Do you think the designs of new cars and trucks are getting better when it comes to you, the repair technician? I'll tell you what I think about a number of vehicles in upcoming issues of AutoInc.

This is the first in a series of columns designed to give techs an even greater voice in the engineering of new vehicles by comparing service parts accessibility. Hopefully, it will help us service tomorrow's vehicles with less stress and fewer busted knuckles.

We all have struggled to remove a normal wear part and said (sometimes not so nicely): "Who on earth designed this? I guess they thought no one would ever have to fix it!" Well, as technicians, here's an opportunity for us to express our opinions of those designs on a regular basis.

I will try to be fair and unbiased. I will report on manufacturers' progress by comparing a new model to an older one and in future issues will correct areas you feel I missed. In the long run, I hope this report will aid engineers in making our job just a little bit easier.

2002 Civic Pros: Plugs last 60,000 miles and gone is the distributor (a problem area). Good quality - easy to access most things. Cons: On 2002 - Immobilizer system is dealer only - Need new equipment to analyze COP. PCM is moved under dash - a big step backward.

Craig Van Batenburg, AAM, is the owner of the Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC), www.auto-careers.org, and delivers management and technical seminars nationwide. He formerly owned Van Batenburg's Garage Inc. in Worcester, Mass., for more than 25 years. Van Batenburg is ASE master and L1 certified, with advanced skills in hybrid drive systems. You can reach him by e-mail at craig@auto-careers.org

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