed the point of this endeavor: changing the headlamp, not removing the bumper (plus the time to reinstall the bumper and align everything) It takes me about three minutes to remove my toilet too; but it would be an idiotic design of toilet that a simple clog required removing the toilet. On other vehicles I've owned it took all of a minute to change and test both bulbs. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Did I mention the bulbs were fine, it was a separate fuse not listed in the owners manual or on the fuse box cover. This was a clear-cut case of after-thought engineering.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Originally Posted by Marcus Aurelius
three plastic pegs in the front, and a couple screws on each side, and that is all that holds your bumper cover on. It's a 3 minute removal, if that.

Perhaps you missed the point of this endeavor: changing the headlamp, not removing the bumper (plus the time to reinstall the bumper and align everything) It takes me about three minutes to remove my toilet too; but it would be an idiotic design of toilet that a simple clog required removing the toilet. On other vehicles I've owned it took all of a minute to change and test both bulbs. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Did I mention the bulbs were fine, it was a separate fuse not listed in the owners manual or on the fuse box cover. This was a clear-cut case of after-thought engineering.

point is, it's not a big deal to do it. it's a piece of cake. Not the engineer fault if you can't manage 3 plastic pegs and a set of screws.

the engineers job is to make it functional, and look good so it sells. Not necessarily to make it easy for you to change a freaking bulb.

[revelarts]

Gotta stay in business. A lot of stuff designed is either made to break, (like an air conditioner, it literally has a magnet that slowly falls off breaking the connection causing you to hire a professional) or is made to have so many replacing items that you may as well buy a new one each time. Learned about this while job shadowing.

This is an obvious failing in capitalist business structure. Building something that lasts, damages the company that builds it.

Another reason why electric cars are not rolling out as fast. Bad for big biz after sales repairs

there's very little extra engine work to do.
no oil changes, gas engine adjustments to make, no air filters .
The ancillary after sales regular repairs drops off like a stone.
Leaving a whole in the dealerships bottom line.

[Robert A Whit]

Another reason why electric cars are not rolling out as fast. Bad for big biz after sales repairs

there's very little extra engine work to do.
no oil changes, gas engine adjustments to make, no air filters .
The ancillary after sales regular repairs drops off like a stone.
Leaving a whole in the dealerships bottom line.

They are not rolling out in large numbers because the public does not want them given their many problems.

[Little-Acorn]

I noticed my dad's car, an '04 Chrysler Concorde, had a headlamp out. Being the good son I am I volunteered to swap it out for him. Little did I realize that the HID lamp assembly fits in there so perfectly. How perfectly you ask...it requires the removal of the front bumper cover to remove the whole assembly in order to access the bulb. With that type of engineering I should be thankful it doesn't have square wheels.

In the 1960s, Ford came out with a model of the Mustang where, if you wanted to tune it up, you had to unbolt the entire engine and lift it up out of the car to get access to the spark plugs to change them.

And just try to change the spark plugs in a 1973 VW bug with air conditioning.....

[logroller]

They are not rolling out in large numbers because the public does not want them given their many problems.

Problems you say? Like range. Well according to one poster such "problems" are "no big deal"; plugging in an electric is even easier than plastic rivets and a screw...just saying. Not as easy as refueling a gas engine, but still a piece of cake. You're just being cynical.

[Robert A Whit]

Problems you say? Like range. Well according to one poster such "problems" are "no big deal"; plugging in an electric is even easier than plastic rivets and a screw...just saying. Not as easy as refueling a gas engine, but still a piece of cake. You're just being cynical.

Let's be practical just the same way the public is.

Given the short range of the electric auto, plus the extreme out of service period of time of same auto, plus the general tiny size of said auto, for most it is not practical.

It is a niche vehicle. Were it not, the government would not need to pay out billions in fees to buyers to get them to buy one.

Bear in mind that when the Feds pay a lot of cash out, they do it to overcome market resistance. Market resistance is fair in that it suits what the market really wants. Even the Volt, a better idea, is a slow seller, despite the enormous kick back of cash to them, despite they may not have paid any taxes yet get paid to buy a car.

[Robert A Whit]

In the 1960s, Ford came out with a model of the Mustang where, if you wanted to tune it up, you had to unbolt the entire engine and lift it up out of the car to get access to the spark plugs to change them.

And just try to change the spark plugs in a 1973 VW bug with air conditioning.....

I purchased several of the twin to the mustang, the Cougar, for my child and dang if I had any problem changing spark plugs. I keep scratching my head wondering what you are talking about.

As to the VW, not part of my resume of knowledge. I did own a Corvair and changed it's plugs. Seems it was easy. But the problem with it was leaking oil from the push rod tubes.

I had my guys in my shop yank the engine out and rebuild it. It still leaked at the push rod tubes.

Trouble was, the air around the engine was also used to heat the car and oil fumes came into the car. I ended up having it hauled off for scrap.

[glockmail]

Never owned a Mopar and likely never will. Thanks for confirming my bias.

An '04 Mopar is nothing like a '13. They've gone through a few owners since then. They've benefited from their German, now their Italian owners.

All I've done on my '12 Jeep so far is change the oil. Due to a very elegant design, it's a no-drip process.

[glockmail]

I noticed my dad's car, an '04 Chrysler Concorde, had a headlamp out. Being the good son I am I volunteered to swap it out for him. Little did I realize that the HID lamp assembly fits in there so perfectly. How perfectly you ask...it requires the removal of the front bumper cover to remove the whole assembly in order to access the bulb. With that type of engineering I should be thankful it doesn't have square wheels.

Are you sure? Many front light assemblies are accessed through the inner wheel fenders. Jack the car up, remove the wheels, and use a upholstery fork to remove the plastic retainers.

Replace every bub in the car at the same time. While you're at the store buy replacement plastic retainers.