Nuts

[alfadave]

Why have AR gone nuts on modern cars.

I'm used to the Sud having 10, 13, 17, 19 mm bolt heads.

Working on my sons Brera today..........17, 17, 18, 19, 21 mm.......

and then some Torx heads.

Even one bolt with a Torx head, and a hex nut on the other end.

I'm writing to my MP about this!

[Sud 145]

Is your MP Dianne Abbott?

[KevJTD]

There's worse stupidity about on modern stuff Dave, all designed to be a complete pita.

Take for instance the genius idea of plastic sumps, long been on the Peugeot / Ford joint cockup diesel engine as fitted to many a turd.
Sump plug, in a plastic sump? How's that work you say. Well you have a little plastic plug that just needs a quarter turn before it's out. Such a genius idea that they had to modify it to take an R pin to stop them shaking out and dumping the contents.
Don't even consider what might happen if you ground it out...

The latest stupidity addition came today, had an Audi something or other, dunno what model it was, quattro with a 2 litre tfsi engine or something. Only in for an oil change so thankfully I didn't have to drive it far, kept nearly nodding off when sat in it due to the impressive level of mediocrity displayed inside masquerading as an interior, God all Audi cars are dull. Should come on the NHS as a cure for insomnia.

Dropped the undertray off having first fought with threadlocked securing bolts
Only to find, yep, a plastic sump!
Genious!
Worse though it had an even more stupid sump plug made of flimsy plastic that looked like it needed a quarter turn but felt like it would disintegrate if I tried any harder. A search online revealed you need a special tool to remove it!
Gave up then and just sucked the oil out the dispstick tube, which I don't like doing as that doesn't flush the crud out.
Turd.

Looks like it too has a brilliant idea copied from the aforementioned Peugeot /Ford collaboration, a cambelt that runs in the engine oil....

[junior]

Well that does look to be a poor idea. Progress is not always what it say's it is.

Rather you than me messing with those sump plugs. And if you go down a muddy track or a wet grass verge that looks

very vulnerable.

[alfadave]

I sold a 146 ti to my nephew some years back.
He lives in Stafford where the speed bumps seem to be extra high.

Damaged the sump going over one, and lost all the oil.
Luckily, he wasn't going too far.......pulled into a car park, and saw the trail of oil.
The metal sumps are fairly flimsy tin.

Some time afterwards, the big ends went!

Not sure if it was oil starvation, or he knocked the crank out.

[alfadave]

Regarding the Brera, the 16 and 18mm sockets in my set had hardly been used.
And I didn't have the 16 or 18 ring spanners.Or the E20 socket.

Whoever designs these modern cars, doesn't think of us amateurs!

I met a guy once who dealt in leasing/warranty claims.

He reckoned that Hondas were designed by engineers for engineers, and the service/repair times were low.

Never owned one, so can't comment.

[Spacenut]

a cambelt that runs in the engine oil....

What the Hell is the point of that?

Chain in an oil bath I can understand. How does it help a timing belt, except by making it deteriorate faster perhaps???

[KevJTD]

a cambelt that runs in the engine oil....

What the Hell is the point of that?

Chain in an oil bath I can understand. How does it help a timing belt, except by making it deteriorate faster perhaps???

All in the blinkered approach to saving fuel usage and lowering emissions Lauren.
Not the simple route of getting rid of the lardy almost 2 ton cars and making them half the weight, like we used to drive (and some of us still do) but lets make a system that when it fails it wrecks the engine for the sake of a supposed 0.5% improvement in engine efficiency

https://www.ngfeurope.com/~/media/NGF%2 ... ature.ashx

Now, most of us guys on here are pretty switched on with what can go wrong, so if something can go wrong it will..
When a cambelt fails it usually sheds teeth before snapping.
I wonder what will happen to those teeth now they are in the engine oil
Oh yes, they'll get sucked into the oil pump and block the oil supply, I wonder if that's gonna be bad
Don't assume that the teeth shedding will be followed immediately by the belt snapping so there's not enough time for a seizure, as there is usually at least 8 or 9 teeth in mesh at the crank then one missing will still allow the belt to function until the missing teeth break off together in a group.

Why are these "geniuses" allowed to be anywhere near designing things?

https://blog.motoringassist.com/car-mai ... -overview/

[Kegsti66]

Bloody ,ell mate what a nightmare.
The JTDm oil filter isn't so bad after all
Loved your description of the current Audi range

[alfadave]

Best way to drain the oil on a plastic sump.......

Drill a hole and replace with a large self tapper for plastic with washer?

[Spacenut]

Plastic sumps, whatever next

I thought there was supposed to be a problem with single use plastics, what was so wrong with infinitely recyclable steel???

Numpties

[KevJTD]

Had this in yesterday, Peugeot van with the Peugeot/Ford diesel engines. Just thought I'd show the plastic sump in case anyone ethought I was joking..... And yes, that "R" clip is vital to stop the plastic drain plug shaking itself loose! It does have a locking notch within the mechanism to lock it shut but it's hardly a tight fit, turns very easily by hand....

Genius?

[KevJTD]

This one today, Nissan Qashqai despite the Renault lump....
Now I can't condemn this as much because for once the oil filter cartridge housing is very handily placed for easy oil changes, but although the sump is steel the housing is plastic and it sits down as low as the sump ready for a big stone, or low kerb to crack it...
Ought to really have a steel guard round it at least...

[Spacenut]

Ought to really have a steel guard round it at least...

...Especially given the car's pretensions to be a "luxury soft-roader"

[KevJTD]

Ought to really have a steel guard round it at least...

...Especially given the car's pretensions to be a "luxury soft-roader"

Yes, exactly that Lauren
They seem to think it's an semi off road vehicle despite fwd only!!
Picture is deceiving too, looks like the filter housing is only the removable cap exposed but that felt warming blanket hides the fact that the bottom of the housing is level with the sump and has probably 3" depth of plastic housing to aim at....