I'm Getting Old!

[AngliaGT]

We sold the Wife's Protege "as-is",
& took the money to have it fixed & put
it towards the newer car.We bought a 2007
Ford Fusion,4 cylinder,5 speed.
I went to the local parts store to buy
an oil filter."Which one?" asked the parts
guy.I said "What?".Turns out they came with
either a conventional filter,or a canister.
I haven't seen a canister on an engine since
my 1967 Cortina.
When I liiked under the car,I saw something
that looked like a canister,but I wasn't sure
that was it.You have to use an allen wrench to
remove it.Luckily,I have a Snap-on adapter for
my ratchet.
Also,while looking at the engine I noticed...
...NO spark plugs!I think I'll go back to the
Cortina.

- Doug

 

[martx-5]

My wife's 2003 Mazda 6 has a canister filter...I belive most BMW's have them also. It's a new trend towards an old idea. :laugh:

I put a spin-on filter on the TR3...more retro you know.

As far as the plugs go, they are probably under those individual coils that most manufacturers are using these days.

 

[DaveatMoon]

Spark plugs on new cars are often the iridium type, and have a working life of 100,000 miles plus. I just pulled the ones in my car, and after 53,000 miles they were each less than .001 inch off of factory spec! Read your manual, but most likely the plugs are something you'll have years before you'll need to worry about them.

Someday we may never have to work on cars at all!

 

[mailbox]

Someday we may never have to work on cars at all!

What's the fun in THAT?

 

[aerog]

I don't think it's a question of never "having" to, but rather that they don't want you to (they being the designer/manufacturer). Just a hunch, nothing sinister.

I cannot stand the new engines with the massive plastic shroud that hides the engine. It isn't that I'm particularly turned on by looking at an engine, but that I'd like to be able to look at/inspect it without having to disassemble a useless piece of cosmetic plastic.

 

[Gliderman8]

 

[DNK]

Scott. If I never have to look under the hood of my and my wifes everyday ride I'm happy.

That's the dealer's job

 

[aerog]

Nothing with with that at all Don, but then the big piece of cosmetic plastic really is useless if you don't even open the hood

PS: I mean, if they left that thing off <span style="font-style: italic">most</span> people probably wouldn't notice because they don't open the hood anyway

 

[tony barnhill]

Oh, Doug....you got old some time ago, your mind is just now catching up with your body...hehehehe

(& time to leave California!)

 

[JamesWilson]

Scott. If I never have to look under the hood of my and my wifes everyday ride I'm happy.

That's the dealer's job

There's a lot to be said in favor of modern low-maintenance, high mileage cars; but when they go bad it can be very costly... and I wonder how well supported they'll be in the future when the micro-chips and electronics die....

 

[tony barnhill]

Scott. If I never have to look under the hood of my and my wifes everyday ride I'm happy.

That's the dealer's job

There's a lot to be said in favor of modern low-maintenance, high mileage cars; but when they go bad it can be very costly... and I wonder how well supported they'll be in the future when the micro-chips and electronics die....

One reason I'll always have at least 1 car with a generator & a full tank of gas (& another huge can of gas in reserve)!

 

[RonMacPherson]

In addition to the manufacturers and designers. The Feds and bureaucracy do NOT want non-qualified(read that factory trained equipped with factory tools) working on newer cars.


Started with anti tamper devices back on carburetors in the mid 70's....

EPA has pushed, and pushed, and pushed...

The indy garages and repair shops have been fighting to gain access to manufacturer info and tools, so they have the capability to repair vehicles same as dealers. That has been an ongoing war for better than 30 years..

 

[AngliaGT]

Oh, Doug....you got old some time ago, your mind is just now catching up with your body...hehehehe

(& time to leave California!)

Tony,

That's not so - I graduated high school
10 years ago (in my mind!).Darn! I'm becoming a "FOG"
- Fat Old Guy.

- Doug

 

[swift6]

That useless piece of plastic covering the engine is actually part of a system of noise reduction items. Helping to lower the NVH in newer cars. If you actually like to listen to the mechanicals of an engine while driving then yes it is useless. But your not part of the larger populace that doesn't want to hear it. Most of us on this forum would most likely fall in to the same category as you. I know I do. Then again, the first diagnostic step on new cars anymore is to plug in the code reader/electronic diagnostic tool before even opening the hood.