Just having a bit of a rant. Do engineers and designers not think?? I took my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee in to get a roadworthy certificate to that I can advertise it and sell it as I just upgraded to a newer Jeep. Well it passed the inspection except that the mechanic couldn't find the serial number on the block. It is a requirement that they must physically sight the number before they can sign off on it. Fair enough that is the rules, but hey, why can't the engineers or the designers of the engine, put that number in plain sight. You would think that it would be obvious, since it is needed for such inspections each and every time a car is sold.
No apparently not, my mechanic spent about 40 minutes searching all over the engine trying to find it before throwing the towel in and admitting defeat. So I can't get the certificate unless we find it. So I wasted hours ringing up 3 different Jeep dealers who had no clue and gave me completely different answers, as well as a few wreckers and other roadworthy stations.
After ringing up a Mercedes dealer (as they made that engine under licence and it is also used in their Sprinter model) he informed me that the number might be found above the starter motor near where the transmission bolts to the engine and is on an angled flat on the block under the exhaust manifold where it isn't visible from above or below and it is made from a series of light indents similar to the old impact printer type fonts, and bloody hard to see even if you are looking directly at it. Add a bit of grime from the road mixed with a bit of oil and dirt etc and it is invisible to boot, then to top it off, don't provide any documentation on where to find it. Now that makes perfect sense doesn't it. Am I the only one who thinks that this is stupid!
No apparently not, my mechanic spent about 40 minutes searching all over the engine trying to find it before throwing the towel in and admitting defeat. So I can't get the certificate unless we find it. So I wasted hours ringing up 3 different Jeep dealers who had no clue and gave me completely different answers, as well as a few wreckers and other roadworthy stations.
After ringing up a Mercedes dealer (as they made that engine under licence and it is also used in their Sprinter model) he informed me that the number might be found above the starter motor near where the transmission bolts to the engine and is on an angled flat on the block under the exhaust manifold where it isn't visible from above or below and it is made from a series of light indents similar to the old impact printer type fonts, and bloody hard to see even if you are looking directly at it. Add a bit of grime from the road mixed with a bit of oil and dirt etc and it is invisible to boot, then to top it off, don't provide any documentation on where to find it. Now that makes perfect sense doesn't it. Am I the only one who thinks that this is stupid!