Tell us us something we don't know

[maynard]

 

[mikephillips]

And make sure to put a cover over it that only releases by crawling under the car and reaching up with a 3 foot socket extension. And just to make it really fun, put in the service manual just the two words, "remove cover"...

 

[bobhustead]

I remember as a kid working on a jeep 6 cyl with an integral intake manifold. Yep, there was a bolt thru the manifold under the carb.
Bob

 

[Basil]

BMW engineers!

 

[AngliaGT]

"Assembly is the reverse of disassembly"

 

[maynard]

1958 Olds. Had to remove the steel bumper to replace a tail light bulb

 

[Basil]

1958 Olds. Had to remove the steel bumper to replace a tail light bulb

Had to remove entire front end to replace headlight on wife’s BMW Z4

 

[Popeye]

BMW engineers!

I'll second that!!

It is interesting, how a car that is so well engineered when driving, is such a pain in the donkey to service. Some of that is on purpose - to keep the revenue flowing to the BMW service network, but some of it is just absent-minded engineering.

 

[Bob McElwee]

We use to claim some of that design work was done on Friday night Happy Hours.

 

[equiprx]

Had to remove entire front end to replace headlight on wife’s BMW Z4

Same with my 2000 Volvo.
Found a loose turn signal bulb inside the headlamp.
After three attempts to get it I gave it up.

 

[BobHaskell]

Had an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that one had to remove the passenger side front suspension to get to the alternator (FWD). I think it was our VW Passat wagon that had the thermostat in behind the water pump.

 

[Basil]

Had an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that one had to remove the passenger side front suspension to get to the alternator (FWD). I think it was our VW Passat wagon that had the thermostat in behind the water pump.

Another fun task (two tasks) I had to do recently on the Z4: First, to replace the water pump requires that you unbolt the engine from the motor mounts and, with large block of wood on the left side of the oil pan, jack up the left side of the engine several inches. This is necessary because they put a steel cross member (impossible to remove without removing the entire front clip) directly in front of the water pump. So, you must jack up the engine several inches to allow the pump to be withdrawn past that cross member. Then, I had to replace two simple plastic pipes that ran to/from the heater core because they both were leaking. Sounds easy enough except that you have to first remove the intake manifold to gain access to those pipes and getting that manifold off is no trivial task!

I got a quote from the dealer to do all the stuff I ended up doing myself (water pump, heater pipes, all new hoses, thermostat, new coolant reservoir, etc) and it was well north of $3000! I did it all for about $300 in parts and lots of cussing.

 

[AngliaGT]

Replaced the heater core on our '78 Ford Fairmont wagon.
The manual said to remove the glove box,& then remove the
heater core.They neglected to say that was WITHOUT A/C.
You had to remove everything up to the firewall.It was an
eight hour flat rate job.

 

[AngliaGT]

View attachment 75355

Looks like an Audi wiring diagram.

 

[YakkoWarner]

My 1989 F250 (even with A/C) was probably the easiest heater core replace I ever did - took the glovebox off (no tools needed just clips in), undid 6 hex head screws in the plastic heater core box and it fell out onto the floor. Didn't even have to drain the system because the inlet/outlet hoses are higher on the firewall than anything else. Took longer to drive to the parts store and buy one than the actual remove/replace.

 

[John Turney]

....

I got a quote from the dealer to do all the stuff I ended up doing myself (water pump, heater pipes, all new hoses, thermostat, new coolant reservoir, etc) and it was well north of $3000! I did it all for about $300 in parts and lots of cussing.

$2,700 worth of cussing?

 

[DrEntropy]

$2,700 worth of cussing?

I'd guarantee it came close to that!

 

[Popeye]

I'd guarantee it came close to that!

Wait, I can charge for cussing?

...on my way to the bank. %&^*, ^$%$, and my favorite German swearword, *&*^%**&%$#)@&R$%*$^@(^@R%*(!)((!^&*ung.

 

[Basil]

$2,700 worth of cussing?

Sounds about right.

 

[JPSmit]

Wait, I can charge for cussing?

no, you pay for