Engineer outa be shot...

BoatBuoy

Rear Admiral
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May 29, 2004
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That designed the battery location for '97 Dodge Stratus. I just replaced one and you have to remove the wheel (book says not, but books lie), then remove half the wheel well. Then you have limited space to remove the bracket and cables. What a design!!! And at my age I don't work well close to the ground. That's why most of the tinkering I do is on outboards - they're waist-high. To it's credit, Chrysler did put a battery in that lasted 10 years. It hasn't been started since last year and I've decided that it needs to go, but it needed to start to sell. Hence the new battery. And I thought Volkswagon was bad when they put batteries under the back seat.

Rant over.
 

cbavier

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Apr 8, 2007
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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

That designed the battery location for '97 Dodge Stratus. I just replaced one and you have to remove the wheel (book says not, but books lie), then remove half the wheel well. Then you have limited space to remove the bracket and cables. What a design!!! And at my age I don't work well close to the ground. That's why most of the tinkering I do is on outboards - they're waist-high. To it's credit, Chrysler did put a battery in that lasted 10 years. It hasn't been started since last year and I've decided that it needs to go, but it needed to start to sell. Hence the new battery. And I thought Volkswagon was bad when they put batteries under the back seat.

Rant over.

Sorry to hear your trouble. If you would have went to Wal-Mart's and bought the Battery. They would have installed it free. Oh!!! Well!!! :(
 

BoatBuoy

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

No they won't. Not on a Stratus or Intrepid. I asked.
 
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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Im glad to know that Im not the only person who as he gets older prefers less on the floor work. I like working on outboards for the same reason.
 

beezee28

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

As you get older gravity keeps pulling closer to the ground ;) :) :D
 

SpinnerBait_Nut

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

I find it easy to get down.It's the getting up part that's difficult.:confused:
Me too. I can get down with the best of them, but they beat me up on the getting up part.
Usually, "hey, give me hand please":D
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Oh I feel your pain! I remember the first time I did a battery via a wheel well...... Oh yeah isn't that the "cab forward" design! Purely stupid in my book.
 

rodbolt

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 1, 2003
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20,066
Re: Engineer outa be shot...

yep, its why I dont do automobiles anymore and I am very close to giving up stern drives and inboards.
I can get in, getting out is sometimes the challenge. :)
 

JB

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

I wouldn't bash the engineers, BB. I would bet that styling, not engineering, put the battery there.
 

TilliamWe

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Dec 21, 2004
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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Imagine how many people are totally shocked when they are in a minor left front corner (or is it the right front corner?) accident and their car won't run anymore! Or when they get out and see all that battery acid all over their bent bumper cover! The first time I saw one wrecked, I thought "what a dumb place for the battery!"
 

ThumbPkr

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Isn't that where the batteries are in the stock cars?Ron G:D
 

SS MAYFLOAT

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May 17, 2001
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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

As a service tech that works on many different things, I too have my thoughts on some engineers. It would be nice if they had to do an internship like doctors. They need to work on the stuff that they engineer first before using their own design for mass production.

Example almost like BB's. I had to change out a control board in a York HVAC unit. The control panel had lots of room. Where did they put the control board? Right up in the top right hand corner behind a wiring bundle.

Some things are engineered for the cheapest fastest way for production with high maintenance costs for repair. I have seen many things that would take just a few minuets to change, but due to the location makes it harder to repair.

There is one line of HVAC units that was designed by a service tech. They are so easy to work on and the repairs can be done fast with minimal down time. Of course these units cost more, but are cheaper to maintain due to the accessability of its componets for repair.

I just feel that engineers should work in the field before they apply their ideas to a product. Just might give them an understanding on the product that they can't learn out of a book or from an instructor.

BTW,,,,yeah,, low level work sucks more as you get older and it seems as if the engineers are not aware of this fact either :D
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Most automotive items are designed to have a technician perform the work.... goodbye "mechanic" The average "technician" tool box contains 20-30K worth of instruments and electronic gadgets.

Shade tree mechanics are now limited (by design) to brakes ..... tune ups are even a thing of the past.

How many of us still have a tach and dwell meter stashed away on a shelf, the old vacuum gauge......

99.9% of the new cars are designed with a technician in mind and only a short warranty period for every component. The hope and the prayer is that you will sell or trade the vehicle before the warranty period is gone.

Many of us have experiance "wrenching" and I am hesitant to attack many things today.
 

dolluper

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Jul 19, 2004
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Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Could be designed and engineered that way to keep their dealership service depts busy and profitable,and keep diy's pi$$ed
 

dolluper

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3,904
Re: Engineer outa be shot...

Just an easy way to say the truth.... sorry to say but that's it folks
 
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