Guest

...they stay the same. Here's some news related to the strength of our economy that you don't hear about. Because demand for cars & truck is SO strong, manufacturers are stamping them out at a record pace - but at what cost?

An independant auditing company confirmed on Friday that last year Ford Motor Company recalled more automobiles than it built. Prompted by complaints from auto dealers of such things as new cars arriving at dealerships with "...a button to activate a non-existant four-wheel drive system, ...missing parts such as CD cangers..." "Vehicles are regulary arriving at showrooms with missing parts, not working, or simply unnceccsary parts". "These days, they annouce recalls all the time", Lou Stanford, Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer in Detriot.

Quality & safety concerns anyone? According to the National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration, there were close to two million offical recalls in July alone! They list 70 - SEVENTY automotive recalls involving 7.3 million vehicles through the first seven months of the year 2000 alone. Get this; in 1999 the industry, as a whole, sold a record 17.1 million vehicles - 19.9 million were recalled! 9.5% of all cars on the road. In 1990, 3.9% of all vehicles were recalled. (R.L. Polk & Co.) Who racks up the majority of those recalls? Chrysler, Buick, Oldsmobile....1,2,&3. They cite that "not since the mid- to late 1980's, when the U.S. auto industry his a sustained, heavy pace of sales, have they seen so many problems".

So think about the big picture implications, from an economic point of view. When production capacity needs increasing, auto makers generally prefer overtime to additonal new hires. This is a well documented fact. b/c overtime is cheaper than new hire training, benefits packages, etc. Auto workers (union workers) of course, aren't complaining. Time & a half is a good thing & they're racking up record pay, via record overtime, in order to keep pace. Sure, paychecks are fatter, JC Penny & Macy's are reporting record revenue growth...but...you've got stressed out auto workers, putting in 70 hour work weeks for 2 years in a row building our cars.

I think there's a lot of tired workers using equipment that has not been put out of service for maintenance often enoough out there. How much more is the sticker price of a new 2001, to help absorb the cost of recalling & retrofitting 1995-2000's recalls? I don't know, but I'll bet its more than a little bit.

The food for thought brought to you by....theBooker.

peace

[Edited by Booker on 09-25-2000 at 04:44 PM]

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

on how to build a car. USA makers tend to send an auto into production whether or not all of the bugs have been ironed out or not. Whereas Japanese (and European) makers tend to work out all the bugs BEFORE it gets into the assembly line. This is why I would never buy a first year American car but would have no problems by a first year European/Japanese car. The fact that the demand for SUV/trucks are very high now of course doesn't help things.

Also explains why when I offered to list the TSB for Nissan VS a Vette or Mustang or something, that guy didn't reply Is no reply a form of admitting defeat? I never know ; )

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

No to try and trivialize your point, but Chrysler has been known to recall even simple things. My parents have owned 3 caravans over the last 12 years, and every one had "unnecessary" recalls.

they would do a full recall on them if a wire was prone to falling off the back of the A/C controls. ZERO safety impact, but they sent the recall anyway, simply because many customers were having this problem. the remedy: pull the A/C panel, disconnect the wire, smash the spades on the connector together a little, put everything back together.
time to fix: 10 min.

this happened on both my stepmom's '93 caravan and dad's 92 Dakota.

MarkP

...er or was that the Studebaker? Oh, never mind. Where are my pills, dear?

[Edited by MarkP on 09-25-2000 at 05:55 PM]

WoodEar

That's exactly why you don't buy the big 3 domestic POS

Mr. Rose

Test drove 3 toyotas Tacoma PreRunners this past summer....
Every one of them has a different button missing.
1. a 4X4 was missing a power mirror switch
2. a 4X2 was missing an A/C switch
3. a 4X2 was missing a E-barake button.

and to back up a FORD product...
MY 97' COBRA has not been recalled for anyhting..
Quite the contrary.. I get letters and news about upcoming SVT events and products (typical redneck hats etc..).
And constantly getting surveys.
I would not buy another FORD product, but I like my COBRA.
easy to work on, parts at the ready, and at least the ENGINE was handbuilt by 2 signatured professional techs.
at least I know who's *** to kick if I do have a problem...
those guys names are on the valve cover !!!! And I know where Michigan is too!!
BTW... the only thing to go wrong on the COBRA was a shifter trim piece. But yes most FORDS and Chevies, Dodge REEK!!
<img src ="http://www.geocities.com/jrose_78154/97Cenj2.jpg">

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

How do you change the plugs in that son of a gun? Very tight in there! sohc heads of a V8!

Mr. Rose

LOL!! not "SOHC" D O H C!!! Don't ever confuse me with a GT again mister!! I hate em! also notice...
see the oil cap on the right side? behind that is a black long rectangualr cap. the plugs are under the cap. got to remove a few things. not hard.
The engine is a 3 piece modular design. not like a conventional cast block and heads.
there is the crank cast then there is a cylinder cast and then the heads. the cylinder cast bolts to the crank cast and the heads to the cylinder cast. think of it like a 3 piece cast wheel. lighter, stronger and produces more revolutions than a conventional block. the heads are hemispherical in design. the valves have a primary and secondary opening, like a VTC but controlled by the ECU and intake runners. the engine displaces 281cid (4.6L) and makes 305hp/300tq in stock form. thats 1.089hp per cid!!
all aluminum. ECU programmed by DELL. The secondaries open up at 3250rpm, the redline is 6800 with a fuel cut off at 7220. my custom chip takes that to 7470 fuel cut off and 7280 redline. Forged/balanced crank... I could go on and on.....
As you can see very high tech considering it is a FORD

Mr. Rose

Configuration: Longitudinally mounted 90-degree V8, Cast aluminum block & heads, iron cylinder liners, fully counterweighted forged crankshaft.
Bore x Stroke - 90.2mm x 90.0mm
Displacement - 4,601cc/280cid
Compression Ratio - 9.85:1
Horsepower (SAE net) 305 @ 5,800 RPM
Torque - 300 @ 4,800 RPM
Redline - 6,800 RPM (fuel shut-off at 7,000 RPM)
Valvetrain - DOHC (hollow camshafts),chain drive to exhaust cams, secondary chain from exhaust to intake cams, roller finger followers with hydraulic lash adjustment, ovate-wire beehive valve springs, four valves per cylinder
Intake Valves - 2 per cylinder, 37mm head diameter
Exhaust Valves - 2 per cylinder, 30mm head diameter
Fuel System - Sequential electronic fuel injection
Intake Manifold - Tuned length thin-wall cast aluminum runners, cast aluminum plenum chamber
Throttle body - Twin 57mm bore throttle body, simultaneously opening
Air-mass sensor - 80mm diameter
Port throttles - Electronically actuated 34mm port throttles open secondary intake valves at 3,250 RPM
Exhaust Manifolds - Cast high-silicon, molybdenum iron, manifold type, stud and nut attachment.
Exhaust Systems - Dual, stainless steel, 2.25 in. diameter.

MAy not be a Pushrod killer, but OH what a sweet song comes from all those cams and valves!

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

I can see the logic of hollow cams though. When I took my intake cam off, it was pretty chunky thing. Hemi head, nice. How does that primary/secondary thing work again? Ford has no cam advancing or cam lobe adjustments right? So I figure the secondary runners on the intake lead directly to the secondary intake valves in the head? Sorry I'm dumb

Mr. Rose

it is a electronic opening of a device in the intake manifold.
a runner (8 holed) has 4 full open runners on each cylinder side at all times, and each head has to breathe on that amount of air intake volume and pressure. at 32250 the ECU open the MIRC runners to add in the other 4 runners on each side to the open position...
"Port throttles - Electronically actuated 34mm port throttles open secondary intake valves at 3,250 RPM" that intern increases the intake volume and pressure. it feels like a surgGGG.
sorry to mislead you about the cams. basically it gets more air at 3250rpms. still cool. any more q's? I'll see if I can find a pic of this motor out of sa car.

Eric L.

I'm not doubting that it is an impressive engine, but the 1.089 hp per cu. inch isn't that high a figure. The Maxima's 3L engine displaces 183cid I think, and makes 190hp, pretty close to 1.089hp per cid figure.

Just food for thought...

Paul6speed

They use lots of TSB's. Look at Nissan, should have recalled the 2000 TCM transmission control module, but they are making most of us jump through hoops to get it replaced. My tranny is already slipping at 10000 miles, even with the new TCM. Yesterday Honda issued a huge recall in Japan, affecting 500,000 cars. Mitsubishi was hiding all their customer complaints in Japan and hid defects. There have been a lot of resignations within Mitsubishi. So far my 1996 Taurus with 80,000 miles has been excellent. We were affected by one minor recall, which was taken care of during routine maintenance. I think the Japanese quality thing is overstated.

[Edited by Paul2kGXE on 09-26-2000 at 08:42 AM]

Mr. Rose

Personall experience has told me that Imports have much better fit and finish, and american cars do O.K. and are cheaper due to import tax.
There is a certain reason I bought a COBRA. and you'd have to drive mine specifacly to find that out. I really can't expalin it.
And the max is holding up great! not a rattle yet!

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

I see many nice condition 10 year old Japanese/European cars. I hardly see any American cars in the same class much less any in decent condition. There is nothing in America's sedan line up in 1992 that can touch my paint and interior quality. Much less put out 190hp/190lbs torque out of 3.0 liters. Of course Japan/European cars usually cost a little more.