What is your most hated repair.
You know, the one you put off until it breaks or must be towed.

My most hated repair is paint.

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ASE Master Mechanic
https://whunter.carrd.co/

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
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Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

An automatic transmission or anything under the dash.

I don't like working on automatic transmissions. I don't like doing preventive maintenance on automatic transmissions and I don't like driving a car with an automatic transmission. That's why my cars have manual transmissions.

Things under the dash are a real pain. I'm not good at working while standing on my head. I now have an assymetric two post lift, so I'm hoping I can raise the car to a comfortable level and work under the dash while standing. Might work, might not.

My $0.02,

I keep putting off the head swap I need to get done. While that has been pending, I have swapped out 1 engine, two automatic transmissions, and removed a dash and replaced the heater assembly under that dash.
But getting to that head replacement seems to be more than I can get excited about.

Any repair that makes me put the car up on jack stands and crawl around underneath it.

32 years ago I was frequently swapping engines, transmissions, and rear ends on my 67 Camaro--in the sand on my back and using a come-along under a shade tree--stabbing transmissions using my chest and knees as the tranny jack.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, those were the days.

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1984 300SD 326,997 miles and counting . . . No wait, my odometer is still dead

geting the shape to the door that i pulled the dent out of.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

Anything that makes me crawl under the car, especially if it involves removing bolts which are Allen bolts. We had a DIY session last weekend and having a lift to work under makes life SO much easier. I'm planning to put a lift in my next garage.

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1987 300SDL 265,000 mi.
1982 300SD 325,000 mi. (and holding)
1956 Packard Clipper 150,000 mi.

hehehe... I'll have to say any repair that requires me to buy more tools to make the repair... whatever happen to using sae or meteric tools.... now we need torx, or square-bits, and who knows what else is next???? any clues?

bodywork

Swapping an evaporator on a Mercedes Benz. Don't think it makes much difference between models. I'm kinda like Larry - I would rather pull an engine/tranny versus messing around under the dash on a Benz.

I got spoiled BAD this weekend when I pulled an evaporator out of a 1992 Honda Prelude. Too bad the Honda engineers weren't watching over the shoulders of the guys designing/engineering the 123/126 hvac way back when.

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Jim

I still have Whitworth wrenchs that I haven't used for 40 yrs.

I know once I get rid of them I will get an antique English car or motorcycle.

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79 240D my current toy
42 years a Diesel addict

240D sold
250SE sold
220D sold
280C sold
280S sold
300D (2) sold
300CD sold
300DT sold
300SD sold
380SL sold

like Pete I would definetly say bodywork

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Adam Lumsden
(83) 300D
Vice-President of the MBCA International Stars Section

Hey I'll vote for bodywork too!! Everything else just requires patience. Bodywork requires magic!! RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

Automatic transmission. Ugh!

I've taken the instrument panel out of a 115 twice, a 201 three times and a 123 once. I'm sure I'll have to take the 126 out once or twice as well. Not intimidating to me.

I'm doing the AC condensor on my Taurus now. Piece of cake. Crumb cake.

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

I need Whitworth wrenchs.

RockinWagin and Tstarr,

I ABSOLUTELY agree, understand and feel your pain. I crawled around under a car by walking with my shoulders or on a creeper for about 40 years. I just got my two post lift in and working about a month and a half ago.

This sheds a whole new light on working underneath a car. I got a transmission jack a few days after I got the lift up and operational. Between these two tools I can't imagine a job underneath a car that isn't ten times easier to accomplish.

My creeper is about 31 years old and wood. I have recovered the headrest twice and you would not believe what it looks like. I considered giving it a burial or a cremation(sp?) but I propped it against the wall in my "new" shop just to remind me how life can be. I have one bay next to my lift, so the time might come when the lift is tied up and I have to use the creeper. I can guarantee you that won't happen unless that repair is a real emergency.

Sorry to rub it in, but I am just so excited to have my lift after so many years without it.

Life is GOOooood,