Least Favorite thing to work on a car.

[Mr.Woolery]

-Rust abatement in hard to reach areas
-Window cranks/latches/locks/inside door work.

How much I enjoy a job is directly related to how easily I can access it.

[elacruze]

Hm.

I don't have a particular 'hate this' job, but thinking about it I dread tedious jobs, that are simple but take a long time. Fuel sucks, especially if it's been undisturbed for 15 years. Rust sucks, although at this point in my life I'm looking toward it as an undiscovered frontier-I did replace the cab floors and supports in my pickup successfully. Electrical, Suspension and A/C are my strong suits, and although all three are often annoying they are the most rewarding when done right. When I was younger, manual transmissions and axles were my love-I've always been the guy who gets the planetary steer axle rebuilds lol.

When I get home, I'll get to finish the details on my Charger-I'm kind of looking forward to that, just as therapy and something not an emergency.

[Cooter]

1.T-chains (5)  in a 2002-up Ford Explorer 4.0 V6
2. Auto Transmission in a 1998 Mercury Cougar V6 DOHC FWD..
3. Head gaskets on a 2002 Pontiac Montana/Chevy Venture van with the windshield on the front bumper..
4. Water pump on the 2.7 Chrysler V6 engine that is driven off the T-Chain and when your done lining up the marks per factory specs, the Cam sensor and Crank sensor won't "Phase" in sync with each other, so it won't rev over 2300 RPM's...
5. Lower intake gaskets on 454 Chebby in a 2001 Full size truck that's so high up off the ground you have to stand on a damn ladder to get to the engine..
6. Heater cores/Evaporator cores in ANYTHING 1991-up...
7. Dash work on anything period..
8. SRS problems on anything period..
9. Working behind dumbasses at bodyshops that only replace a few items, when they know full and well once the air bag goes off, the module is toast...
10. Water leaks on ANYTHING..
11. Wind noises on anything period..
12. In tank fuel pumps on BMW's...(SUCKS)
13.T-belt on VW Passat/Jetta where you HAVE TO pull the entire front end off..
14. Radiator in 2002 Jeep grand Cherokee, where you have to pull the entire front end off to get at it..
15.Radiator cooling fan relay on same Jeep where you have to pull front bumper to get at the relay under pass. headlight..
16.Anything on a Mercedes/Jaguar, as those Germans do everything ass backwards..
17. Starter on 1999 Nissan 4WD, Auto SUV, with 3.5 liter V6...
18. Starter on Isuzu SUV, 4WD..
19. Oil pan gaskets on any Ford V6 FWD car..
20. Transmissions on anything too big for the lift to pick up..
21. Clutch in Isuzu Rodeo 4WD SUV..
21. Drilling out broken exhaust studs in Aluminum heads that have siezed up..
22. Transmission in 2003 Ford Escape 4WD....(Auto)



Oh, you meant on older stuff.......Oops...

[elacruze]

Sounds like you need a career change, Cooter!

C'mon over to the world of big dirty things-changing air compressor belts on a '85 BlueBird Wanderlodge with a 200,000 mile Detroit 8V92...or changing the main hydraulic hose on same...gives dirty a new meaning.

Hm. back to old stuff, Ford truck/van kingpins (when they really were pins) in the twin I-beam front end...every time I heard a squeak out in the intersection the hair stood up on the back of my neck thinking it was a blue oval van coming in with siezed kingpins.

[rp23g7]

1.T-chains (5)  in a 2002-up Ford Explorer 4.0 V6
2. Auto Transmission in a 1998 Mercury Cougar V6 DOHC FWD..
3. Head gaskets on a 2002 Pontiac Montana/Chevy Venture van with the windshield on the front bumper..
4. Water pump on the 2.7 Chrysler V6 engine that is driven off the T-Chain and when your done lining up the marks per factory specs, the Cam sensor and Crank sensor won't "Phase" in sync with each other, so it won't rev over 2300 RPM's...
5. Lower intake gaskets on 454 Chebby in a 2001 Full size truck that's so high up off the ground you have to stand on a damn ladder to get to the engine..
6. Heater cores/Evaporator cores in ANYTHING 1991-up...
7. Dash work on anything period..
8. SRS problems on anything period..
9. Working behind dumbasses at bodyshops that only replace a few items, when they know full and well once the air bag goes off, the module is toast...
10. Water leaks on ANYTHING..
11. Wind noises on anything period..
12. In tank fuel pumps on BMW's...(SUCKS)
13.T-belt on VW Passat/Jetta where you HAVE TO pull the entire front end off..
14. Radiator in 2002 Jeep grand Cherokee, where you have to pull the entire front end off to get at it..
15.Radiator cooling fan relay on same Jeep where you have to pull front bumper to get at the relay under pass. headlight..
16.Anything on a Mercedes/Jaguar, as those Germans do everything ass backwards..
17. Starter on 1999 Nissan 4WD, Auto SUV, with 3.5 liter V6...
18. Starter on Isuzu SUV, 4WD..
19. Oil pan gaskets on any Ford V6 FWD car..
20. Transmissions on anything too big for the lift to pick up..
21. Clutch in Isuzu Rodeo 4WD SUV..
21. Drilling out broken exhaust studs in Aluminum heads that have siezed up..
22. Transmission in 2003 Ford Escape 4WD....(Auto)



Oh, you meant on older stuff.......Oops...

Something tells me you may work at a dealership.

I forgot, the most stressful job i ever did working on cars, at Mazda, i had to put a roof rack on a brand new MPV.  Something about drilling into a brand new purchased car.  Man that stressed me out, measure once, almost drill, measure again, i can do it, no, i better measure one more time.

[defiance]

Actually, that reminds me of one I forgot.  Right out of high school I worked for a while doing stereo installs.  Did good work 99% of the time, but every once in a while I would make some stupid mistake.  Mostly it was minor things, but one time it wasn't.  Since then I absolutely do not want to work on jeeps, ever, at all.  Basically, the install went great, everything checked out, ran through my checklist afterward, customer looked and listened and was very happy.  Customer paid and left and I started on the next job.  20 minutes later the customer came back with the top of their vehicle smashed and the hood folded backward over it.  I didn't get the side latches locked on the hood, and it popped up at 45mph driving down a busy street.  The absolute terror that I could have KILLED someone for a momentary lapse in attention is a lot of the reason I don't work on other people's cars anymore.

[Cooter]

Rp23G7, No, I work at an independent shop...Dealerships are easier, as once you learn the models and their problems, you can diagnose over the phone almost....When working for an independent shop, one day your working on somebody's 1947 Chevy, the next day your working on a 2010 Mercedes, with an SRS problem...You never really learn any of the cars problems, cause by the time you've got 'em nailed down the owners sell them for something different....Defiance, Yep, someone screws up sitting in their office space on the computer, they simply Correct it...We screw up out here in the shop, someone dies and we lose everything we worked for, for the last 37 Years..I forgot to mention one thing....State Inspections are my LEAST favorite thing to do At the moment, as you Almost ALWAYS have somebody that thinks your messing with them by rejecting their vehicle and want to argue with you about it, threaten to call the State Police on you in hopes to Force you to put a sticker on it, etc..
I had one guy one time with a driver's window that wouldn't work properly on it's own power..The book states the driver's window Has to work Properly...
I rejected his car and even told him what was wrong with it and how to repair it..Instead, he comes back to the shop with a Trooper in tow looking to Force me to put a good sticker on his car..Well, the trooper told him to hit the power window button and let the window down..He did and it went down, however, when the trooper told him to roll the window UP, it stopped about halfway up...Guy got so mad, he went off and began to kick the side of his car....The trooper just looked at me and said "Justified"....

[rp23g7]

Actually, that reminds me of one I forgot.  Right out of high school I worked for a while doing stereo installs.  Did good work 99% of the time, but every once in a while I would make some stupid mistake.  Mostly it was minor things, but one time it wasn't.  Since then I absolutely do not want to work on jeeps, ever, at all.  Basically, the install went great, everything checked out, ran through my checklist afterward, customer looked and listened and was very happy.  Customer paid and left and I started on the next job.  20 minutes later the customer came back with the top of their vehicle smashed and the hood folded backward over it.  I didn't get the side latches locked on the hood, and it popped up at 45mph driving down a busy street.  The absolute terror that I could have KILLED someone for a momentary lapse in attention is a lot of the reason I don't work on other people's cars anymore.

I hear ya, same reason i got out of the wrenching for a shop.  I was at Mazda doinga brake job on a older late 80's early 90's 626.  The parts dept was out of the nut that holds the rear brake drum on.... the only thing that holds the rear brake drum on.  It has a groove you stake it in with a good hit of a hammer.  Well i tell the service manager that it was not available, he says just put the old one on.

I say mmm NO, he says the customer needs to go, just make it work.  I say only if you sign a statement stating that i told you it was not available and i shouldnt use it.

He signs, i switch left from right nuts, they lined up a bit different, customer leaves.  Guess what car is back in the shop the next day, needing a alighnment and a new wheel.

Yeah, Service advisor lost his job.  I still had mine, due to having witness's

[rp23g7]

Rp23G7, No, I work at an independent shop...Dealerships are easier, as once you learn the models and their problems, you can diagnose over the phone almost....When working for an independent shop, one day your working on somebody's 1947 Chevy, the next day your working on a 2010 Mercedes, with an SRS problem...You never really learn any of the cars problems, cause by the time you've got 'em nailed down the owners sell them for something different....Defiance, Yep, someone screws up sitting in their office space on the computer, they simply Correct it...We screw up out here in the shop, someone dies and we lose everything we worked for, for the last 37 Years..I forgot to mention one thing....State Inspections are my LEAST favorite thing to do At the moment, as you Almost ALWAYS have somebody that thinks your messing with them by rejecting their vehicle and want to argue with you about it, threaten to call the State Police on you in hopes to Force you to put a sticker on it, etc..
I had one guy one time with a driver's window that wouldn't work properly on it's own power..The book states the driver's window Has to work Properly...
I rejected his car and even told him what was wrong with it and how to repair it..Instead, he comes back to the shop with a Trooper in tow looking to Force me to put a good sticker on his car..Well, the trooper told him to hit the power window button and let the window down..He did and it went down, however, when the trooper told him to roll the window UP, it stopped about halfway up...Guy got so mad, he went off and began to kick the side of his car....The trooper just looked at me and said "Justified"....

Yeah, i remember the gas station days, water pump on a Firebird, timing belt on a Pinto, hated working on GM J bodies, man they were garbage.

[Belgium R/T -68]

Love electrical problems and hate working on brakes.

Per

[CYACOP]

Anything under the hood of a front wheel drive car. They were designed to be disposable to me.

[TylerCharger69]

i dont mind working on anything on the car....but bodywork and SANDING!!!!   EWWWWW   That is a downright tedious job right there!!

[Cooter]

You know what's weird? I guess it's cause I don't do it for a living, but I actually enjoy bodywork/sanding....

[BBKNARF]

Unbolting and removing the transmission, while laying on your back

[bordin34]

Anything that involves unbolting or working around headers.

[Mefirst]

I hate working on cars period but because I have bad masochistic tendencies I just have to..

/Tom

[1969chargerrtse]

The rear main seal on my 440 because after a pro did it, it leaks.  And everyone has told me after I have it done again, or do the pain staking job of doing it myself, it will still leak.

[Cooter]

The rear main seal on my 440 because after a pro did it, it leaks.  And everyone has told me after I have it done again, or do the pain staking job of doing it myself, it will still leak.

And they would be correct.....I've NEVER seen a two piece rear main seal NOT leak....About the best you can hope for is a slight Seap instead of a pouring oil out like crazy...

[lisiecki1]

try this the next time you have to do a big block rear main seal.  after you put the crank in, offset the main seal about 20 degrees or so by pushing it out with a small screw driver.

[ITSA426]

I don't mind most of the work but I hate having to work underneath anything that just came in off a snowy road with all the ice turds, salt, and dirty water dropping on me.  I try not to do anything under the car until spring or at least until the car's been in the garage long enough for the floor to dry out.

[bill440rt]

I'd have to say electrical, because I suck at it. 
And yeah, gas tank sending units are no fun.
Worst of all is taking something apart again after you've spent weeks putting it together. Now it looks perfect and you have to blow it apart again to correct some stupid problem. 

I LOVE the detail stuff, and bodywork, sanding, painting, etc. Buffing too, is a good therapeutic way to spend an afternoon.
I guess I like making shitty stuff look good again.

[Back N Black]

I did not like reinstalling door and quarter glass components and trying to adjust everything.I still think it a crappy setup.

[rick.d]

I hate having to do things twice however, i usually learn the second time what i should have known the first time.Most of all i hate working on anything but my Charger. I really hate to have to buy parts for any of my cars that dont make it look better or go faster.

[1969chargerrtse]

The rear main seal on my 440 because after a pro did it, it leaks.  And everyone has told me after I have it done again, or do the pain staking job of doing it myself, it will still leak.

And they would be correct.....I've NEVER seen a two piece rear main seal NOT leak....About the best you can hope for is a slight Seap instead of a pouring oil out like crazy...

Thanks for the info.  It is not a bad leak, so I think I will just let it be. 

[Green71R/T]

The rear main seal on my 440 because after a pro did it, it leaks.  And everyone has told me after I have it done again, or do the pain staking job of doing it myself, it will still leak.

And they would be correct.....I've NEVER seen a two piece rear main seal NOT leak....About the best you can hope for is a slight Seap instead of a pouring oil out like crazy...

Thanks for the info.  It is not a bad leak, so I think I will just let it be. 

It's not leaking.It's marking it's territory!!!