What's The Dumbest Thing A Car Manufacture Has Done?

[IBoughtASupra]

Dumbest thing a Car manufacture has done?... hmmmmm... Toyota quit making amazing cars.

The excuse people use are the limitations by the emission standards.

I find it BS, although, there are limitations, look at what Ford did with the mustang. I never liked the 4.6, I'm a 5.0 fan but this new model and Coyote motor is badass.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

Well, there's always the old deathtraps... like the Ford Pinto, where if you get hit in the rear, the doors jamb and the fuel tank ruptures into the passenger cabin, where there are plenty of live wires to cause a short / spark.

I drove one of those for years.

Jeeez, talk about unsafe.

 

[te72]

Quite a few newer Toyota models have the thermostat built into the water neck, though it doesn't increase the time it takes to change it. It's a bit more expensive, but the water neck is typically plastic now.

Jeff

Hmm... I don't see that aging well, given the conditions it will be put through. :nono:

The passenger side headlight on the Mazda3 is accessed in a VERY tight spot (I even have small hands), because of the filler neck for the windshield washer reservoir... You know, for what it's worth, anything on the front of a FWD engine setup, no thanks. Takes 3-4x as long for most things as they do on the same engine in a RWD setup.

 

[Poodles]

FWD is fine as long as it's an inline engine. My dad's V6 Camry...I want to light it on fire. Getting to the back engine bank is just beyond idiotic (intake is over it, it's under the dash, etc)

 

[IBoughtASupra]

FWD is fine as long as it's an inline engine. My dad's V6 Camry...I want to light it on fire. Getting to the back engine bank is just beyond idiotic (intake is over it, it's under the dash, etc)

Yeah, you have to pull the the intake to change the rear valve cover seals. I believe that's the same motor in the ES300.

 

[SWD Fredester 3]

How about the wrong torque specs for the HG on a 7MGTE?

 

[Jeff Lange]

Meh, there are enough other plastic components that deal with engine coolant as well even on older cars. I don't see any issue with it. Most radiators have plastic tanks, water valves are typically plastic, there are often plastic water pipes and pressure cap pipes, etc. that are all plastic too.

I haven't seen any additional issues with the new type integral thermostat/water necks than on other models with older style thermostats.

The thermostat on my Lexus:

Jeff

 

[te72]

How about the wrong torque specs for the HG on a 7MGTE?

Eh, dumb, and kind of rude on Toyota's part not to issue a TSB on it (at the very least), but I think I've made peace with it. It's well known enough now that I don't see it as an "issue" so much. Now, it does raise the question, "when did Toyota know about this issue" in my eyes...

Meh, there are enough other plastic components that deal with engine coolant as well even on older cars. I don't see any issue with it. Most radiators have plastic tanks, water valves are typically plastic, there are often plastic water pipes and pressure cap pipes, etc. that are all plastic too.

The thermostat on my Lexus:

Jeff

Understandable, I just see plastic getting brittle with age, you know? Even the thicker stuff... as for the integrated water neck/thermostats, that's nothing more than a grab at cash by the manufacturer. Bastards.

Clever way of getting around the bit about using non-oem parts voiding warranty coverage though...

 

[Poodles]

Keep in mind GM uses that style t-stat as well. It's actually a good idea as it seals better and that hose fitting always gets eaten up my corrosion and leaks.

We're well past the day and age when plastic engine parts weren't good enough. Hell, a lot of modern motors use plastic intake manifolds (saving quite a lot of weight AND it's better formed allowing better flow)

 

[te72]

I wonder though, if the hose fitting (the water neck?) is being eaten up by corrosion and leaks, how is that a better design? I can't say I've ever had to replace a metal thermostat. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for weight loss where they can be had, but it still seems odd in this application.

As for plastic intake manifolds, I had one on the LS1, and it worked just fine, I think. How well do they take to higher boost pressures though? Ian? You're the only guy I know crazy enough to think boost is necessary on an LS...

 

[GrimJack]

Well, I've got plastic pumps for bicycle tires, and they have no problems going to 120psi... so somehow I doubt making one that takes automotive forced induction pressures would be a big challenge.

 

[Poodles]

Boost isn't recommended on them usually (can't think of any car off the top of my head that has a plastic manifold with boost, think even the STR-4's were aluminum?) I know on the LS1's the good nitrous kits included break-out points that were mounted to the manifold so it wasn't a bomb if you got a nitrous sneeze...

 

[Canuckrz]

That time Toyota put the sticking accelerators in their cars instead of standard cruise control.

 

[Poodles]

That time Toyota put the sticking accelerators in their cars instead of standard cruise control.

Caused by people being dumb with tons of floor mats (or just old people being dumb and hitting the wrong pedal)

 

[Canuckrz]

We had a customer come in with a Tundra with the 5.7L with 3 aftermarket floor mats overtop of eachother WRAPPED in a towel. And this was in the middle of the winter.

I guess my nomination for the dumbest thing a car manufactuer has ever done is Toyota letting the US congress walk all over them with nothing but speculation and ignorance.

 

[te72]

The problem isn't with the Toyotas, it's with the modern Toyota drivers. They've become the new Buick.

 

[suprageezer]

I'm thinking two off the top of my head, one is a company thing the other and entire government mandated design.

First the deadliest car ever made the 65,66, 67, 68 mustangs, the gas tank is in the trunk, the only thing seperating you and a fireball in the rear end collision is the back seat which instanly incenerates. Google it, it's always been a huge Ford/Gov lets keep this quiet. The fact is over a million were produced, so many have lost their lives and continue being killed today due to it's poularity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FioZOhoXCw&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL0EB1C8FB2CA795B2

Second the EGR valve, the good ole Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve. Now who ever thought of taking hot exhaust gas right out of your exhaust manifold then introducing it directly into your intake manifold after the point where the air was FILTERED has got to be the King of American Built In Obsolecense. Along with these gases comes a certain amount of diamond hard carbon particles, one can only imgaine what wonders they do in your combustion chamber, especially between your pistons and cylinder walls.

 

[A. Jay]

(...)

Second the EGR valve, the good ole Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve. Now who ever thought of taking hot exhaust gas right out of your exhaust manifold then introducing it directly into your intake manifold after the point where the air was FILTERED has got to be the King of American Built In Obsolecense. Along with these gases comes a certain amount of diamond hard carbon particles, one can only imgaine what wonders they do in your combustion chamber, especially between your pistons and cylinder walls.

The wonders that carbon particles do in your combustion chamber is the same as what they do in engines without an EGR system...the exhaust came from somewhere you know...

 

[suprageezer]

The wonders that carbon particles do in your combustion chamber is the same as what they do in engines without an EGR system...the exhaust came from somewhere you know...

This is true to some extent, the difference is over time in the exhaust manifold layers are built up forming the larger chucks that can get sucked into the EGR then into your combustion chamber. Chunks are not typically formed in the combustion chamber of a during combustion.

 

[Poodles]

Hint: EGR wasn't originally designed for emissions