Oh, it's just a battery change....

[Martinjlm]

I am inclined to believe that there is a front row parking spot in the garage of Hell for whomever engineered the battery system in the Cadillac SRX. It required 4 different socket sizes, pliers, a screwdriver, a rubber mallet, hands smaller than mine, and at least 5% of my engineering degree to change the damn battery.

The fact that it was under 20 degrees was just bonus.

[rocket403]

GM general mistake as my Ford friend would say

[snizzle]

Dammit Barra. Did I do it right?

[BMR Sales]

gotta try to keep the masses coming back to the Stealerships somehow!

[rocket403]

Challenger has the perfect location the trunk LOL

[Vegas Bound]

Try changing a battery in a CLS550.

[DenverTaco07]

Originally Posted by rocket403

Challenger has the perfect location the trunk LOL

so... just like the Camaro.

[JerTM]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

I am inclined to believe that there is a front row parking spot in the garage of Hell for whomever engineered the battery system in the Cadillac SRX. It required 4 different socket sizes, pliers, a screwdriver, a rubber mallet, hands smaller than mine, and at least 5% of my engineering degree to change the damn battery.

The fact that it was under 20 degrees was just bonus.

As a GM tech for 12 years, I can attest to this. I really do believe that any engineer that plans on having their designs built should be required to do general maintenance on cars for 2 years before their designs can be made into a product. And once a year they are sent to a shop for a week to do more general maintenance on their own designs. I understand that the bean counters have a pretty heavy hand in what makes it into a car as well, and that manufacturing processes need to be taken into account but some things are just assanine how they were assembled it baffles me. I often come across things that would have been much much simpler if they had moved a bolt, put a bolt in from another direction, or changed the entire design completely. I can't count how many people leave complaining that it costs $85 for a head light bulb. The bulb is about $10, but I have to remove your entire bumper to change it. Don't get me wrong, I come across genius level components from time to time that just make life so much easier and cheaper for the customer.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by JerTM

As a GM tech for 12 years, I can attest to this. I really do believe that any engineer that plans on having their designs built should be required to do general maintenance on cars for 2 years before their designs can be made into a product. And once a year they are sent to a shop for a week to do more general maintenance on their own designs. I understand that the bean counters have a pretty heavy hand in what makes it into a car as well, and that manufacturing processes need to be taken into account but some things are just assanine how they were assembled it baffles me. I often come across things that would have been much much simpler if they had moved a bolt, put a bolt in from another direction, or changed the entire design completely. I can't count how many people leave complaining that it costs $85 for a head light bulb. The bulb is about $10, but I have to remove your entire bumper to change it. Don't get me wrong, I come across genius level components from time to time that just make life so much easier and cheaper for the customer.

I figure its done because pretty much nobody buys a new car with 'ease of maintenance' as a priority. When buying used? Sure, sometimes. But not new. And most of those pain-in-the-ass things only come up after the warranty expires and likely with a 2nd or maybe 3rd owner. So its not going to cost GM (or any other automaker) extra to pay for the work to be done nor a new sale from an annoyed owner.



Meanwhile, all they get in return for doing a little more design for maintenance is a bit less less griping from mechanics (of both the professional & shade-tree varieties). Thats not worth much.

[JaxChris]

Read somewhere that on the 2019 Ranger you have to put the truck on jacks and remove a wheel to swap the battery. No battery replacement procedure, unless its' an EV, should say "Step 1: Lift the vehicle".

[xc_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

I am inclined to believe that there is a front row parking spot in the garage of Hell for whomever engineered the battery system in the Cadillac SRX. It required 4 different socket sizes, pliers, a screwdriver, a rubber mallet, hands smaller than mine, and at least 5% of my engineering degree to change the damn battery.

The fact that it was under 20 degrees was just bonus.

At least it's not a starter on a Northstar lol

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by JaxChris

Read somewhere that on the 2019 Ranger you have to put the truck on jacks and remove a wheel to swap the battery. No battery replacement procedure, unless its' an EV, should say "Step 1: Lift the vehicle".

One of the Chrsyler's is already this way, it's an '11 or '12 I think.

One of my old bosses had a car that the battery was under the back seat. In order to change it you had to tear apart the whole back half of the car. First you had to remove the trim along the doors and the back window to access the bolts holding the back part of the seat, then you had to remove the back to gain access to the bolts holding the bottom part of the seat so you can remove it to reach the reach the battery.

[KMPrenger]

Originally Posted by JaxChris

Read somewhere that on the 2019 Ranger you have to put the truck on jacks and remove a wheel to swap the battery. No battery replacement procedure, unless its' an EV, should say "Step 1: Lift the vehicle".

That was actually to get to the oil filter for doing an oil change...not the battery.

Now, new reports are saying you don't *really* have to remove the wheel, but you do have to turn the wheel all the way one direction to access a panel to get to the oil filter. Doesn't seem much better.

[shibbs]

Nothing surprises me anymore. BMW is worse. Not easy to get to, but the car has to be programmed to the exact size battery installed in the car, and even if you put an identical battery back in, the battery has to be "registered" to the car to tell the charging system there's a new battery in the car. If a new battery isn't registered, it won't last even a year at best, because the car charges a new battery differently than it charges an old battery.