Worst ever jobs on cars..........................
Moderator: RichardW
Replacing the rear shock absorbers on my first car (a Pug 205) was fun. Followed the manual, and the driver's side sock absorber just fell off...easy [:D]. Came to do the passanger side, and it would'nt come off the lower mounting bolt that runs through the suspension arm. The rubber had bonded to the bolt...and the bolt was locked solid in the arm.
After spending around 6 hours of hammering & swearing I entered my house for a small blow torch (much to the concern of my Dad [:D]), physically ripped the shockabsorber off...and then applied at little heat to the arm...and it popped right out [:)]
Final statistics:
Replacement time (including refit 9 hours)
Swearing (incalculable)
Cups of Coffe: 3 per hour
Result: Bought a ZX [:D]
Replacing the clutch on my dad's Citroen BX 16 valve still haunts me today...watching that gearbox come out and going "that's never gonna go back in [:0]".
Other nasties:
1) Panel bulbs in for ZX heater controls (actually aborted half way)
2) fitting a new wing to a 205 (before I bought it!)
3) Helping a mate at 3:00am fit an alternator to a Vaxuall Nova broken down somewhere in stafford
Dave
Citroen ZX Turbo Diesel Aura 1993
114622 [:)] miles
After spending around 6 hours of hammering & swearing I entered my house for a small blow torch (much to the concern of my Dad [:D]), physically ripped the shockabsorber off...and then applied at little heat to the arm...and it popped right out [:)]
Final statistics:
Replacement time (including refit 9 hours)
Swearing (incalculable)
Cups of Coffe: 3 per hour
Result: Bought a ZX [:D]
Replacing the clutch on my dad's Citroen BX 16 valve still haunts me today...watching that gearbox come out and going "that's never gonna go back in [:0]".
Other nasties:
1) Panel bulbs in for ZX heater controls (actually aborted half way)
2) fitting a new wing to a 205 (before I bought it!)
3) Helping a mate at 3:00am fit an alternator to a Vaxuall Nova broken down somewhere in stafford
Dave
Citroen ZX Turbo Diesel Aura 1993
114622 [:)] miles
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Hi!
My apologies for mentioning this on a French Car Forum but the most furious-rage-inducing job I've ever met is alternators on Fiat Diesels...!!!
They stick 'em right down in the bottom of the engine behind the Driver's side wheel arch, to get at 'em you've to remove the hub, driveshaft, lower wishbone, brake caliper, auxiliary belt tensioner, the electrical connections are a lousy swine to remove and refit, and worst of all, when you do manage to get the top mounting bolt out a spacing collar will drop out and its totally impossible to work out where it came from!!!
Guess:-
1) What every manual - Haynes, Porters, Russek, Revue Technicque, even Fiat Auto's in huge blue binders all conveniently miss out?!
2) What my Fiat TD100 1.9 ELX went to that Motorway In The Sky For...?!
Chris Williams
My apologies for mentioning this on a French Car Forum but the most furious-rage-inducing job I've ever met is alternators on Fiat Diesels...!!!
They stick 'em right down in the bottom of the engine behind the Driver's side wheel arch, to get at 'em you've to remove the hub, driveshaft, lower wishbone, brake caliper, auxiliary belt tensioner, the electrical connections are a lousy swine to remove and refit, and worst of all, when you do manage to get the top mounting bolt out a spacing collar will drop out and its totally impossible to work out where it came from!!!
Guess:-
1) What every manual - Haynes, Porters, Russek, Revue Technicque, even Fiat Auto's in huge blue binders all conveniently miss out?!
2) What my Fiat TD100 1.9 ELX went to that Motorway In The Sky For...?!
Chris Williams
- old'uns
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'09 X7 - gone
CMax - X7 replacement - gone
Acadiane - lost to a V5c applicant
'06 C5 VTR auto est
'90 Honda Beat
'73 ST70 Dax
'75 ST Dax - 120 powered - x 127
probably not the worst, but maybe the dirtiest....
oil filter on a '91 Isuzu Trooper. the Japs aren't infallible for design...thread mount facing upwards
only ever did it once after taking 4 hrs to clean up bay & driveway
oil filter on a '91 Isuzu Trooper. the Japs aren't infallible for design...thread mount facing upwards
only ever did it once after taking 4 hrs to clean up bay & driveway
currently '06 C5 2.0 HDi auto estate Tip run and France trekker - well should be!! occupied currently by '10 Superb DSG 170 elegance- whistles and bells that work
Worst job on a Citroen so far, clutch cable clip on a Xantia !
Worst job on any car so far, clutch change on Mitsubishi Evo's !! Tranverse engine location & 4 wheel drive says it all !!
Worst job on any car so far, clutch change on Mitsubishi Evo's !! Tranverse engine location & 4 wheel drive says it all !!
Now using '00 Xantia LX HDI, pov spec
My past Citroens :-
'00 Xantia SX HDI, now dead due to accident
'99 Xantia HDI 110 Exclusive, RIP
'97 Xantia TD SX
'96 Xantia TD LX
'96 ZX TD
'89 BX TD
'88 AX GT
'79 CX2400 Pallas (scrapped )
& a couple of Peugeots !
My past Citroens :-
'00 Xantia SX HDI, now dead due to accident
'99 Xantia HDI 110 Exclusive, RIP
'97 Xantia TD SX
'96 Xantia TD LX
'96 ZX TD
'89 BX TD
'88 AX GT
'79 CX2400 Pallas (scrapped )
& a couple of Peugeots !
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- spider
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I'm told the steering rack on a 2CV is really nasty to do given the excess of dismantling, although not having seen one I cannot be sure if its true or not (someone confirm or otherwise as its playing on my mind now)
XUD11 (2.1TD) head gaskets are not very nice, although not 'that' difficult at least by the looks of it (water pump is a bit annoying compared to XUD9 too) . Cannot recall having done one though myself.
EDIT... Oh, 106 clutch cables (RHD drive models with power steering) due to limited access.
XUD11 (2.1TD) head gaskets are not very nice, although not 'that' difficult at least by the looks of it (water pump is a bit annoying compared to XUD9 too) . Cannot recall having done one though myself.
EDIT... Oh, 106 clutch cables (RHD drive models with power steering) due to limited access.
Andy.
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
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I've found a whole new worst job on a Xantia
Pure gynaecology all the way
Trying to make the cruise control work..
Vacuum pump buried down behind the front bumper and ECU buried under the drivers side B pillar. About as accessible as North Korea...
So far, I've found three faults on it and fixed them but it's still not working. I'll relate the story in my blog in a while....
Pure gynaecology all the way
Trying to make the cruise control work..
Vacuum pump buried down behind the front bumper and ECU buried under the drivers side B pillar. About as accessible as North Korea...
So far, I've found three faults on it and fixed them but it's still not working. I'll relate the story in my blog in a while....
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
- spider
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Some later 306's (RHD with A/C) clutch cables are not very nice, due to the cable being fitted originally before the A/C pipes (its actually sat between them, so you cannot get it out due to the plastic cover fitted and the servo not helping access any either)
There's ways around it but tis a bit annoying, worse on XU engines where space is a bit tight anyway (GTi etc)
There's ways around it but tis a bit annoying, worse on XU engines where space is a bit tight anyway (GTi etc)
Andy.
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
- spider
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Boxer ones are not much fun, you have to unbolt the light unit to do them (think of 205 style popping the light out, but without the ease of quick release clips)R9UKE wrote:Hardest job on a french car?
Replacing the headlight bulbs on the Mégane
Next time they go I'm selling the car.
Later 206's (some models) the N/S headlight bulb is a complete pain due to the ABS pump being fitted right next to the connector. I lost count of how many I used to do for people who could not.
Andy.
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
Yep, well Renault have kindly made the bulbs completely inaccessible from under the bonnet, instead, there is a removable flap in the wheel arch liners where you squeeze your hand through and feel around. Pretty sure I still have a few scars on my hands from last time!spider wrote:Boxer ones are not much fun, you have to unbolt the light unit to do them (think of 205 style popping the light out, but without the ease of quick release clips)R9UKE wrote:Hardest job on a french car?
Replacing the headlight bulbs on the Mégane
Next time they go I'm selling the car.
Later 206's (some models) the N/S headlight bulb is a complete pain due to the ABS pump being fitted right next to the connector. I lost count of how many I used to do for people who could not.
French is best.
- spider
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Later (97 on) 106's are like that (flap in arch liner) although they are very easy (fortunately) to change...R9UKE wrote: Yep, well Renault have kindly made the bulbs completely inaccessible from under the bonnet, instead, there is a removable flap in the wheel arch liners where you squeeze your hand through and feel around. Pretty sure I still have a few scars on my hands from last time!
Andy.
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG