Engineering fail!

[logroller]

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.

[jimnyc]

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.

So, is the bumper sitting next to the car? LOL

[logroller]

So, is the bumper sitting next to the car? LOL

Still prying fasteners. What a pain in the ass. I'm changing both lamps. Temped to run down to the parts store and buy high same and turn lamps too. I sure don't want to do this again anytime soon, if ever.

[jimnyc]

Still prying fasteners. What a pain in the ass. I'm changing both lamps. Temped to run down to the parts store and buy high same and turn lamps too. I sure don't want to do this again anytime soon, if ever.

I remember the good old days, open the hood, take out like 6 screws and remove the lamp and a socket, pop a new one in, tighten the screws and job done in less than 10 minutes! They probably do this so that you can return to the dealerships and pay $3-500 for swapping lamps!!

[cadet]

I remember the good old days, open the hood, take out like 6 screws and remove the lamp and a socket, pop a new one in, tighten the screws and job done in less than 10 minutes! They probably do this so that you can return to the dealerships and pay $3-500 for swapping lamps!!

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.

[Noir]

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.

[mundame]

I remember the good old days, open the hood, take out like 6 screws and remove the lamp and a socket, pop a new one in, tighten the screws and job done in less than 10 minutes! They probably do this so that you can return to the dealerships and pay $3-500 for swapping lamps!!

See, they need an upgrade path. They have to be able to keep making money off you after the initial purchase.

[tailfins]

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.

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

[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.

[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.