What's the worst vehicles you have ever had to repair?
#1
What's the worst vehicles you have ever had to repair?
What are your worst vehicle nightmares?
2004 Nissan Maxima (Never again!): I should have known when I had to cut off sway bar end links a few months ago... Last night I decided to help a buddy out and fix his girlfriend's car and replace her alternator.. for free. What was originally suppose to take an hour took 9 hours! The previous "mechanic" over tightened and stripped almost every bolt needed to be removed. It took 2 hours to get the stripped tensioner up, and another 7 of fixing broken bolts. I will not work on a Maxima again. This car has been a nightmare.
1998 Dodge Neon DOHC Timing Job: I had to re-do the timing on this car 3 times. Reason being? Literally off by an 1/8 of an inch each time. Took 3-4 hours each time to do it, and it's a PITA to begin with.
1993 C1500: Father decided to "help" me with swapping his engine. He managed to turn the transmission almost completely upside down and offset to the passenger side.
2004 Nissan Maxima (Never again!): I should have known when I had to cut off sway bar end links a few months ago... Last night I decided to help a buddy out and fix his girlfriend's car and replace her alternator.. for free. What was originally suppose to take an hour took 9 hours! The previous "mechanic" over tightened and stripped almost every bolt needed to be removed. It took 2 hours to get the stripped tensioner up, and another 7 of fixing broken bolts. I will not work on a Maxima again. This car has been a nightmare.
1998 Dodge Neon DOHC Timing Job: I had to re-do the timing on this car 3 times. Reason being? Literally off by an 1/8 of an inch each time. Took 3-4 hours each time to do it, and it's a PITA to begin with.
1993 C1500: Father decided to "help" me with swapping his engine. He managed to turn the transmission almost completely upside down and offset to the passenger side.
#3
Anything on the first gen when we had it (both of them) The chassis was pure rust.
And brakes on a friends car, could not get the caliper bracket would NOT come off, no matter the heat, PB blaster, impact wrench. I gave up.
And brakes on a friends car, could not get the caliper bracket would NOT come off, no matter the heat, PB blaster, impact wrench. I gave up.
#4
I replaced a transmission in a 2014 BMW M5 last year. By that I mean I had to swap literally everything from one trans case to another after a clutch fork snapped causing the clutch to explode and destroy the case! All those solenoids for the electric shifters are a massive pain let alone everything inside the trans.
#5
I replaced a transmission in a 2014 BMW M5 last year. By that I mean I had to swap literally everything from one trans case to another after a clutch fork snapped causing the clutch to explode and destroy the case! All those solenoids for the electric shifters are a massive pain let alone everything inside the trans.
#6
Speaking of Blazers as well..
The number 3 spark plug. Every Blazer or Jimmy I've ever done a tune-up on I've been able to turn the steering shaft to the flat spot. On my 95 it works, perfect clearance. On my 97.. nope. Not enough. I even tried jacking up the motor and trans as far as I safely could, still nothing!
I spent an hour and a half trying before I finally had to fab my own tool out of a wrench. Still stumped about it. Not sure if there was different steering shaft put in or what.
The number 3 spark plug. Every Blazer or Jimmy I've ever done a tune-up on I've been able to turn the steering shaft to the flat spot. On my 95 it works, perfect clearance. On my 97.. nope. Not enough. I even tried jacking up the motor and trans as far as I safely could, still nothing!
I spent an hour and a half trying before I finally had to fab my own tool out of a wrench. Still stumped about it. Not sure if there was different steering shaft put in or what.
#7
The worst auto nightmare I've had was a 1980's Land Rover. The truck had a "small" electrical issue, as well as installing an alarm & starter. I spent 2 days chasing gremlins in that silly truck. After that one our shop doubled the shop rate for those types of vehicles.
#8
The worst auto nightmare I've had was a 1980's Land Rover. The truck had a "small" electrical issue, as well as installing an alarm & starter. I spent 2 days chasing gremlins in that silly truck. After that one our shop doubled the shop rate for those types of vehicles.
That reminds me of when I was a GM tech and we had a Pontiac, I believe, in the shop for nearly a week with the dash, seats, and console out over one shorted wire causing an airbag light. Insanity.
#10
Never had a problem with the 76 I had. Easiest vehicle I've ever had to work one. Got to the point where I could change out the clutch, by myself, in a parking lot in about an hour and a half.