Quote:
Originally Posted by Tazicon
Interesting read, thats for sure. Since I currently own both American and Jap products I think you are way off base. Good rant though glad you got it out here and not on your car.
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That was my goal.
I have found from working on both American and Japanese cars that they are vastly different. Everything about how things are done on them is different. I grew up working on American cars. Everything on them "makes sense" regarding mechanics. The Japanese stuff appears overly complex, is very fragile in comparison in my experience (once you reach 100K miles, you WILL have broken suspension parts, motor mounts, Transmission mounts, etc. on a Japanese vehicle. At least, Nissan/Infiniti. With American cars, you replace a tie rod and rock on, if that. Maybe a bushing squeaks.), and while it looks "oh so neat" when it's put together, and has all these little tweaks and adjustments, it just doesn't get it done the way I am used to.
Suspension systems are a HUGE example of this. My corvette looked SO SENSIBLY under there. My Japanese cars have parts that even Infiniti master techs shook their heads at and ask "WTF is that for!?" when they see it. Parts diagrams don't even exist for some of that stuff what was under my G20.
It's over-engineered and under-delivers, is what I am trying to say, while managing to be more frustrating and expensive to work on.
Just my .02 from when I wrenched on my own stuff instead of just taking it in for warranty work now that I buy new. (Will probably buy CPO in the future, but had to own a couple of new one's. Grew up poor, all that, wanted to see what the fuss was about with a NEW car.)
They do stupid stuff. Like put the thermostat on the BOTTOM where all the coolant must come out to change it. Just dumb crap like that. I don't like how the Japanese build a car if I am ever going to have to lay a wrench to it. Sure, American cars have poor examples, but maybe I'm just buying crappy examples of Japanese stuff. Does Honda do this crap? Lexus? I can't say. I do know the Lexus' I have worked on were pretty complex and did have a few "quirks" about how they were put togather, though.
American cars just have crappy window motors and electronics. Which I suppose is its own gremlin.
Trying the Germans next. I hear with them it's either you pick a winner, or you trade it in ASAP! and pick a winner, lol