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Dear Dodge: What did we do?

2K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Cominfromcamaro 
#1 ·
Leading up to the production of the 2015 model year, the car world was captivated by the Hellcat and its headlight intake. When the non- Hellcat models started hitting the streets, us early Scat Pack buyers were thrilled to discover we could bask in the reflective glow of the HC feature simply by pressing the three plastic tabs on the back caps of our headlights. Before long dealerships found their parts departments flooded with requests for the $85 Hellcat airbox and felt tube” and lesser Challenger model owners were listing it as a “mod” on their car show boards...while some of us were drilling our own Scat Pack airboxes with a $4 three inch hole saw and buying a $20 tube from our local auto parts store.

Dodge, you made us Scat owners feel included in the Hellcat hype, even just a little bit, and it was fun.

But Dodge, what happened between 2015 and 2018/2019? What did we do to you to make you turn vindictive and petty, like an embittered spouse who mutters “I’ll show you...” and proceeds to turn the simple but enjoyable little things into divorce court material?

I popped the hood of my new 1320 today, figuring to brave the oven-like heat of my garage as we baked through our fourth day of heat index temps around 110 degrees, just for the few moments it would take me to swap out my OEM airbox for the one from my old Scat that I “Hellcat modified”...

...only to find that you replaced the three-pronged plastic cap in the back of the driver side headlight with a child-proof like twist cap that was reinforced with two microscopic torx screws seemingly strategically placed to prevent tampering or removal.

Oh, after removing my airbox, I got the one on the left off easily enough...but that @#!?& of a screw on the right??? My smallest ratchet & bit could barely fit with the screw fully in place; once I painstakingly got it a quarter of the way out, one 10 degree turn at a time, there was no room for the ratchet.

A wobble on an extension didn’t work; I didn’t have a small enough wobble to use with a manual driver.

That screw sat partway out, mocking me. I could just hear the lobbyists for the dealers telling FCA “...we need more billable shop hours opportunities; you gotta make the consumer come to us to install this Hellcat thingamajig...”

An hour it took me, using a pair of needle nose pliers, sweat pouring off me like a faucet, one 2 degree turn at a time...I refused to give up...and finally got the gosh-darn thing off....

...but Dodge, what did we do to make you hate us so???
 
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#3 ·
Ahhh, but you have illuminated air-catcher headlights, not air intake headlights :rolleyes:

A Guy
 
#4 ·
I would have to assume that teams of engineers worked tirelessly to create the CAI that comes stock on this car so I am going to leave it that way.

Besides, this car is going to be sold or traded.

Need some FAI...
 
#6 ·
Back in 2006, I was part of a team of very talented software engineers employed by one of the major telecom companies, and we were contributing some pretty major pieces to the upcoming unveiling of a device which would play a part in changing the world eventually (hint: It could make phone calls from just about anywhere, send emails, texts, and even open web pages! Although not much looked good back then since they were all formatted for a desktop or laptop.)

Anyway, one month before this device's unveiling to the public, we were still pulling all nighters and working weekends at the office to try to get everything ready to go.

2 weeks before the go-live, we had a major deliverable that could cost every one their jobs if we didn't get it done by Monday morning. Yet, on the Saturday before the deadline, instead of sitting at our respective desks in our respective cubicles and diligently working in the problems holding us back we were all up on the 4th floor of the office building watching stupid movies in the new conference room on its massive (for the time) 50" TV/monitor.

I remember watching the pizzas finally got delivered about 2 hrs after ordering them, right in the middle of the second playing of Office Space. I also remember a couple of us didn't see the end of the movie that 2nd time because we dozed off right there at the conference table.

Lots of things should have been done differently that weekend, and a couple things should have never even been attempted. The deliverable on Monday was made, but I'm here to testify to the fact there was some bad code in that first release of the smart ph...err, mystery device.

All of that is a really long winded way to say, yes, many aspects of the impossibly complicated devices we use on a daily basis were well thought out, well planned out, and implemented using the best ideas of the brightest minds in the company. But some aspects were not well thought out, not well planned out, and sometimes merely the best choice out of a set of terrible options.

That holds true no matter how a person makes their living, i suspect.
 
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#7 ·
Back in 2006, I was part of a team of very talented software engineers employed by one of the major telecom companies, and we were contributing some pretty major pieces to the upcoming unveiling of a device which would play a part in changing the world eventually (hint: It could make phone calls from just about anywhere, send emails, texts, and even open web pages! Although not much looked good back then since they were all formatted for a desktop or laptop.)

Anyway, one month before this device's unveiling to the public, we were still pulling all nighters and working weekends at the office to try to get everything ready to go.

2 weeks before the go-live, we had a major deliverable that could cost every one their jobs if we didn't get it done by Monday morning. Yet, on the Saturday before the deadline, instead of sitting at our respective desks in our respective cubicles and diligently working in the problems holding us back we were all up on the 4th floor of the office building watching stupid movies in the new conference room on its massive (for the time) 50" TV/monitor.

I remember watching the pizzas finally got delivered about 2 hrs after ordering them, right in the middle of the second playing of Office Space. I also remember a couple of us didn't see the end of the movie that 2nd time because we dozed off right there at the conference table.

Lots of things should have been done differently that weekend, and a couple things should have never even been attempted. The deliverable on Monday was made, but I'm here to testify to the fact there was some bad code in that first release of the smart ph...err, mystery device.

All of that is a really long winded way to say, yes, many aspects of the impossibly complicated devices we use on a daily basis were well thought out, well planned out, and implemented using the best ideas of the brightest minds in the company. But some aspects were not well thought out, not well planned out, and sometimes merely the best choice out of a set of terrible options.

That holds true no matter how a person makes their living, i suspect.
You're not referring to General Magic, are you?
 
#8 ·
Leading up to the production of the 2015 model year, the car world was captivated by the Hellcat and its headlight intake. When the non- Hellcat models started hitting the streets, us early Scat Pack buyers were thrilled to discover we could bask in the reflective glow of the HC feature simply by pressing the three plastic tabs on the back caps of our headlights. Before long dealerships found their parts departments flooded with requests for the $85 Hellcat airbox and felt tube” and lesser Challenger model owners were listing it as a “mod” on their car show boards...while some of us were drilling our own Scat Pack airboxes with a $4 three inch hole saw and buying a $20 tube from our local auto parts store.

Dodge, you made us Scat owners feel included in the Hellcat hype, even just a little bit, and it was fun.

But Dodge, what happened between 2015 and 2018/2019? What did we do to you to make you turn vindictive and petty, like an embittered spouse who mutters “I’ll show you...” and proceeds to turn the simple but enjoyable little things into divorce court material?

I popped the hood of my new 1320 today, figuring to brave the oven-like heat of my garage as we baked through our fourth day of heat index temps around 110 degrees, just for the few moments it would take me to swap out my OEM airbox for the one from my old Scat that I “Hellcat modified”...

...only to find that you replaced the three-pronged plastic cap in the back of the driver side headlight with a child-proof like twist cap that was reinforced with two microscopic torx screws seemingly strategically placed to prevent tampering or removal.

Oh, after removing my airbox, I got the one on the left off easily enough...but that @#!?& of a screw on the right??? My smallest ratchet & bit could barely fit with the screw fully in place; once I painstakingly got it a quarter of the way out, one 10 degree turn at a time, there was no room for the ratchet.

A wobble on an extension didn’t work; I didn’t have a small enough wobble to use with a manual driver.

That screw sat partway out, mocking me. I could just hear the lobbyists for the dealers telling FCA “...we need more billable shop hours opportunities; you gotta make the consumer come to us to install this Hellcat thingamajig...”

An hour it took me, using a pair of needle nose pliers, sweat pouring off me like a faucet, one 2 degree turn at a time...I refused to give up...and finally got the gosh-darn thing off....

...but Dodge, what did we do to make you hate us so???
However, I have been told that screw actually only has to be loosened then the cap can screw off. 1 or 2 turns is all that is needed. I wonder if that worked for you if that would make you feel better?

Ron
 
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