:mattLandia:

I'm using the word "FLAW" rather loosely here. Perhaps I would be more accurate if I said "TOTAL COLLAPSE OF KOREAN LOGIC" or "MIND NUMBING DEATH BLOW TO COMMON SENSE". I hate to report this, because I've been otherwise pleased with my Korean Wheel Machine (aka Elantra GT, Fake Saab, Cranberry Mobile). Nay, I will go so far as to say I've been in love with my Elantra GT since I bought it.

But now, I am slighted. Today, I would like to drive my beloved GT through the glass walled palace of Hyundai engineering for I have now suffered the indignity of..... replacing the head light bulbs.

Yeah, that's right. You read me correctly.

When changing the little ole drivers side bulb, you have to first REMOVE the whole battery. Not just move to the side, or squeeze your hands Mr. Fantastic style into a Hyundai orifice mind you... you have to remove a plastic battery cover, the bolt on battery harness, each battery cable and then remove the battery. Once you've littered your driveway with said parts, you will remove a screw cap cover to the lamp to gain access to the bulb. You would think that at this point you would just unplug the bulb and replace it, right? Noooo......

Next you have to yank off some stupid little wirey springey contraption which holds the bulb still. Getting it off -- no problem. Getting it back on -- well, let's replay my dialogue of self loathing and hatred shall we? "...you stupid little shiny steel-mongery.. break my finger will you?!... damn you to hyundai hell....go to yer to stupid plastic-lamp-sharp-edged-recessed-home you worth piece o shite!... etc. etc."

Next on the holiday tour of pain, the passenger side lamp.

Directly in front of the cap that you unscrew for access to the lamp orifice is a stiff towering barricade otherwise known in mattLandia as Most Stupid Location for a Plastic Tube Ever (MSLPTE). The MSLPTE totally blocks any sort of reasonably comfortable access to the stupid little wirey springey contraption mentioned above, forcing the masochist .. oops, I meant mechanic to shove his or her fingers into a sharply edged hole where they knock the hole's innards about until they magically pop out the burnt lamp. Imagine fishing for Moray Eels with your big toe in dark coral crevices and you get the idea.

But here's the real coup-de-grace. The real Mona Lisa in this whole affair. A quick look-see behind the MSLPTE at the rest of the engine compartment reveals....

wait for it....

NOTHING but empty space! "That's right folks! Step-on-up and take a look a stupidity right before your eyes!" I guess those Hyundai engineers were busy getting high on a rice spliff on "Proper Use of Engine Space" day. I can hear the conversation now... "Hmmm... we have much space left over... were we put pwastic toobah?... hmmm...... Ahhh, we put toobah wight in fwont of light access cap. He he.. we make white knuckled man suffer long time..."

Well, in spite of this nonsense, I prevailed and I've got LIGHTS.. HYUNDAI... ACTION!