Japanese cars = teh SUCK - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Ashton · 10-07-2003, 10:42 PM

My friend Tiffany's toyota corolla needed a new starter but she didn't have the $300+ the shop wanted to fix it, so I did it for her........

Talk about a pain in the ASS! Even with air tools it took 3 1/2 hours

Get this.....

1. The power steering pump has to be pulled to make room for the starter to come out.

2. There is only enough room to get one arm between the crossmember and transaxle.

3. After getting the bottom bolt out you find the top bolt is in the opposite direction, through the bellhousing.

4. Said bolt has a bracket a 1/2 inch away..... with a fat wiring loom clamped to it covering the bolt that holds said bracket to transmission.

5. After removing loom clamp, loom and bracket you find even with a swivel socket and foot long extension the angle is impossible to remove bolt, so you have to remove the whole air box..... which just so happens to have TWO more wiring looms clamped to it not to mention the sensor and plenum tube.

6. After removing all this crap you snap swivel socket and extension to air ratchet and with one zap remove one farking bolt!

7. Next you pull out old starter and throw it across street! (well not really, it had a $30 core charge.... but I felt like it )

8. You put new starter in but find it impossible to hold starter in place and start bottom bolt because only one arm will fit between crossmember and transaxle.

9. You cuss out car and call it every name in the book... (actually I was doing this throughout the whole job)

10. You spot Hot blonde neighbor and call her over to start backwards top bolt while you hold starter in place (Hey, I've fixed her truck dozens of times.... won't hurt her to get a little dirty)

11. You thank Hottie and put the whole mess back together......

12. Car is fixed, but you want to beat it with a sledgehammer anyway...... 3 1/2 hours to do what takes 25 minutes on a Chevy, not to mention the wimpy little starter cost $130.00!

Japanese cars are teh SUCK!

onetime2 · 10-08-2003, 04:13 AM

Guess it depends on what Chevy you're doing it on. If it was a Prizm it would have been exactly the same level of suck.

Pragma · 10-08-2003, 04:57 AM

To be more accurate, and not start a flamewar: Your friend Tiffany's Corolla sucks to work on. And ow, I feel your pain. I hate it when cars are a bitch to work on.

laconic1 · 10-08-2003, 07:23 AM

The thing I really hate about Japanese cars is how they insist on using those gold iridited Philips head screws on everything. They freeze in there so tight that the only way to get them out is to use an impact driver, and half the time you can't get an impact driver in there. Plus they are so incredibly tight, but instead of gradually breaking loose like an American bolt does they instantly break loose. It sucks, you have to put a tremendous amount of torque on the bolt or screw to get it to break loose, but once it comes loose you are guaranteed to bust your knuckles because it breaks loose so voilently and instantaneously. I hate them.

FastShark85 · 10-08-2003, 07:49 AM

I've thought this way for a while, but this time I've got to say it:

POSTING MESSAGES IN RED ITALICS = teh suck.

My 15" laptop with 1280x1024 resolution makes that stuff hard to see.

On topic: Japanese cars aren't much better than US cars anymore. The gap continues to narrow IMHO. The problem is, the Japanese cars are getting worse instead of the US cars getting better.

Peryn · 10-08-2003, 09:20 AM

Its really not just japanese cars though. Pretty much any WWD vehicle will be a pain in the ass to do a starter on. Or work on at all for that matter... This corolla may have been worse tahn others, but and FWD vehicle will take 2-3 times as long than a rwd vehicle...at least tahts my experience

Ashton · 10-08-2003, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peryn
Its really not just japanese cars though. Pretty much any WWD vehicle will be a pain in the ass to do a starter on. Or work on at all for that matter... This corolla may have been worse tahn others, but and FWD vehicle will take 2-3 times as long than a rwd vehicle...at least tahts my experience

True.....

But the pure ignorance of putting the top starter bolt in backwards is Mind-Boggling, once the power steering pump was out half the work would have been done if not for that........

telekinetic2 · 10-08-2003, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peryn
Its really not just japanese cars though. Pretty much any WWD vehicle will be a pain in the ass to do a starter on. Or work on at all for that matter... This corolla may have been worse tahn others, but and FWD vehicle will take 2-3 times as long than a rwd vehicle...at least tahts my experience

Bleh...and Mid engine, RWD cars will take another 2 times as long as that, in MY experience...all the joys of an FWD transaxle setup, combined with the joys of an ackward enginebay you have to drop the motor out the bottom of to do serious work on.

Oh well, at least

Moonduck · 10-08-2003, 01:29 PM

onetime2, Prizm are Japanese cars.

bad30th · 10-08-2003, 04:18 PM

***pitys Telekinetic when he has to do his clutch***

JusticeForPhat · 10-08-2003, 04:43 PM

yeah any front wheel drive is a bitch to work on. In order to do the water pump on my tempo it was actually faster to remove the engine.

Whereas on my falcon you can change the starter without getting underneath the car. Whole thing can be done from the top. Did that one in 15 minutes.

Elitegibson · 10-08-2003, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FastShark85
I've thought this way for a while, but this time I've got to say it:

POSTING MESSAGES IN RED ITALICS = teh suck.

My 15" laptop with 1280x1024 resolution makes that stuff hard to see.

On topic: Japanese cars aren't much better than US cars anymore. The gap continues to narrow IMHO. The problem is, the Japanese cars are getting worse instead of the US cars getting better.

Agreed on both points man. All the manufacturers are "borrowing" ideas from one another and all car technology is getting really similar.

madsenj37 · 10-08-2003, 11:41 PM

What is easy on one type of car may be hard on a chevy. Its possible that there is something easy about a toyota that isnt about a chevy.

And toyotas arent the only japanese car maker. What if I said all American cars suck, just look at a KIA. If America makes KIAs then all their cars must suck. Lame arguement man.

onetime2 · 10-09-2003, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moonduck
onetime2, Prizm are Japanese cars.

They're chevy (alright Geo if you wanna get technical) badged though. It was a joke. Nevermind.

Moonduck · 10-09-2003, 07:48 AM

Maybe I missed it, sorry. Dense moment, maybe.

Redlemon · 10-09-2003, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FastShark85
I've thought this way for a while, but this time I've got to say it:

POSTING MESSAGES IN RED ITALICS = teh suck.

May I second this? It is entirely possible that Ashton is the most insightful person on TFP; I wouldn't know, because I don't have the patience to squint and try to read his posts. Nearly impossible to read them using the Sandstorm theme.

onetime2 · 10-09-2003, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moonduck
Maybe I missed it, sorry. Dense moment, maybe.

Nah, not you. More of a not so funny joke.

mvassek · 10-09-2003, 05:24 PM

I had a similar experience with my 1988 Chevy cavalier took 2 people 5 hours to change a waterpump I can do it in 30 on my jeep by myself. I hope that I someday run into just one of the people that design the layout of car engines and engine bays. when I meet them I am going to smash there knuckles with numerous pieces of greasy sharp metal, then twist there arms and fingers into shapes that they thought was impossible, to show them what you have to do to just to get the bolt that dropped into the blackest greasiest hole under the hood. Then I will have them remove a loose grease covered bolt from a hole under, behind and around out of site without enough room for their hand or arm, only to have the item the bolt is holding fall down onto their arm pinning them into place until help arrives to move it. Then have them repeat it all in reverse to put the new item back in place

.

No I don't feel that is evil, if we get a hold of a few of them designers maybe cars will become easier to work on.

10-07-2003, 10:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ashton PORNHOUND Location: California	Japanese cars = teh SUCK My friend Tiffany's toyota corolla needed a new starter but she didn't have the $300+ the shop wanted to fix it, so I did it for her........ Talk about a pain in the ASS! Even with air tools it took 3 1/2 hours Get this..... 1. The power steering pump has to be pulled to make room for the starter to come out. 2. There is only enough room to get one arm between the crossmember and transaxle. 3. After getting the bottom bolt out you find the top bolt is in the opposite direction, through the bellhousing. 4. Said bolt has a bracket a 1/2 inch away..... with a fat wiring loom clamped to it covering the bolt that holds said bracket to transmission. 5. After removing loom clamp, loom and bracket you find even with a swivel socket and foot long extension the angle is impossible to remove bolt, so you have to remove the whole air box..... which just so happens to have TWO more wiring looms clamped to it not to mention the sensor and plenum tube. 6. After removing all this crap you snap swivel socket and extension to air ratchet and with one zap remove one farking bolt! 7. Next you pull out old starter and throw it across street! (well not really, it had a $30 core charge.... but I felt like it ) 8. You put new starter in but find it impossible to hold starter in place and start bottom bolt because only one arm will fit between crossmember and transaxle. 9. You cuss out car and call it every name in the book... (actually I was doing this throughout the whole job) 10. You spot Hot blonde neighbor and call her over to start backwards top bolt while you hold starter in place (Hey, I've fixed her truck dozens of times.... won't hurt her to get a little dirty) 11. You thank Hottie and put the whole mess back together...... 12. Car is fixed, but you want to beat it with a sledgehammer anyway...... 3 1/2 hours to do what takes 25 minutes on a Chevy, not to mention the wimpy little starter cost $130.00! Japanese cars are teh SUCK!

10-08-2003, 04:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
onetime2 Junkie Location: NJ	Re: Japanese cars = teh SUCK Guess it depends on what Chevy you're doing it on. If it was a Prizm it would have been exactly the same level of suck.

10-08-2003, 04:57 AM	#3 (permalink)
Pragma I am Winter Born Location: Alexandria, VA	To be more accurate, and not start a flamewar: Your friend Tiffany's Corolla sucks to work on. And ow, I feel your pain. I hate it when cars are a bitch to work on. __________________ Eat antimatter, Posleen-boy!

10-08-2003, 09:20 AM	#6 (permalink)
Peryn Junkie Location: San Diego, CA.	Its really not just japanese cars though. Pretty much any WWD vehicle will be a pain in the ass to do a starter on. Or work on at all for that matter... This corolla may have been worse tahn others, but and FWD vehicle will take 2-3 times as long than a rwd vehicle...at least tahts my experience __________________ Dont cry kid, It's not your fault you suck.

10-08-2003, 11:41 PM	#13 (permalink)
madsenj37 Still searching... Location: NorCal For Life	What is easy on one type of car may be hard on a chevy. Its possible that there is something easy about a toyota that isnt about a chevy. And toyotas arent the only japanese car maker. What if I said all American cars suck, just look at a KIA. If America makes KIAs then all their cars must suck. Lame arguement man. __________________ "Only two things are certain: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe." -- Albert Einstein

10-08-2003, 07:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
laconic1 Junkie	The thing I really hate about Japanese cars is how they insist on using those gold iridited Philips head screws on everything. They freeze in there so tight that the only way to get them out is to use an impact driver, and half the time you can't get an impact driver in there. Plus they are so incredibly tight, but instead of gradually breaking loose like an American bolt does they instantly break loose. It sucks, you have to put a tremendous amount of torque on the bolt or screw to get it to break loose, but once it comes loose you are guaranteed to bust your knuckles because it breaks loose so voilently and instantaneously. I hate them.

10-08-2003, 07:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
FastShark85 Psycho Location: In the garage, under the car.	I've thought this way for a while, but this time I've got to say it: POSTING MESSAGES IN RED ITALICS = teh suck. My 15" laptop with 1280x1024 resolution makes that stuff hard to see. On topic: Japanese cars aren't much better than US cars anymore. The gap continues to narrow IMHO. The problem is, the Japanese cars are getting worse instead of the US cars getting better.

10-08-2003, 01:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
Moonduck Junkie Location: SE USA	onetime2, Prizm are Japanese cars.

10-08-2003, 04:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
bad30th Insane Location: [insert witty play on location field here]	*pitys Telekinetic when he has to do his clutch*

10-08-2003, 04:43 PM	#11 (permalink)
JusticeForPhat Crazy Location: Philly	yeah any front wheel drive is a bitch to work on. In order to do the water pump on my tempo it was actually faster to remove the engine. Whereas on my falcon you can change the starter without getting underneath the car. Whole thing can be done from the top. Did that one in 15 minutes.

10-09-2003, 07:48 AM	#15 (permalink)
Moonduck Junkie Location: SE USA	Maybe I missed it, sorry. Dense moment, maybe.

10-09-2003, 05:24 PM	#18 (permalink)
mvassek Crazy Location: East Tennessee	I had a similar experience with my 1988 Chevy cavalier took 2 people 5 hours to change a waterpump I can do it in 30 on my jeep by myself. I hope that I someday run into just one of the people that design the layout of car engines and engine bays. when I meet them I am going to smash there knuckles with numerous pieces of greasy sharp metal, then twist there arms and fingers into shapes that they thought was impossible, to show them what you have to do to just to get the bolt that dropped into the blackest greasiest hole under the hood. Then I will have them remove a loose grease covered bolt from a hole under, behind and around out of site without enough room for their hand or arm, only to have the item the bolt is holding fall down onto their arm pinning them into place until help arrives to move it. Then have them repeat it all in reverse to put the new item back in place . No I don't feel that is evil, if we get a hold of a few of them designers maybe cars will become easier to work on.