CHA-LEE Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 My lady drives a 99 Suzuki Grand Vitara and I do pretty much all the maintenance on it. This thing is a nightmare to work on. If you have to change a fan belt, you first have to drain and remove the radiator to even get access to the fan belt. The oil filter is mounted on the drivers side about half way up on the block and pointing DOWN. Oh yeah, its also surrounded by steering gear and the exhaust manifold so you have to fish the filter through a mini maze just to get it in and out of the position. Every time you do an oil change you have to make sure its been sitting for at least a couple of hours to avoid getting 3rd degree burns as you try to get the filter in and out. Then when you remove the oil filter there is no way around getting about a half a quart of oil dumped out of the filter all over the block, chassis, steering gear and the ground. You spend more time cleaning up the spilled oil than doing the actual oil change. What engineer things of this anti service general maintenance stuff??? I swear they make this stuff hard to service so you finally say uncle and just take it into the dealership. I am not caving into taking it to the dealership, but I had to vent somewhere….. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Vigilante Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Did you have any input on the purchase of this "nightmare"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA-LEE Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) The_Vigilante> Unfortunately no I didn't. She inherited this car from her family. Her next car will not be purchased/obtained without my input though. Maybe I am strange in this day and age as I prefer to work on my own vehicles. I bought a new Scion Xb in 2008 but before I bought it I made the dealership put the car up on a rack so I could see how much of a pain in the ass the oil change and other maintenance would be. They thought I was nuts because no one has ever asked to do that before. To me, that was a “Make, or Break” for the deal. If it was hard to do the oil change I was going to pick a different car. Edited January 14, 2010 by CHA-LEE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hello: I do all my own work as well. I have seen what bad service techs can do It got pretty bad when the dealership had to bring a car to me to fix. I to look at the cars before we have bought them. My wife drives a 2009 4 door Jeep Wrangler(easy to change oil). I have a 2009 VW Jetta and have not had to change oil yet. I think they should make the engineers work on the cars before they are put into production just like Champion snow plows are or used to be. If you can't service them easily then you will pay more for service. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBoyd Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 my sister has one, I didn't think I would ever get the oil filter off and out, for a few minutes I thought you had to take the engine out of the car or the front fender off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Son and wife have an 08 Toyota 4Runner. All the manufacturers could take a lesson from Toyo. Oil filter is up front and valve cover high.Filter drains downward and has an aluminum cup with a drain port surrounding it. NO oil spilled ever. Pop off cover in the skid plate provides a good size opening to get to the drain plug with enough room to get a hand up and in to remove and reinstall the drain plug without beating your hand up or splashing oil everywhere. I'm looking for a pair of drive on ramps to make the effort damn near effortless. All vehicles should be this easy. It's as if Toyota DID make their engineers work on the 4Runner while designing it . CYa, Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA-LEE Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 BBoyd> I think you are onto something here.........99% of the people I see driving these Grand Vitara's are women. You know none of them are changing the oil on their own car so that isn't a factor in deciding on buying it. You can get to the oil filter from under the car AFTER you weave your arm/hand through the maze of steering gear, sway bars, chassis and exhaust. But the trick is to not drop the filter on your face after you have removed it because half a quart of oil has just been dumped on you. Oh yeah, its also fun when she takes her car to an oil change place and some gorilla tightened on the oil filter super tight so its almost impossible trying to remove it the next time. I have changed the oil ONCE when the car was still hot from driving..... ONCE is all I need for that lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulm540 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Same as Honda and Acura. Burned my armed trying to get the filter out. Oil filter is way up the block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofe954 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Same as Honda and Acura. Burned my armed trying to get the filter out. Oil filter is way up the block. Wife's CRV, filter between the firewall and motor, right in the middle. I have to put my hand in perfect to get it, and I always leave it with a scrape. Not enough room for my arm and a sleeve... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Delta Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Sooner or later you'll all give up. You will get tired of it and start paying someone like me to do it (dealer tech). Vehicles are not getting any easier to work on, for us too. The alternative is ____lube and then I'll still get paid to fix what ever they ruin. By the way the new designed 2010 4Runner oil filter is under the front skidpan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmanfixit Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 By now, Panda Meister, I'm certain you will agree, there is a special place in Hell waiting for engineers that design machinery that has essential parts that you can see but not touch! I work on my own junk as well and have fantasies about running that place one day! My sympathies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulm540 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Sooner or later you'll all give up. You will get tired of it and start paying someone like me to do it (dealer tech). Vehicles are not getting any easier to work on, for us too. The alternative is ____lube and then I'll still get paid to fix what ever they ruin. By the way the new designed 2010 4Runner oil filter is under the front skidpan. I have an Armada and it is the same thing you have to take off the skid pan to access the oil filter. not bad though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm iprod Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Suzuki was designed to be RHD, when they re-engineered it for lefty they changed as little as is possible. I have a Dodge 2500 that is now Right Hand Drive, some things are not as shown in the manual anymore. Luckily the engine bay is bigger than my first apartment and I can get to most without busting my nuts. Throw the hairdressers car in the tip and buy something useful. Edited January 17, 2010 by gm iprod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Cha Lee next time you pick a girl friend put her vechicle up on a rack first! I feel your pain, that is why I take my Camry to the dealer for $19.95 they change the oil, vaccume, and wash it. I go to the ice cream parlon in the dealer, when the gal at the icream parlor scoops the icream, its worth the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 This sounds like a car made for Jiffy lube, whats a Jiffy lube oil change these days? $20 ? including oil and filter, not to mention not dealing with the disposal and cleanup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 This Hate rant has turned into a discussion, which is beyond the bounds of the rules for the Hate Forum. Thus, it must be closed. Please review the Hate Forum Rules: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8097 [note: this is a generic response] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts