2 ms·
For something like the lexus, where everything except the dipstick and brake fluid cap are accessible, I wonder why they wouldn't get truly innovative and do aw
by pedalpete 14y ago
For something like the lexus, where everything except the dipstick and brake fluid cap are accessible, I wonder why they wouldn't get truly innovative and do away with the concept of a standard opening hood.
For the most part, this will only be worked on by people in the know. Does the hood of a car have to open for everybody? Can't we get access to all the more common bits by a gas cap like flap?
- jdietrich 14y agoIt's been done on a few cars. The MCC Smart car is mid-engined, so it features s "service flap" where the hood would be for things like fluid reservoirs. The engine bay is accessible by lifting a flap in the trunk. The Audi A2 was front-engined, but used a service hatch arrangement as a weight-saving measure - the hood was designed to lift off completely and had no hinges or prop. A service hatch would be a fairly substantial design problem on a performance car. It means that the manufacturer is forced to locate the various fluid bottles close together, most likely near the very front of the car. This is prime real-estate for air intakes and radiators, because taking air from the high-pressure region at the nose has double benefit - more airflow where you want it, less drag where you don't. Elaborate routing of fluid hoses and reservoirs would mean extra weight, which is generally anathema in the car industry.
- osunick 14y agoThe Porsche Boxster and Cayman have no service hatch for the engine at all, and a tiny section under the hood that has a few reservoirs for fluids.