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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → I found Sarn's dream car
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I found Sarn's dream car
2010-04-05, 2:02 PM #41
One of my favorite examples of a big FU to people doing normal maintenance is the new Dodge Avenger/Chrysler Sebring. The battery is stuck behind the driver's side front fender and is a royal pain to get out without taking the wheel off.
2010-04-05, 2:08 PM #42
The manual probably tells you to take the wheel off. It's pretty common, unfortunately.

Would you believe the government wants me to pay more taxes for owning an older vehicle? I love my 79 full size pick up. I can haul a lot of ****, I don't care when I hit something because it's beat to hell, and it's ****ing super simple to work on.

More cars need Ford I-6
2010-04-05, 3:39 PM #43
Originally posted by Darth:
One of my favorite examples of a big FU to people doing normal maintenance is the new Dodge Avenger/Chrysler Sebring. The battery is stuck behind the driver's side front fender and is a royal pain to get out without taking the wheel off.


That's as ridiculous as having to remove the air box to get to the battery in the GM 3.6L engines.
2010-04-05, 6:26 PM #44
OH NO! I actually have to do a little work to replace the battery! What will I do?

Taking off a wheel is nothing, and removing the air filter box takes about 2 minutes.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-05, 7:16 PM #45
Originally posted by Antony:
OH NO! I actually have to do a little work to replace the battery! What will I do?

Taking off a wheel is nothing, and removing the air filter box takes about 2 minutes.


I don't believe the fact in question was the ease of the procedure but rather how it conflicts with 90% of the cars manufactured where the battery simply rests to the left or right side of the engine compartment completely exposed.

To put it bluntly, your sarcasm was unneeded/uncalled for.
2010-04-05, 7:22 PM #46
Originally posted by Antony:
OH NO! I actually have to do a little work to replace the battery! What will I do?

Taking off a wheel is nothing, and removing the air filter box takes about 2 minutes.


There is no reason why the engineers should be so lazy in designing the car.
"Nulla tenaci invia est via"
2010-04-05, 10:31 PM #47
The Chevy Cobalt has the battery in the trunk. Yes you heard me, trunk.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2010-04-05, 10:35 PM #48
Yeah, I know. My family owns one. I don't see the issue. I mean, I could see the problem if you had to completely remove the oil pan to change the oil or something to that effect. But complaining that the battery isn't right out in your face is idiotic.

Regardless of where the battery is, unless you're a moron who leaves your lights on all the time, you should only have to worry about where the battery is about once every 3 years at minimum.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-06, 4:41 AM #49
*shrug* I like to tinker.

>.>
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2010-04-06, 5:32 AM #50
Originally posted by dalf:
The Chevy Cobalt has the battery in the trunk. Yes you heard me, trunk.


Same thing on my 2003 saturn ion
Was cheated out of lions by happydud
Was cheated out of marriage by sugarless
2010-04-06, 3:02 PM #51
Originally posted by Sarn_Cadrill:
*shrug* I like to tinker.

>.>

Pretty much this.

Unless you're a complete imbecile when it comes to working on automobiles... I mean to the degree where you take your car into a shop to have new windshield wipers on, you shouldn't have a problem with the battery being behind something which takes about 3 minutes to remove.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-06, 3:03 PM #52
You know, it's actually a great idea to move something that needs to stay clean away from something that gets hella hot and dirty all the time.
2010-04-06, 3:06 PM #53
You should see the batteries on large turbine powered aircraft.

They're down in the avionics bay usually. On narrow body aircraft like a 757 only one person can barely crawl through, and the batteries must weigh at least 40 or 50 pounds.
2010-04-06, 6:53 PM #54
Originally posted by Antony:
Unless you're a complete imbecile when it comes to working on automobiles... I mean to the degree where you take your car into a shop to have new windshield wipers on, you shouldn't have a problem with the battery being behind something which takes about 3 minutes to remove.


uhh.. funny you should use that exact example... I may have to take my bmw to the dealer to replace the wiper blades. >.> It's some kind of weird mounting system and I can't seem to find wiper blades that will fit. I haven't gotten so desperate to pay the dealer to do it though considering it rarely rains in San Diego anyway. (and btw, if you own a BMW, be very careful about auto parts stores telling you what parts will fit on your car. So far I've had to return 2 gas caps, one set of windshield blades, and a set of spark plugs because the part that was supposed to be for my BMW wasn't really the right fit.)
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2010-04-06, 7:04 PM #55
Which is why everyone told you it was going to cost a fortune to maintain it. You have to buy virtually everything from the dealership because BMW doesn't like to allow 3rd parties to make parts for their cars.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-06, 7:16 PM #56
Some things sure. But not "virtually everything" and not even the majority of things. It just seems like it's always the stupid things. (like the gas cap or wiper blades)

However, I'm looking on Amazon.com right now, and I think I have found the fuel cap I need and possibly the windshield wipers. I'll have to wait till tomorrow to see the pictures and know for sure (amazon's pictures don't work from my ship and I'm on duty tonight). edit nevermind, the pictures are working now.. but it's still useless. How the hell is this a helpful angle? They couldn't be bothered to show the underside of it?? GRR.

Anyway, I will gripe about one other thing about my bmw: Flimsy, poorly designed cup holders. 3 out of 4 cup holders in my car are broke. And the one that does work is completely useless.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2010-04-06, 7:45 PM #57
Originally posted by dalf:
The Chevy Cobalt has the battery in the trunk. Yes you heard me, trunk.


This isn't uncommon. People have been relocating batteries to the trunk ever since they put them under the hood.

Besides, it adds more weight to the rear of a car (which helps a little bit on a front-engine car) And not only that but you don't see the corrosion build up on the battery terminals that cause car fires. Also hooking up a stereo system is a breeze.
"Nulla tenaci invia est via"
2010-04-06, 7:47 PM #58
The thing about BMW is they like to nickel and dime you to death with special spark plugs and **** like that. A lot of high end European cars are like that. You know, instead of a few bucks for an oil filter at Auto Zone, you have to get it from the dealership for 20 bucks. It's insane, but it's part of owning a BMW. Even if you pay cash in full for a BMW up front, you'll keep paying out the rear for it as long as you own it.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-06, 7:49 PM #59
Speaking of that, my friend has a 98 Audi A4 that has leaky power steering. You can only get the fluid at the dealership and it's $40 a quart or something stupid.
"Nulla tenaci invia est via"
2010-04-06, 7:54 PM #60
I'll bet anything the fluid can be bought at a local auto supply, but Audi refuses to specify what it is.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-07, 8:35 AM #61
Originally posted by Antony:
I'll bet anything the fluid can be bought at a local auto supply, but Audi refuses to specify what it is.


QFT

Sarn, for your wiper blades look into the RainX Latitude or Trico NeoForm blades. They have adapters that most blades don't and are probably the style that your car came with. I just put some on a BMW the other day. I think it was the NeoForms and they needed the "B" adapter. YMMV.
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2010-04-07, 1:38 PM #62
Power steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid. Almost anything that is about the same viscosity as whats in the reservoir now will work.
2010-04-07, 6:57 PM #63
Gotta watch out for additives though. There are sometimes conditioners for seals in the fluids. Trans fluid is really bad about additives and you need to make sure you use the right stuff. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that a German car needs super secret fluid in order to keep the seals from rotting away.
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2010-04-08, 2:01 PM #64
The power steering systems I've seen on BMWs all use natural ruber internal seals and rigid flared tubing for the connections. If your lines start leaking, it isn't because of a conditioner.

Seal conditioners are REALLY not a requirement. Large heavy aircraft don't use them, but instead require you use a hydraulic fluid that won't disintegrate. Actually, you should just poor Skydrol in there. HELL YEAH, PURPLE EYE BURNING OF DEATH FLUID.
2010-04-08, 8:45 PM #65
That's good to know. Like I said, trans fluid is bad about additives but that isn't for leaks. They are friction modifiers which customize the fluid to what the vehicle manufacturer specifies. I fully believe that they could all choose one type of fluid and make all their transmissions work perfectly fine with it. Then again, I'm not an engineer so what the hell do I know?
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2010-04-08, 8:55 PM #66
Well right, but Rob works on AIRCRAFT, which of course makes him qualified to talk about cars, right?
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2010-04-08, 9:25 PM #67
Well... BMW dabbles in both...
>>untie shoes
2010-04-08, 9:59 PM #68
lol, not recently.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2010-04-08, 10:24 PM #69
Yes, the fact that they don't mass produce aircraft engines anymore means BMW aircraft engines are no longer used. Because aircraft engines don't last for-****ing-ever if properly maintained or anything...
>>untie shoes
2010-04-08, 10:32 PM #70
Originally posted by Emon:
Well right, but Rob works on AIRCRAFT, which of course makes him qualified to talk about cars, right?


Well, airplanes are basically the cars of the sky.
COUCHMAN IS BACK BABY
2010-04-09, 9:35 AM #71
Originally posted by Emon:
Well right, but Rob works on AIRCRAFT, which of course makes him qualified to talk about cars, right?


I was referring to what he said about BMW's power steering seals.
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2010-04-09, 9:47 AM #72
I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Rob isn't qualified to talk about cars, but any time someone says, "I did [this] so I must know about [that]" I get skeptical.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2010-04-09, 11:14 AM #73
but the thing is, he's not talking anything specific about bmw's or even cars. He's talking general mechanical knowledge, in which he's surely qualified.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2010-04-09, 12:39 PM #74
I can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm siding with Sarn over Emon.
>>untie shoes
2010-04-09, 2:35 PM #75
Originally posted by Crimson:
That's good to know. Like I said, trans fluid is bad about additives but that isn't for leaks. They are friction modifiers which customize the fluid to what the vehicle manufacturer specifies. I fully believe that they could all choose one type of fluid and make all their transmissions work perfectly fine with it. Then again, I'm not an engineer so what the hell do I know?


I thought we were talking about power steering fluid?

Aviation maintenance and auto maintenance are not so dissimilar.

There is a lot of advancement imbreeding between airplanes and cars/trucks.
2010-04-09, 9:45 PM #76
Originally posted by Rob:
I thought we were talking about power steering fluid?

Aviation maintenance and auto maintenance are not so dissimilar.

There is a lot of advancement imbreeding between airplanes and cars/trucks.


We were. Then I went tangential. :)
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2010-04-12, 2:12 PM #77
Lets talk about cool engines with little or no practical practice.

ROTARY RADIAL ENGINES, GO.
2010-04-12, 2:47 PM #78
I'll see that and raise you volkswagen W16.
2010-04-12, 2:50 PM #79
Ghey.

Swashplate engine.
2010-04-12, 2:50 PM #80
Ghey.

Swashplate engine.
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