Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 01:33:31 GMT From: Bob <uctraingNOSPAMnopsamanet.com> Subject: Re: Timing Belt replacement
On Wed, 09 Jan 2002 17:49:50 GMT, "nospam" <nospamnopsamam.net> wrote: >A well designed idler pulley, considering its simplicity, and the >limited job it performs, should last virtually forever. That's true. >You don't have to change such simple things in Japanese cars. I got one, I >know. Oh yeah ? I had a Toyota, the heater box caught on fire because the vents pulled in debris and the fan chopped it up and wedged it against the fan resistors. Toyota didn't want to pay to fix it. I worked myself up to the district rep, who, after a few days of waiting, read me a statement from the Toyota Lawyers denying any responsibility for the defect. (Contrast that to Saab, who fixed the rattles [yes, the rattles] in my windows *after* my warranty had out, as a "customer good will" gesture. How about my/the Nissan V6 exhaust stud problem ? Every V6 Nissan (car, truck, van) manufactured since 1993 has the defect. The exhaust manifold studs snap off after 60-80K miles. The manifold warps if you don't catch it fast enough. You pay $500 to $1300 to fix it, depending on how many studs need to be drilled out. Nissan issued a TSB in 1995 with an upgraded stud (which still has the problem) but refuses to pay for any repairs. How about the Mitsubishi/DSM crank walk problem ? The main bearings in every turbo Eclipse/DSM vehicle manufactured since the early 90's (at least until 98) have a defect in oil delivery. The bearings wear as the clutch action pushes the crank forward. Eventually the crank moves so far forward that it snaps off the crank angle sensor from the front of the engine. Then you pay to rebuild the motor with some *very* expensive parts. Go out to www.dsm.org and search for "crank walk" or do the same at altavista.com. There is some excellent research documenting the problem. So, what were you saying about Japanese cars having no defects ? Bob