The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

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Rettax3
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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Rettax3 »

Yup, plus the environmental fee, then tax, and yes, they do charge enviro-fees and tax on the core fees too (a fee on a fee, a tax on the fee and a tax on the fee's fee. %) Whatever).

I recently took in a junked (and very disassembled) Toyota 22R block (and 22RE head) for the core fee on the L67 3800 SC I just bought for my Yellow Indy. I had most of a 3X00 starter, a random alternator and an A/C compressor from a something-or-other (a co-worker donated the engine, head, A/C compressor and alternator so I didn't need to give up my GTU's original 2.8). They don't care, they just need SOMETHING back. I got over $80 for the effort -it was worth it! A few years ago, I pulled a complete 2.4 Twin Cam, and brought back a bare block (I mean BARE -I even took out the oil-passage plugs :D -I took everything that unscrewed from the old block, except for the toasted crank). Even without the pistons, rods, or head, they still gave me full core credit. :pardon: I turned around and sold-off about half of the extra parts for about as much as I paid for the whole engine. :P

Another scam they pull is their "engine, complete with accessories". Accessories, as anyone in any part of the industry or anyone who has done any significant work to their own car can attest to, are things like the alternator, A/C compressor, P/S pump, usually even the starter although that is not technically driven by the accessory drive belt(s). At places like 'pick-n-pull', that complete engine you are buying for $180 does NOT include those accessories, despite specifically being called "engine, complete with accessories"! WTF? You want those things, pay the extra $10 each... Total scam. Does that make it a bad deal, or a bad price? Not necessarily, but it does make it dishonest, and a bad deal by principal. Yeah, I still shop there though. :pardon: I just usually try to go on the half-price days...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Rettax3 »

Here is today's "Stupidest Thing":

BMW's X series SUVs, like many vehicles today, have the battery in the rear cargo area. Okay, I am fine with that, it makes more space in the engine bay, helps distribute weight farther back, and I am sure somebody can invent some safety reason for it too. It adds a boat-ton of weight to the vehicle, running larger cable across a longer distance just to get the same cranking power to the starter, but whatever.

Here is what makes this stupid: You can open the hatch to access the rear cargo area, and therefore the battery, in one of two ways-
1. unlock the vehicle with your key-fob and the power locks will unlock the rear hatch, or
2. use your key in the driver's door, the only place on the vehicle with an external lock, and the power locks will unlock the rear hatch. Getting the problem yet?
It gets even better- once unlocked, you have to press up on the electronic button on the hatch to actually release the electronic latch then lift up and open the hatch...

Why did you need to access the battery? Is it DEAD? 8) Love that German engineering! The Ultimate Driving Machine! :ROFL:


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by 3X00-Modified »

Double check the manual, there has to be a proper procedure to access the battery, the corvette has a similar issues, no lock cylinders at all but there is a trunk key access under the plate or something and then a door release handle tucked behind the interior plastic on the drivers side to open that door and gain access to the hood latch. I also just learned that 2011 and up Corvettes have completely electronic door handles on the outside AND inside of the vehicle... So you can actually get in a situation where you can get in and then the battery is dead after cranking and the inside door handle on the door will not open it to get out. There is a mechanical release lever just at the base of the seats that will mechanically open the driver or passenger door. THAT is worse than what you described above but they have solutions in place.

Found stuff online about how the doors will unlock with the master key if you turn it fully horizontal forward or back, depends on model, which gains you access to the cabin, then pop the hood and there are jump terminals under there, OR at least there is the master positive lead that is right on top of the engine and any hex stud on the strut tower you can use as ground. That will at least allow you to attach a jump pack to get the rear hatch electronics to work.

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SO they did plan for this in a way...


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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by 1988GTU »



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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Rettax3 »

3X00-Modified wrote:..."pop the hood and there are jump terminals under there, OR at least there is the master positive lead that is right on top of the engine and any hex stud on the strut tower you can use as ground. That will at least allow you to attach a jump pack to get the rear hatch electronics to work.


SO they did plan for this in a way..."
Yes, that is actually how to swap a dead battery on these cars, and what I had to do. It isn't usually too hard to figure out a way around bad engineering -the point is that it is bad in the first place, right? :roll: It is good that they put the jump-lugs under the hood for convenience anyway, but poor thinking that led to the actual need to use them in this case. It means that to replace a dead battery, you also need that jump-box, or at least jumper-cables or some other external power-source.

That 'Vette setup you mentioned is definitely worse than the BMW's issues. Ford also has some new models that have the same idiotic problem as the Corvette you mentioned -I don't recall which ones though. I am sure in an emergency, say after an accident that destroyed the electrical system, the proud owners of these fancy new vehicles would sit there and say, "okay, wait, the doors won't actually open, so let me reach under here, grab this, pull, reach over, push the door open..." Hmm, maybe they would just keep screaming and pulling on the handle in a panic until the car explodes... :pardon: Huh, maybe there IS more thought put into some of these designs than I thought... :unknown: On my old Plymouth, even if the doors are locked, a tug on the interior door handle will open the door -it just takes two pulls, one to unlock the door, and again to open it. Or reach back to unlock it first, then one pull as usual...
1988GTU wrote:I8 = I HATE
:lol: Good find on that vid -"There is no need to open the hood unless it is in the shop." That is a GREAT reason to make it into an exercise in hidden releases, two-person operations, and body-damaging hinges if not lifted, pulled, and pushed in the EXACT right spots just to open and close the hood... Another awesome example of Big Money Wasted. :D

Thanks for the posts guys. :good:


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Cliff8928 »

Really there's nothing more to opening the door in a C6 corvette in an emergency situation other than pulling up on the clearly marked handle just inside the door jamb. Under normal circumstance, it will slightly pop open when that lever is pulled. Obviously that may not happen in the event of an accident.

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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Rettax3 »

Cliff8928 wrote:Really there's nothing more to opening the door in a C6 corvette in an emergency situation other than pulling up on the clearly marked handle just inside the door jamb. Under normal circumstance, it will slightly pop open when that lever is pulled. Obviously that may not happen in the event of an accident.
:good: Thank you for setting that straight for us, Cliff -that is really not bad, I agree. I was picturing something more like what 1988GTU had linked on that BMW I-8, with the "lift a little here, catch the hidden finger-tab, slide that out, then lift the rest of the way, and do it all correctly or it breaks off in your hand, and you are REALLY screwed now!"


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Cliff8928 »

It does seem odd that the i8 has the latch in the door. The Corvette has it in the jamb, so that way the release can be on the body side. This also permits easier entry with a dead battery.

If you want some entertainment, look at what it takes to open the frunk on a early Boxster with a dead battery.


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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by Rettax3 »

Okay, this one is more mundane than some of the other ones, but here is today's stupidest thing:

For those of us that have been around working on cars long enough to remember when Torx (aka "star bit") screws came out, they were a "specialized tool" fastener, that generally irritated everyone with a #2 Phillips screwdriver. Once we finally bit the bullet and bought some of these at-the-time hard to find Torx drivers and quit trying to jam flat-blade screw-drivers into these stupid little screws, we got sucker-punched again with "Security Torx". These little f^&##$ had a pin in the middle of them, so our regular Torx drivers wouldn't even go into them! The manufacturers were probably so busy spraining their shoulders by patting themselves on the backs that it did not occur to them that having to drill a hole through the middle of our already too-weak-to-tackle-the-hardware Torx bits would make them that much weaker (or worse, it probably did occur to them, causing them to sprain the other shoulder too :D ).

On to today:
So, the 1990-something Ford F-series I was diagnosing the other day uses a MAF sensor, which has finally gone bad -not bad to get a 20+ year run from this part. This sensor is screwed into an aluminum housing, which is in turn bolted to the airbox on one side, and attached to the intake duct on the other. Everything is removable with 'normal' tools -wrenches and screwdrivers. BUT, the sensor is secured into the housing with Torx screws -that way it is SAFE from being removed by the 'average' owner/operator. :fool: (Unless one removes the entire HOUSING... :roll: ) BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! These guys used SECURITY Torx screws! Why? :unknown: BUT WAIT, THERE'S STILL MORE!! After securing the MAF sensor to the housing with Security Torx screws, they FILLED THE HEAD OF ONE OF THE EFFING SCREWS WITH EPOXY!!!

I simply don't get why these manufacturers are so bent on keeping people from working on their own vehicles... :bad: I don't think this jives with the self-reliant and pioneering spirit that helped develop the nations these vehicles were spawned from. :no: And of course, it just keeps getting worse...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Re: The stupidest thing I've seen today -an open thread

Post by SuperLbody »

Rettax3 wrote:Okay, this one is more mundane than some of the other ones, but here is today's stupidest thing:

For those of us that have been around working on cars long enough to remember when Torx (aka "star bit") screws came out, they were a "specialized tool" fastener, that generally irritated everyone with a #2 Phillips screwdriver. Once we finally bit the bullet and bought some of these at-the-time hard to find Torx drivers and quit trying to jam flat-blade screw-drivers into these stupid little screws, we got sucker-punched again with "Security Torx". These little f^&##$ had a pin in the middle of them, so our regular Torx drivers wouldn't even go into them! The manufacturers were probably so busy spraining their shoulders by patting themselves on the backs that it did not occur to them that having to drill a hole through the middle of our already too-weak-to-tackle-the-hardware Torx bits would make them that much weaker (or worse, it probably did occur to them, causing them to sprain the other shoulder too :D ).

On to today:
So, the 1990-something Ford F-series I was diagnosing the other day uses a MAF sensor, which has finally gone bad -not bad to get a 20+ year run from this part. This sensor is screwed into an aluminum housing, which is in turn bolted to the airbox on one side, and attached to the intake duct on the other. Everything is removable with 'normal' tools -wrenches and screwdrivers. BUT, the sensor is secured into the housing with Torx screws -that way it is SAFE from being removed by the 'average' owner/operator. :fool: (Unless one removes the entire HOUSING... :roll: ) BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! These guys used SECURITY Torx screws! Why? :unknown: BUT WAIT, THERE'S STILL MORE!! After securing the MAF sensor to the housing with Security Torx screws, they FILLED THE HEAD OF ONE OF THE EFFING SCREWS WITH EPOXY!!!

I simply don't get why these manufacturers are so bent on keeping people from working on their own vehicles... :bad: I don't think this jives with the self-reliant and pioneering spirit that helped develop the nations these vehicles were spawned from. :no: And of course, it just keeps getting worse...
As a mechanic, I can understand the frustration. Having special tools for a lot of things has swelled my tool box quite a bit. Blame for it rests mostly on the masses that want transportation with little fuss plus government regulations.


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