Hardest job in automotive history
Discussion
d to be extact:I'm not sure it beats it but I had to replace the headlamp bulb on my Audi A3 convertible. It took about 3 hours, and included removing the battery and engine compartment fuse box. Contrast with a Volvo V40 where you turn a big plastic bracket 1/4 turn (by hand) and undo 1 screw. Then you can remove the headlight to do it easily in your living room, if you want.
The last time I changed a headlight bulb on an Alfa Romeo it took me three hours. I couldn't fit my hand in the tiny aperture in the back of the light so had to remove the headlight which meant removal of the front bumper and every single fastener holding the bumper on was an absolute tw*t.....
...Never again!
...Never again!
paul_c123 said:
I'm not sure it beats it but I had to replace the headlamp bulb on my Audi A3 convertible. It took about 3 hours, and included removing the battery and engine compartment fuse box. Contrast with a Volvo V40 where you turn a big plastic bracket 1/4 tur
n (by hand) and undo 1 screw. Then you can remove the headlight to do it easily in your living room, if you want.
My 2012 Octavia vRS was easy. Undo a large plastic knurled nut by hand, pull a lever & then disconnect plug from rear of lamp housing. Light unit then seperate from car. A lever easily reached in the rear of the unit also switched dip beam to driving on RHS of road when in France etc.n (by hand) and undo 1 screw. Then you can remove the headlight to do it easily in your living room, if you want.
My 2005 Civic was impossible if your hands bigger than a 10-year-old's. A friend's young daughter changed all 4 for me in 20 minutes after I gave up trying after an hour on one.
Easy were my 2002 Honda Accord & wife's 2000 Megane. Both had push on rubber covers over large apertures in rear of light units to easily change all four headlight plus sidelight & indicator bulbs
Bulbs can be surprisingly tricky for something that should be repairable at the roadside. Especially fun when you buy the larger engined variant of a car and realise that the engineers conceded defeat in leaving the access to the bulb clear when they added the bigger engine.
But for other jobs? I remember the oil filter in my S2.5 MX5 S-VT was a bugger to get to without a ramp.
But for other jobs? I remember the oil filter in my S2.5 MX5 S-VT was a bugger to get to without a ramp.
gazza285 said:
Also Alfa. Changing the front brake pads on a Cloverleaf Sprint.
I had a Citroen GS, that also had inboard discs. Similar issue. Same Citroen, they don't have flexi pipes for the brakes, so the rear one is a coil which is supposed to be wrapped around the rear trailing arm pivot about 5 times. Impossible. I tie wrapped the pipe up in the arch....
I've mentioned it before but 2003 Touareg V8 starter motor.
Remove offside brake disc, disconnect front suspension, steering and front diff, disconnect and drop front subframe, raise engine a few inches, remove offside engine mount then contort your hand somewhere you can't really see.
Remove offside brake disc, disconnect front suspension, steering and front diff, disconnect and drop front subframe, raise engine a few inches, remove offside engine mount then contort your hand somewhere you can't really see.
ffc said:
Porsche 964 evaporator is my entry. Involves removing the petrol tank.
Is the petrol tank hard up against the bulkhead?For a similar but reversed situation, the petrol tank on an MG TF is made of a material that swells when exposed to petrol and the route it goes in is sized for the pre petrol exposed state of the tank. If you want to get the tank out you have to let it dry out for what I understand to be weeks or even months before it can be removed. Fun!
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