New car rant

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Bonnewagon

Rocket Powered Basset Hound
Supporting Member
Sep 18, 2009
10,540
14,217
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Queens, NY
I'll never complain about working on my G-body ever again. My daughter needed a low beam headlight bulb replaced on her '10 Subaru Legacy. First off- whoever the j* engineer was that designed this set-up must have been getting even for Hiroshima. The low beam is inside a canister looking tube with a screw-on lid at the rear. The bulb is tucked away inside that and held in place with a big springy clip. The clip is retained by a cheapola plastic tit that breaks as soon as you drive out of the stealership. And all this placed behind metal bulkheads and components so that you absolutely can't get at it unless you remove the whole headlight assembly from the car. Which requires removing half the front of the car to get the stupid headlights out. Then you get to wrestle the cap off trying not to break it. Once off, the clip just falls out, and then you understand why the bulb keeps failing. Without the clip it is free to bang around inside the lens until it breaks. No way to fix the broken plastic tit without buying a whole new headlight assembly which goes for between $200-$300. $700 at stealership. My fix was to grab a small piece of Styrofoam from the garbage and trim it so it fits inside the cap and holds the bulb in place. Cost: $0. Then it all goes back together and you can rest assured the other side will be needing replacement soon enough. Total time to figure all this out: 4 hours. Total wounds: 2 deep scratches on wrist trying to get at it from behind the wheel well splash panel as instructed in the owner's manual. A big FU to whoever wrote that manual.
 
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Gonzo1970

G-Body Guru
Sep 30, 2018
898
1,302
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I feel for ya.. 2010 Mazda 6.. you have to take the front wheel off as well as the inner wheel well to get to the bulb assembly. No way from the top side at all.

-Gonz
 

Texas82GP

Just-a-worm
Apr 3, 2015
7,981
18,676
113
Spring, Texas
My 2008 Sierra is no better. You have to pull the grille and bumper cover, then pull the headlight assembly to change a bulb. Terrible design.
20190420_104533-2016x1134.jpg
 

Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2009
4,865
6,893
113
Wellston, OK
But at least they're better than $9 sealed beams that take 3 minutes to change, right?


Hahahahahahahahahaha. WRONG

The typical non HID new car headlamp is no better than a halogen sealed beam in a steel bucket with exposed retaining ring screws. THIS is why I drive old stuff.

Life as a bodyman "collision technician" has made me bitter.
 
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TURNA

Rocket Powered Basset Hound
Jul 24, 2009
10,941
19,990
113
Socialist NY
Done on purpose.

Its all about the

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Most sheep will take it back to the dealer for a light bulb and according to the "book" its a 4 hour job.
 
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DRIVEN

Geezer
Apr 25, 2009
8,062
14,479
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*CENSORED*
The first time I encountered one of those was a freebie bulb replacement with an oil change. The guy had one out and wanted both replaced. Then got pissed when he wasn't in and out in under 30 minutes. Never again.
 
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Oct 14, 2008
8,806
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Melville,Saskatchewan
As said, the GM trucks I changed them on was plain ridiculous. Changing heater cores buy removing the dash is retarded but a common serviceable item should be easy access. Keep the traffic into the dealership.
 
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Bonnewagon

Rocket Powered Basset Hound
Supporting Member
Sep 18, 2009
10,540
14,217
113
Queens, NY
What is worse, is that Subarus eat head lights. They even produced a Service Bulletin advising using Long Life bulbs. Lots of angry customers wondering why the lights go out several times a year. The DIY'ers are even more pissed. How the hell do you bury a common maintenance item like that? Yeah, my old cars are looking pretty good lately...........And yet, on my '05 Sunfire two screws and the whole headlight assembly pops right out. EZPZ. Oh wait- that's an OLD CAR now!
 
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Turbolq4

Royal Smart Person
Sep 25, 2017
1,732
4,207
113
Nampa Idaho
'04 Chevy Silverado headlights have a pin that's easily accessible across the top of the light. Lift the end, pull pin, headlight falls out. Best design I've ever seen.
 
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Tuffregal83

G-Body Guru
Mar 30, 2016
639
1,149
93
Lockport, Il
Anyone try to change a headlight bulb on a newer Malibu that is tons of fun whole bumper covers got to come off not a fun job I found a way around it though
 
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