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Toyota/Lexus 4.6 V8 motor - the engine starter is on top of the engine UNDERNEATH the intake manifold! It's a six hour job and the labor costs 2-3 times the cost of the starter. Toyota starter lasted only 59,000 miles after dealer installed and they want another $1100 to replace it again. Can you say Oh-HELL-NO?
This was on the 4.7 2UZ-FE (1st gen tundra/seq/GX470/LX470) It was a big job to replace the starter, but the starters usually lasted more than 200K. I've seen these engines with 300+ and never seen a starter replaced. But yeah, its a stupid place to put the stater. Other than that, this engine is one of the best in durability. The also don't burn oil even at high mileage.
This was on the 4.7 2UZ-FE (1st gen tundra/seq/GX470/LX470) It was a big job to replace the starter, but the starters usually lasted more than 200K. I've seen these engines with 300+ and never seen a starter replaced. But yeah, its a stupid place to put the stater. Other than that, this engine is one of the best in durability. The also don't burn oil even at high mileage.
Yeah I have no problem with Toyota engineering. Starter replacements are rare on them. For the most part, conventional Toyota's are usually easy to tinker with.
Cadillac Northstars on the other hand, same deal: remove the intake to replace the GM starter which is far more likely to need replacing.
2004 Chevy Avalanche, I started to smell fuel leaking somewhere. Discovered that high mileage northern Chevy trucks from that era all had the same problem, the top of the fuel pump rusts out.
You can drop the drive shaft and fuel tank or cut a hole in the floor underneath the rear seat. There are very helpful diagrams and measurements on the interwebs.
I dunno what I did wrong but after it was a bear to refuel the tank, the pumps kept clicking off and that SOB loved it's fuel.
To replace a Jaguar XK8 fuel pump, a Ford style fuel line quick attach is behind the independent suspension rear axle differential, and you cannot even touch it. The differential has got to be dropped enough to get to it so the tank in the trunk can be removed.
Engineers need to be made to perform repairs before making such dumb designs.
..............This made me think of some really ridiculous examples of this fact and wonder what other ones people have encountered. I can think of three:
5. 1995 Camaro Z28. To change the fuel pump, you have to remove the welded exhaust and drop the gas tank to get at it (or cheat by cutting a hole through the body from inside the car and creating an access door.).
What have you encountered that makes no sense at all?
!993-1997 Camaro/Firebirds with the LT1 V-8 engine. To squeeze the engine in the car, the designers routed the hot "exhaust tube" that feeds the EGR system, in CLOSE proximity to the area where the intake manifold seals up against the rear of the engine block. This small gap is sealed with RTV silicone sealant.
However, continued exposure to the tube's heat, causes the RTV to "cook out" and no longer sealing, creating an oil leak. Repairing the leak involves disconnecting a lot of vacuum/fuel lines, then removing the intake manifold itself. You then replace the gaskets/RTV, and reassemble the engine.
I owned a 1996 Camaro, for 19 years. The dealer performed this repair, once, while the car was still under warranty. I made this repair 2-3 more times, by myself. IIRC, it was done about every 4 years...
Oil pan on a 2003 Buick Regal, the pan will not drop. You need to remove about 6 bolts on the engine mounts on the one side. Lift that side of the engine and you can get it out. One of those bolts is the bolt from hell, it sits about 5 inches deep in a very narrow space between the engine and the transmission, If there was any less space you'd have to split the engine and transmission.
The worse part about that is the section that causes this issue can't hold more than 1/4 quart of oil, I'm sure they could of made room for it elsewhere.
Quick tip, I used a very long narrow screwdriver and glued the bolt onto it with an electric glue gun. I never would have gotten in otherwise. That allowed me to get it started.
Just learned a trick! Would fill a socket with paper and tape the bolt to socket.
2010-2015 Outbacks (I believe the LEDs came out after that). Changing the headlight bulb requires you to go through the wheel well. So you have to remove the wheel well trim, take out the fasteners on the well cover, pull the cover back, and reach in and up to remove the cap to the housing, then remove the bulb. Oh, and all that is done blind.
The parking bulb in the same housing that's next to the headlight? that's a 2 min job as you can get to it from inside the engine compartment. The headlight bulb? About 20-25 per side.
Oh - did I mention there was an issue with the headlights where the bulbs tend to go out quicker? crappy design all around.
Tesla Model 3 - Jacking points.
Because of the battery - they have 4 jacking points that you need to use a "puck". These pucks are designed to fit a jack. But you can't really use a jack stand.... So yea... not exactly easily done DIY if you want to rotate tires. Unless you want to have 4 jacks.
Just learned a trick! Would fill a socket with paper and tape the bolt to socket.
You weren't getting a socket onto this, the gap was only a little larger than the bolt and once again it was 5 or 6 inches deep into the gap. Even getting wrench in the there wasn't easy and you couldn't get any pressure on the bolt to start it.
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