RE: PH Blog: is Shed motoring doomed?

[GBB]

jeremy996 said:

Rather too many parts men are just not prepared to put some time into searching out older parts and many dealers have not reference materials past the current models.

I found this problem. The younger guys have less knowledge of the older models so found it harder to identify item codes. Spending 10 minutes going through the micro-fiche with them generally solved the problem, or getting the young lad from the workshop who also ran a MK2 GTi generally solved the problem.

That said, many parts guys are mines of useful information.

[Ozzie Osmond]

havoc said:

manufacturers appear to be maximising this by engineering components to last the warranty period

Yet another of the PH myths.

[Ozzie Osmond]

GBB said:

The trick, as alluded to earlier is to buy something old enough that the main issues are known and fixes relatively well known/available.

Yes, and it's important to get something which "sold well" in the new market which gives confidence of a continuing supply of parts at sensible prices, either new or from the scrapyard.

[havoc]

Ozzie Osmond said:

havoc said:

manufacturers appear to be maximising this by engineering components to last the warranty period

Yet another of the PH myths.

Not strictly.

Think about the supply chain - suppliers are targeted each year to reduce the cost of their components. Some ways are easy and don't hurt the consumer - slack in the system, more elegant engineering soluitions etc. But some ways DO - substitution of materials for cheaper alternatives, reduction of weight/specifications closer to required tolerances, removal of duplicate/excess fasteners, replacement of metal with plastic, etc.

And this second category WILL lead to the MTBF (mean time between failures) to fall. The trick for everyone is making sure it doesn't happen in the period the part is warrantied for...after that no-one cares, and in fact the supply chain stand to MAKE money out of it as service parts are costed notably higher than series production parts.

How do I know this - because I work for a Tier-1 and this is part of my job!

[jeremy996]

havoc said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

havoc said:

manufacturers appear to be maximising this by engineering components to last the warranty period

Yet another of the PH myths.

Not strictly.

How do I know this - because I work for a Tier-1 and this is part of my job!

As a non-motor trade worker, (I am an IFA, although I used to be financial controller of a extended motor warranty company), I don't have specifics but I have seen a trend for vehicles to be more reliable during the warranty period, (often 3+ years) and more of a pain shortly outside of it.

When Ford took over Land Rover there was a step change in warranty claims, (from appalling to lousy), but they did change the spec of starter motors and alternators to ones that seem to fail between the 4 and 6 year point. Now the original owner would not be too fussed as a lot of vehicles would have been px'ed by then, but the second, third and fourth owners are bothered by weaker ancillaries.

I want manufacturers to build a potentially immortal vehicle, but economically this would probably be commercial suicide. Selling people the same thing more than once is a easy way to a fortune, just ask Gillette. My rebuilt 110 with its galvanised chassis, dissimilar metals managed and bits sourced from the best of the aftermarket is my attempt to build a very long lasting vehicle.

[rogerhudson]

xRIEx said:

Is that the case any more though? There are hundreds of posts on here about how John and Jane Non-Petrolhead think a car dies at 100K miles. Consumer electronics has an expected lifespan of 3 years, whether it's a TV, digital camera or a PC. Nowadays the vast majority of the market expect to have to replace their car (and various other products) on a regular basis.

I'm not saying manufacturers build in obsolescence (I'm not a conspiracy theorist, just a cynic) but it sure does them a lot of favours.

[rogerhudson]

Crafty_ said:

Quite, and all they do is price out the little guy.

I assume the car didn't have a starting handle (a what?).
My classic rangie had a duff starter motor so I cranked it for 4 months (V8 has a knack to turning it over). I also wound it backwards in reverse once (like in the old war film).
My 'looks like new' mk1 discovery (1998) has only one problem, it has a little box called he body computer that controls flashers, windows and door locks which goes crazy when damp, had to encase it in bathroom silicone.
How reliable is a fifteen year old airbag?