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[Peter Holden]

Dont anyone dare to try to tell me that land rovers are difficult to work on.

I changed the starter motor on my mates Hyundai Terracan on Saturday morning.  What a PITA.

The motor is only accessible from underneath.  first problem the big alloy wheel was frozen to the hub and we couldnt shift it.  Next Time I will just slacken the bolts a little ansd drive it up and down until it comes loose.  Next problem, lack of space to get to the 2 bolts which go into the starter from the gearbox side of the bellhousing.  The bulkhead is in the way and you cannot see them.  It would help if the bolts securing the exhaust to the manifold would have come undone but they havent moved for 16 years and the only way to get at them is with a socket and long extension but they were so tight I was frightened of shearing them off.  OK so eventually loosedened the 2 bolts slightly.  Disconnected the electrics, that part was easy.  Removed the bolts completely then had to fiddle the motor our past all the obstructions.  It has to be turne through 90 decredds to drop out the a small space, all done by feel as you cannot see it.  As they say fitting the new one was the reverse of the removal procedure..  Tools needed, not much, 13 mm ring to undo the power cable, pliers to pull of the fignal cable, 17mm socket and ratchet to deal withthe lower bolt, moving the ratchet 1 click at a time and a17mm ratchet ring spanner with a flexible Head, jack and an axle stand.  No special equipment just a minimalnumber of normal bits.  The whole problem was caused by lack of access.  Land Rovers are easy by comparison

Peter

[TimV]

16 year old car - probably worth the same as the starter motor!

[Peter Holden]

Probably, the starter was £300

Peter

[ChrisJC]

I changed the alternator on our Toyota Auris. It's on the back of the engine, and only accessible through the wheel arch. However, it can only be removed if the half-shaft is removed to give enough room.

Chris.

[Matt Reeves]

My 2006 Citroen Dispatch van is a nightmare to work on compared to a Land Rover. So far I've changed the sump (alloy sump versus rock) but that involves removing the air con pump and pipework as the pump is mounted on the sump, and also changed the alternator which has to be accessed from above, below and sideways through the wheelarch in order to reach the bolts.

I loathe "modern" vehicles for their unnecessary complexity and poor build quality, and the newer they are the worse they seem to be!

[Genem]

^^^^ We had one. To change a fuse I had to remove great chunks of trunking and take the fuse box off the bulkhead in ordr to get the lid off the box. Insane. 

[Bradley66]

My 2006 Citroen Dispatch van is a nightmare to work on compared to a Land Rover. So far I've changed the sump (alloy sump versus rock) but that involves removing the air con pump and pipework as the pump is mounted on the sump, and also changed the alternator which has to be accessed from above, below and sideways through the wheelarch in order to reach the bolts.

I loathe "modern" vehicles for their unnecessary complexity and poor build quality, and the newer they are the worse they seem to be!

In defence of modern vehicles , poor build quality ? No , compared to anything nailed together by British Leyland.
My fairly new Mercedes produces more horsepower per litre than most race engines of the 70`s and 80`s but will do so for many more miles than anything produced back than.
Complex ? not really , at least mechanically.
I have in the past owned several Minis , including a 1071 cooper s , a 1275 s and a twin cam escort.
The minis were not exactly blessed with huge amounts of room under the bonnet.

Rover were one of the best car companies this country has ever had (at least in terms of design and quality), which may explain in part why so many of us can enjoy series 2 and 2A land rovers more than 50 years on from the last one being built.

[Matt Reeves]

I have to agree^^^about the build quality of most BL products, but they were simple to work on compared to modern stuff.

In terms of complexity I'm talking about the myriad of sensors, computers just to make the things run, and that's before you start on heated seats, electrically controlled mirrors, air con, central locking, electric Windows, driving aids and so on. The basic engineering may be sound, it's all the unnecessary junk which lets them down IMO.

To be fair to things like my van it has done over 225,000 and we've had a couple of mid 90's Peugeot 205 diesels that went to over 400k each and they are good basic cars, though the quality of interior fittings is fairly poor.

The only dealings I've had with a Merc was when a neighbour left her delights on overnight (don't ask) it ended up being relayed.

[Alan Drover]

MGA Twin Cams have an engine bay so full of engine that there's very little room to work on anything.
MGB's aren't too bad except the gearbox cannot be removed on its own and the starter motor is awkward to get at.
Engine removal on a Mini was a doddle.
Early Cortinas were easy to work on and the clutch on the BMC 1800 range could be replaced in situ, albeit somewhat fiddly but I never tried it.
Morris Minors were another car easily worked on except for the brake and clutch master cylinder.

[Peter Holden]

You could change the clutch on an old mini in half an hour and although the engine bay looked crowded you could get at everything plus the gearboxes were easy to work on

Peter

[w3526602]

Hi,

Only a few years ago, changing a sidelamp bulb on a modern car was not an easy road-side repair.

In France, you are required to carry a full set of spare bulbs, and are expected to fit a new bulb, there and then, when demanded by Monsieur Flic.

A member of the Living in France Forum reported that the Officer demanded he called  his Rescue organisation to come and change a bulb.

Job done, the Officer then told the travelling mechanic to send the bill to the cars manufacturers.

 

Sorry, I don't know the outcome.

602

[Peter Holden]

I know the outcome John

Witha particular model of the Renault Megane it was almost impossible to change the headlight bulb at the side of the road.  The french police got into the habit of turning out the local Renault main agent to replace the bulb, within a few months it became another rule (like the breathalyser law) that is still on the statutes but not enforced.  At that time the French government were the major shareholders in Renault.

Peter