Last we I wanted to punch the GM engineer that decided it should take well over 30 minutes, 4 different sockets, and a screwdriver to swap a battery.

This week I would like to buy the Toyota engineer a beer that designed door handles of the Tundra!

I bought black door handles to replace the chrome ones. Took under 15 minutes for all 4 and a single T40 driver!

Thank you!!!

Yea, never liked the chrome door handles. Looks tacky.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Yea, never liked the chrome door handles. Looks tacky.

Amazing how much better the truck looks. The chrome mirror caps are next.

quote:

Last we I wanted to punch the GM engineer that decided it should take well over 30 minutes, 4 different sockets, and a screwdriver to swap a battery.

Stand in line, just about any dealer tech and or parts person is standing in line also.

(BTW, GM took that engineer out of the C-K truck design group. His new assignment was to make it necessary to remove the front bumper cover to service the headlights on Cadillac CTS models.)

That's awesome!

Yeah, black parts always look better than chrome, in most situations. That was one of the things I liked the most about the Taco I bought. Two pieces with chrome. The ring on the 4WD selector knob, and the ring around the square cup holder.
Congrats on making your truck even better looking.

I like how an hour has turned into over half an hour. <poke>

I agree the chrome looks tacky except on a few select models/colors schemes. I bet the black makes it look 100% better.

Glad to hear Toyota has their shit together as I recently just bought a '20 Camry. I am not very mechanically inclined except a couple minor things, but I was glad when I popped the hood and all the normal culprits seemed very easily replaced (battery/alternator/etc).

I was reading recommended maintenance book and was surprised to see every 5k miles it recommends checking driver floormat installation.. I'm not sure where it's going to go, but apparently the floormats do mysterious things

There are days when I think 92LX just spends most of his time modifying whatever vehicle he's currently driving.
( I heard that lottery winners do that...).

But I definitely agree about punching most GM engineers, dating back to at least the 60's.

I’m not sure about dating back to the ‘60’s, but I do know that the dumb sonuvabitch that engineered the 2010 Acadia should be flogged within an inch of his life....

CT

quote:

Originally posted by ChasinTails:
I’m not sure about dating back to the ‘60’s, but I do know that the dumb sonuvabitch that engineered the 2010 Acadia should be flogged within an inch of his life....

CT

Oh, sorry, I should have clarified my comment a bit. I had a '68 Camaro. I did love that car, but my gosh, some of the repairs were totally brutal.

That reminds me. I also had a 1970 Ford LTD "Coupe" (a 2 door coupe with doors that weighed about 250 pounds each). The engineers that designed that piece of .... should have been shot.

I am starting to look at the general maintainance of my Sienna van for Autumn and Winter. The 3 rear spark plugs require a lot of work just to expose them. Those wont get done untill next Spring as they are fine and, I simply dont log much milage. Only 8,000 miles last year.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
Yeah, black parts always look better than chrome, in most situations. That was one of the things I liked the most about the Taco I bought. Two pieces with chrome. The ring on the 4WD selector knob, and the ring around the square cup holder.
Congrats on making your truck even better looking.

I like how an hour has turned into over half an hour. <poke>

I quantified it differently here because it took me over an hour to do it. Now that I know what all actually needs to be removed, where all the fasteners are, and would not be wearing a full duty uniform with belt and body armor in 95 degree weather.
I could get it done in a little over a half an hour so I give them the benefit of the doubt but still there is absolutely no reason for it to take everything it does.

quote:

Originally posted by Kskelton:
I agree the chrome looks tacky except on a few select models/colors schemes. I bet the black makes it look 100% better.

Glad to hear Toyota has their shit together as I recently just bought a '20 Camry. I am not very mechanically inclined except a couple minor things, but I was glad when I popped the hood and all the normal culprits seemed very easily replaced (battery/alternator/etc).

I was reading recommended maintenance book and was surprised to see every 5k miles it recommends checking driver floormat installation.. I'm not sure where it's going to go, but apparently the floormats do mysterious things

That is what happen when your poor floor mat design causes accelerator pedals to get stuck and people get killed and the lawsuits come in.

I worked a couple of Toyota stuck accelerator calls years back. Thankfully these did not result in death.

quote:

Originally posted by craglawnmanor:
There are days when I think 92LX just spends most of his time modifying whatever vehicle he's currently driving.
( I heard that lottery winners do that...).

But I definitely agree about punching most GM engineers, dating back to at least the 60's.

There are days when I feel the same and that won’t change anytime soon.
I have a window control module/harness to install that makes all my windows one touch up and down from the buttons. Currently only the drivers window goes down with one touch of the button. The module will also allow me to roll the windows up and down using my door lock remote.

I have an engine skid plate and transmission skid plate that arrived last week but am waiting to install that until my suspension arrives as the suspension will likely require a differential drop spacer so I would have to take it off to install that.
Was planning on ordering up the suspension this week but Bilstein officially announced the 8112s are being released for the Tundra. So that may put the brakes on slightly to get that. But we’ll see.

Though next up I have two power wheels in the garage waiting to be juiced up and two anxious little boys waiting for me to finish them, just waiting on my wire to arrive and one battery.

Bumping a 6v 4 wheeler to 12v lithium and a 12v side by side to 18v lithium.

Always a little something around here.

Today replacing a toilet so not vehicle related but some sort of work as it always seems to be.

Ha, in my audi you have to take the Drivers seat out of the car to get at the battery

quote:

Originally posted by ChasinTails:
I’m not sure about dating back to the ‘60’s, but I do know that the dumb sonuvabitch that engineered the 2010 Acadia should be flogged within an inch of his life....

CT

I concur with the second sentence.

Front struts, rear axle upper control arms and engine parts related to the timing chains definitely helped my commission checks while I was still in GM dealer parts departments. Acadia, Enclave,Traverse, all the same.

Be thankful that you didn't buy a Saturn with the CVT transmission though. Unless something has changed since I got out, GM doesn't even trust those when they sell factory remanufactured units. GM warranty on reman transmissions is normally 36 months/100,000 miles. Those CVT's are only warrantied for 12 months/12,000 miles.

No kidding, even the Power Wheels are getting mods.. .

Ohh yes. I forgot I have gear oil and transfer case fluid sitting in the garage waiting for the oil to arrive for the Tundra.
Also have transfer case fluid for the wife’s Suburban as they tell me the noise is louder than normal and a fluid change should remedy the noise. Yet the fluid was changed 10m miles ago says the dealer I purchased from.

Dont get too over thankful...wait until you have to change the starter. On the Land Cruiser/LX series at least with the 4.7L engine...the starter is on top of the block of motor underneath the intake manifold...so swapping starter usually 3-=45 minutes crawling under car...loosen two bolts, pull out.....line up teeth on shaft, insert all way in, tighten bolts, connect power cable. This took me 4 hours...maybe more...as time stopped and a black hole enveloped my house. Plus vehicle was lifted with larger tires, steel bumpers and winches and was taller than avg so putting manifold back on was PIA.....tried for an hour more so called a friend and he showed up and we got it in 2 minutes. LOL I was cussing those brilliant little bastards that day.....and blamed it on the bean counters wanting to cut costs but really was likely to get it up and out of where frequent water crossings would get in it with sand and mud and cause it to wear out.

quote:

His new assignment was to make it necessary to remove the front bumper cover to service the headlights on Cadillac CTS models.)

Probably GM decided that his previous work at Volvo and Mazda on the same part of their cars would make him a natural for the CTS job. Almost all modern cars are a wonder of cutting edge packaging, because they will leave you wondering over WTF they were thinking when they designed the damn things.

quote:

Originally posted by craglawnmanor:
There are days when I think 92LX just spends most of his time modifying whatever vehicle he's currently driving.
( I heard that lottery winners do that...).

quote:

But I definitely agree about punching most GM engineers, dating back to at least the 60's.

when I met my wife, and for the first year or so we were married, she had a Buick Skylark,

the godawful X body pos version,

V6 shoved under the hood, changing the plugs was a nightmare,

she tossed a fan belt one night, just so happened to be the coldest night of the year, and there is no easy or quick way to change a belt,,, esp outside at night with a flashlight and shop light,,,



I truly hated that POS car

Have you changed the engine oil & filter yet? Do you still have to take the giant skid plate off to change the filter?