What Places Are Notoriously Hard to Reach on Your Car?
We all have to dig into our vehicles to repair, replace or simply retrieve something at some point. Be it addressing a bad exhaust manifold gasket, failed starter, or your cell phone that slid between the seat and the console, some places are notoriously hard to reach. Sometimes it feels like this was created by design, especially when you need to get something done quickly.
This week’s question should generate many unique stories and relatable tales of painfully difficult things to reach in your vehicle. There are just some places that are so much harder than others, especially on some vehicles. For me, it’s the ritual of doing an oil change on my Lincoln Mark VIII, because I truly hate the filter location.
See the Mobil 1 oil filter nestled deep within the engine cradle, further obscured by the anti-roll bar underneath? Granted, I’ve made this job harder for myself, as said bar is a much larger piece from Addco. While access to spin the oil filter off from the block is straightforward, the oil pours down the engine cradle (all around the pictured metal/rubber hose) and collects at the divot in the cradle’s sheetmetal. It’s a mess, especially since there’s another divot which requires careful placement of your oil pan to ensure it catches used oil from both locations.
It’s a hot mess (literally), but I haven’t even discussed the real chore: getting the oil filter between the engine and that Addco bar. The trick is to stick your pointer finger in the oil filter, clamp down with said finger, and pull down hard so it slides past the bar.
I’ve owned this car for over two decades and can change the oil without frustration, but this filter is still “notoriously hard” to reach. So now I shall kick the question back to you:
What places are notoriously hard to reach on your car?
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I got my entire arm stuck one time trying to replace the air/oil separator on a 2001 Boxster. There I was, lying on my back under the car, arm stuck, by myself, and beginning to have irrational fears of all sorts of calamities. No matter what I tried I could not get my arm back out. After about 10 minutes and panic beginning to set it, my body subconsciously made an extra effort and somehow managed to twist my arm out from between the engine components. I learned that day to never stick my full arm in that far ever again!
My wife has a 95 Cutlass Supreme with the 3.4 liter engine. I haven’t had to do it but I have read about changing the alternator which is on the bottom of the engine. If it ever goes bad, I will probably have it done because I am getting too old to do that.
AC compressor on my Allante is on the bottom, and I did it through the wheel well. Some of those GM FWD models, the whole accessory bracket comes off with not too many bolts.
The wire connector for the coil pack on my 2000 Jeep Cherokee. The freaking thing is barely reachable behind the valve cover and the connector has one of the contankerous red keepers that are near impossible to set free without breaking.
My R53 MINI Cooper oil filter shouldn’t be such a mess, or so awkward to get a wrench on (from top OR bottom). The parasitic draw on the battery (yeah, I finally figured-out to disconnect it for winter) and the fact that it is in the trunk with an electric latch was a bother.
As a working Master Mechanic for the better part of 50 years I came across many engineered in acts of stupidity. Often resulted in a tool being thrown in frustration. The bottom bolt on the rear caliper of a Ford Escape where there isn’t room for a socket and ratchet, just the socket with an end wrench on it. Yet I’m SURE there is a torque spec… I also remember any number of cars (especially Big Block Mopars) where a lift was pretty required to replace spark plugs. Speaking of Mopars – Points and Condensers were NO FUN on those slant six engines “back in the day”.
2014 Ram 3500 Cummins: draining the water separator. The 1/4 turn valve is no problem but the greasy water drains all over suspension parts.
Neon SRT4 oil pressure switch, and they go bad giving you a low pressure light.
As the owner of a 60’s Lincoln Continental convertible, everything!! Very few things are easily accessible and those that are, are probably connected to something that isn’t. As John Cashman once said, “the engineers didn’t design these cars for maintenance.”
Series I Jag XJ6 heater core. As the Haynes Manual states, strip entire car to the bare uni-body and reassemble in reverse order. You may also be required to smite briskly with mallet.
The lead photo, if a SBC with Sanderson block-hugger headers, could be the project I’m working on today, in our ’51 Chevy Styline coupe; especially the plug wires. On ours, I had to knock a ‘dent’ relief in the #3 header tube for the first steering column I used, and now with a better aftermarket setup, I have to remove that side and open the tube back up, as the new double-D shaft gives more clearance. OC, the shaft has to come out (again) to pull the header, etcetra! Putting tube headers on almost any application is a trap we set for ourselves, especially on the ‘driver’s side’ which has steering and other impediments to easy servicing.
Still, the stock applications will surprise: my ’72 Chevy half-ton carried it’s power steering pump low on the block, so checking it risked being buzz-sawed by the fan (has to be running, right?) and adding fluid required a lo-o-ng necked funnel, and a strong light! This was stock, in every spec, except for a flex-blade fan.
I could go on and on! All part of the territory….
My ’02 Town Car is easy to work on, requires very few ‘fix’ in the first place, most everything is easy to get at, coil pacs, starter, alt’, intake manifold that I replaced, door switches and controls, heater and core, RWD make a tranny job easy if needed, Lincoln engineers were far more owner oriented. Most of this newer stuff in insane ~
How about changing the spark plugs on the passenger side of my 02 F body Trans Am with the LS1? I don’t even have headers on it and you need to be a freak contortionist to do it!
How about replacing the heater core on a 2nd Generation Camaro/Firebird?
The toughest job I ever had to do was to change the water pump on a Citroen. The pump sits on a bracket less than a quarter inch from the radiator. I tore up my knuckles trying to get the water pump out and the new one in. Next time, which will never happen, I would take out the radiator first. I did learn how to swear and curse like a French sailor! MERDE!!!
That would be with A/C
I’m a young 66 but replacing a break light switch on my 66 mustang not access friendly contortionist I’m not
*brake