The ability to service wear parts

[Sogs]

Over these past 30 years the serviceability of a vehicle has become outright stupid and over the top. It has reached a point where I truly believe laws have to be crafted to hold engineers and the auto industries feet to the fire, and I am a person believes in no government intervention. "Wear parts" have got to be made accessible and easily serviced, this is not rocket science people and it does not need to be. There should be absolutely no reason that you have to move a cross member and nearly remove the transmission to do a simple oil service, to readily be able to place a new serpentine belt on (not having to disassemble the front of the engine compartment), to access spark plugs, to easily change the oil filter, to access and change a headlight bulb, to readily be able to read error codes and faults if you want to. The list goes on depending on. It also plays a role in a shops ability to get things done in a reasonable time and expense if your not interested or able to service your own vehicle.

 

[bbyer]

Kind of like a flat screen TV

Once upon a time, televisions had tubes and they were serviceable; they were also made in the USA.

Then someone in USA invented transistors and other people is far away lands put them in radios and then into TV's - but they were still serviceable.

Then someone again in USA invented Integrated Circuits and put them in satellites and they were not serviceable.

Someone somewhere in I think a marketing department decided that was a good idea for consumer stuff remaining on earth.

In between, a bunch of satellite and rocket guys who lived in a sunny warm swamp land got laid off from designing rockets and found labor designing cars in a green forested paradise.

Some of the magic they designed was not serviceable so that introduced the throw away and replace philosophy to automobile manufacture.

Marketing looked at that and said that is our vision of the future - no parts departments, no repair people, nothing except manufacturing sales - and maybe we can make the manufacturing bit disappear as well.

Given I do not much like the marketing vision, I also think that vehicles should be serviceable, if not by the owner, at least by the manufacturer.

It used to be so with trucks but Ford and Dodge seem to now require the cab be at least lifted to get at certain engine components; when I see that on trucks, I do get concerned.

Maybe the people do need protection?

I am wondering if Kenworth and Peterbuilt etc, are also tending in that direction as well? If so, I guess we are beat.