Re:Is It Better to Repair or Replace Your Aging Vehicle in T...
by rasz on Sunday July 03, 2022 @06:47AM
(#31966686)
Not to get all mythical about it most Honda and Toyota cars are heavily overbuild for what they are. Stock CR-V engines (K20/K24) reliably deliver 400HP with simple $500 ebay turbo kit without modifying anything inside. Thats 100% safety margin on all engine internals. Stock engine is almost unkillable in normal operation. Take care of consumables (oil, fluids, filters, sparkplugs, clutch, brakes, tires, ignition wiring, rubber hoses, suspension bushes, shocks, battery) and rust and you can drive same car for 40 years.
In contrast German cars wear out mechanically or kill you slowly with electrical system deterioration. Parts are meticulously calculated to need replacement at a set point of vehicle life. One example: Audi (VW group) 2.0 TDI BLB Engine is made to fail at ~200K no matter what you do, from oil pump to head micro fractures. Crankshaft sprocket at 200K
VW answer: this part is non serviceable, whole crankshaft needs to be replaced :D Why is it made out of putty while smaller sprocket (the one taking more force) is still ok? Why is it designed not to be replaceable? Good 'old timer/not by the book' mechanic is still able to replace it (heat whole crankshaft, use big hammer). In good heavily driven cars 200K is usually first crankshaft turn/grind, engine block itself should be good for >500K easily. Not here. Smells like planned obsolescence, if not on purpose then as a byproduct of cutting part safety margins to the bone to save cents on the dollar.
In contrast German cars wear out mechanically or kill you slowly with electrical system deterioration. Parts are meticulously calculated to need replacement at a set point of vehicle life. One example: Audi (VW group) 2.0 TDI BLB Engine is made to fail at ~200K no matter what you do, from oil pump to head micro fractures. Crankshaft sprocket at 200K
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_m_33vQTtsxM/SyuSlFIeSXI/AAAAAAAAG9o/rt...
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_m_33vQTtsxM/SyuSn5YALLI/AAAAAAAAG9s/ul...
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_m_33vQTtsxM/SyuSp1yUs4I/AAAAAAAAG9w/mO...
VW answer: this part is non serviceable, whole crankshaft needs to be replaced :D Why is it made out of putty while smaller sprocket (the one taking more force) is still ok? Why is it designed not to be replaceable? Good 'old timer/not by the book' mechanic is still able to replace it (heat whole crankshaft, use big hammer). In good heavily driven cars 200K is usually first crankshaft turn/grind, engine block itself should be good for >500K easily. Not here. Smells like planned obsolescence, if not on purpose then as a byproduct of cutting part safety margins to the bone to save cents on the dollar.