Natwerk Designs

Do auto engineers design features that help to keep mechanics in the work force?

We were able to do home and shade tree repairs by ourselves, most functioning parts were easy to get at. Oh! do you think they put a light under the hood to help you see better when checking the dip sticks? No! it is there so you will not notice the sparking coming out of the ignition wires that causes misfire and lower gas mileage

Public Comments

1. As technology rolls on, things change. We can't get by with just the tools that were ok 50 years ago. Some of those tools aren't even needed anymore. So we have to accept the fact that auto techs need to know electronics now, shade tree or professional. At least for tinkering with newer vehicles (bikes too!). Bad news: Price competition has forced engineers more and more to design vehicles for cheap/easy manufacture, not necessarily maintainability. Matter of fact, when a vehicle keeps coming back to the dealership under warrantee for a major problem, like an engine ore transmission, the dealership finds it easiest (most cost effective) to just swap out the whole major assembly instead of paying a tech to troubleshoot down to a small component. Not to say these things can't be fixed, but you're totally right to say that parts aren't as accessible as they should be. I just try to steel my patience and dive right in anyway, taking many, many notes, pictures if possible, and make sure I have enough time to finish the job.
2. Massvx800 is on to them, techs use their camera phones through the disassemble and reassemble process for accuracy sake. Memory and picture manuals are not relied on anymore. One of the fond memories of my youth was working with dad on an old ford home made tractor, two bolts held the hood in place, and a child could lift the hood off and put it aside, One time we repaired the worn distributor shaft by taking it to the edge of the steel bumper and with a ball pean hammer tapped the forked slot at the end of the shaft together enough to take up the slack that was the cause of a timing miss when the engine idled. Henry Ford supplied one wrench that worked for spark plugs, water pump packing nut, wheel nuts, and numerous other applications, like splicing tow ropes as some had a spike on one end, Yes and there were also 'S' wrenches also provided by Ford, they allowed you to reach the hard to get to's