Sigh

[replicant_008]

Last weekend I ordered a K&N Air Filter for Red4. The shop didn't have one but ordered one on the spot after tracking down a part number from the agent.

I got a call on Monday that the part is there. I drive out there pick up the filter and go home. Have to pay freight charges because item has been procured.

Open the hood, take off the various covers and carefully take out the existing air filter. Notice some crap in the bottom of the box so go in get a towel and a vacuum cleaner. Duct tape the towel over engine side of intake and clean out the debris in the air box.

Carefully, take filter out of box, spray some additional filter oil on media, wipe down all the sealing surfaces and gently drop in the K&N. To find it doesn't fit. It's not even close - too wide and not long enough.

Curse.

Carefully remove the useless filter, replace in box, carefully drop in existing filter, replace covers, drop a screw down side of engine bay.

Curse.

Spend the best part of 20 mins looking for retaining screw which I finally discover is resting on the inside of the front splitter - which I can't reach. Spend next ten minutes attaching magnet to end of old fishing rod and gently weaving through hoses and shrouds to pick up retaining screw. Drop screw several times.

Curse.

Finally replace screw in housing.

Return filter next day.

Still waiting for part to arrive.

[darkness]

bugger, hope you get the right part soon man

[YogsVR4]

blah -that sucks

[taranaki]

congratulations. - you have just been introduced to Murphy's law section 6 part 2...........drop any component into an engine bay and it will automatically gravitate to the tightest most inaccessible corner.

Glad I never service my cars.

[replicant_008]

I now have the right part and have put it in my car - phew.

As the car is about 8 months old and finally hit 10,000 kms I've been thinking of giving it an oil and filter change (the max Ford recommends is twelve months and 20,000km).

I now have to try and find some oil that meets the specification required for the car. The only product that meets the Ford Europe spec only comes in 60 litre drums which is a little more than I need. The only customer buying it is Ford in NZ as the only cars using it are all still under warranty. It needs 0W-30 that meets a specific Ford M2C spec.

I have been able to find a product in Australia but I now have to arrange for this to be freighted over as airlines are funny about you carrying stuff like oil on as luggage. And I need about 6 litres which is more than a 4 or 5 litre pack so I need either 2 packs or 3 packs (to do either 1 or 2 oil changes). I need to price this up as it may be easier and cheaper to get the dealer to do it (assuming of course that they actually use the right oil and not whateever is convenient.)

Sigh - it is actually getting bloody hard to diy stuff now - even the race car is easier to sort out!

[speediva]

Having an "odd-ball" car sucks...

Take Infiniti... sure my "Primera" is plentiful overseas, but god-forbid that anyone knows what an SR20DE is over here... And NOT EVEN NISSAN stocks engine parts for the Sentra SE-R so I can't even go across lines to get parts... which means a 200% upcharge just so it has the Infiniti name on the packaging even though the part says Nissan.

I feel your pain.