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[GizzyWolf]

Who on earth thought that using Torx head bolts to hold on the rear calipers was a good plan and why did they make the top one inaccessible without removing the brake line?

Why would you put a fluid reservoir somewhere where it is almost impossible to get brake fluid into?

Who designed the front lights that you have to at least jack the front suspension up to be able to get to an access flap that you can then barely get your hand into to change a light bulb?

Grrrrrrrr

Sorry, just need to vent!

[Brabs]

Can't argue with any of that although TBH most of those are fairly infrequent access areas. Some cars such as the previous generation Megane had to be referred to the dealer for a headlight bulb change at a big cost!

 

[Pascal.B]

Maybe the engineer that designed the rear brakes felt a sleep i a moment 
But the one on the front was alive and kicking when designing that magical service panel
So the accessibility of the reservoir is quite ok.

[mr singh]

dont have to remove the brake flexi to undo the calliper/ calliper housing bolt and you dont have to use a torx bit to remove them, see my how to on the rear hub

you have to remove the acsess pannel to top up the brake fluid. RTFM

designers dont think about things that need replacing easily... take the new XJ, its only available with HID lights, and you have to remove the FULL front bumper to replace the headlight

[CrazyG]

Who on earth thought that using Torx head bolts to hold on the rear calipers was a good plan and why did they make the top one inaccessible without removing the brake line?

Why would you put a fluid reservoir somewhere where it is almost impossible to get brake fluid into?

Who designed the front lights that you have to at least jack the front suspension up to be able to get to an access flap that you can then barely get your hand into to change a light bulb?

Grrrrrrrr

Sorry, just need to vent!

Ermmm...forgive me, but most people would entrust their local garage to do all those items,
so no consideration is/was given to the owner.
But...to be fair to Smart, you can asmr singh has said undo the rear calipers without
removing to brake line, and the reservoirs...just 2x 10mm bolts to undo so that you can
remove the scuttle is not really a hardship...is it ?...and under normal conditions you wouldn't
look at them (like most owners) more than once every few months...so no big deal there.
And finally, yes the outer headlight bulbs are a bit of a to-do to do, but how often do bulbs go ?
Besides, the hatch is bigger on our cars than the Renault's, and to do a Renault one is a 4hr job !
Cost that one out at a dealer ! !
With a tolley jack you can do one side of ours in about 20 mins max....and that is taking your
time doing it.

By comparison, I would rather change a bulb on our cars than that damn silly tiny hose that used
to join the water pump to the cylinder head on the old Mini !  Or work on any of our cars rather
than the old mini tbh !
having said that, working on the old Mini is easier than the new one ! Open the bonnet on a new
Mini and you'll be lucky to find space to get your hand/s to anything...it's so jammed in....
worse on the Cooper and the Cooper S.

All things considered, our ForFours are quite easy and simple to work on.

[Problemchild]

yes the star bit is a PITA but i went for this option.....



and then popped a spanner over the top as per my (and G's) guide here

http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=389.0

i don't like messing with the sliding system of the calliper.

JJ

[GizzyWolf]

Who on earth thought that using Torx head bolts to hold on the rear calipers was a good plan and why did they make the top one inaccessible without removing the brake line?

Why would you put a fluid reservoir somewhere where it is almost impossible to get brake fluid into?

Who designed the front lights that you have to at least jack the front suspension up to be able to get to an access flap that you can then barely get your hand into to change a light bulb?

Grrrrrrrr

Sorry, just need to vent!

Ermmm...forgive me, but most people would entrust their local garage to do all those items,
so no consideration is/was given to the owner.
But...to be fair to Smart, you can asmr singh has said undo the rear calipers without
removing to brake line, and the reservoirs...just 2x 10mm bolts to undo so that you can
remove the scuttle is not really a hardship...is it ?...and under normal conditions you wouldn't
look at them (like most owners) more than once every few months...so no big deal there.
And finally, yes the outer headlight bulbs are a bit of a to-do to do, but how often do bulbs go ?
Besides, the hatch is bigger on our cars than the Renault's, and to do a Renault one is a 4hr job !
Cost that one out at a dealer ! !
With a tolley jack you can do one side of ours in about 20 mins max....and that is taking your
time doing it.

By comparison, I would rather change a bulb on our cars than that damn silly tiny hose that used
to join the water pump to the cylinder head on the old Mini !  Or work on any of our cars rather
than the old mini tbh !
having said that, working on the old Mini is easier than the new one ! Open the bonnet on a new
Mini and you'll be lucky to find space to get your hand/s to anything...it's so jammed in....
worse on the Cooper and the Cooper S.

All things considered, our ForFours are quite easy and simple to work on.

Very defensive - was it you who designed these quirks? 

JJ - wish I'd found the guide before I had the car up and in bits!!!! They were so tight though, I had to use an impact driver to get them undone!!!

[Problemchild]

mr singh is like a smart stick of rock...............smart running right through him.....and a bit of jag

we have a few guides you know

JJ

[mr singh]

mr singh is like a smart stick of rock...............smart running right through him.....and a bit of jag


JJ

thats a nice analogy

[funkydoodycool]

Even with my massive sausage fingers I managed to change mu headlamp easily, certainly easier than the sidelight bulbs for which access is VERY poor, despite the covers being easily removed from within the engine bay!

[mr singh]

Even with my massive sausage fingers I managed to change mu headlamp easily, certainly easier than the sidelight bulbs for which access is VERY poor, despite the covers being easily removed from within the engine bay!

if you have a look in the handbook it actually says use a pair of long nose pliers to remove the side light

[mozilla]

Well remembered Mr S... If only I read that bit the first time I xhanged the sidelights. They really are quite easy using pliers

[evilution]

You can get Torx E ring spanners.