Well it was bound to happen. I violated my rule #1. Remember that's hire a mechanic for those jobs that result in high blood pressure, cussing and the trowing of tools. My daughters alternater went out. The alternator was the easy part. The installation of the new serpentine belt...well that job was not made for human beings. Not only was there not a sticker showing the routing of the belt but there's only a 1" space to install the 1.5" wide belt. So, I give the utmost credit to those who can install those belts. Front wheel drive Escort ZX2. The handle for the mini roller used to paint the truck came in very handy. 15 minutes for the alternator, 3 hours for the belt. mg:
That's why I got rid of the PT. I needed to pull the engine and didn't want to deal with it. It was a pain just to change the air filter on that thing.
I'm slow. If I try something new, I always figure it's going to take me about 4X's as long as a decent mechanic with the proper tools - seeing as how I never have the proper tools. Maybe the next time I do the same job it might take me 3X's as long, etc. You get the picture....... I got oil changes down to about an hour now........
One of the final straws for my '98 Intrepid was having to take the passenger side wheel off to change the battery. Must be a Chrysler thing.
That started with the first ('95?) Dodge Intrepid. Saw it described in my collision estimating database when the car first came out... "Replace battery......0.3 hr - After left front wheel is removed" - Huh? You have to take the wheel off, then there's this little trap door that's part of the fender liner that you open up........wal la - one hidden battery.
The weirdest thing was that it didn't seem to be necessary. There was a structural part that prevented the battery from being removed via the engine compartment. It looked to me like it could easily have been relocated slightly or the engine compartment design changed to allow it to be removed normally.
I too have taken the stance that if it is one of the new cars and it is something I just don't even feel like touching, then it goes to a mechanic. I do get my wife to take it in though but give her explicit instructions. If it is on the vintage stuff I take care of it. I don't do oil changes very often either. I just clean up underneath when she brings it home, check to make sure everything is tight, and call it a job well done. Now and then, not often but a few times, they have not put quite enough oil in it and I top it up and make a note for her to go elsewhere next time
I didn't find it to be a big deal on my 2001 Intrepid as I only had to do it once in the 5 years I owned the car. Battery was still turning the car over just fine, I just did it as a preventive measure. My Magnum is REALLY easy as it is in the rear next to the spare tire. As far as FWD, my Chrysler 2.2L 's had to be one of the easiest engines to work on. All the spark plugs were in front. Distributor and fuel filter also. Heck I could change the timing belt just by removing the belt cover and unbolting the top pulley wheel attached to the camshaft.
