Are Better Cars Making The Average Driver Mechanically Dumber?

A recent British survey revealed that an alarming number of drivers couldn’t point to the most basic engine components, much less name them on sight. A similar survey performed by Goodyear earlier in the year indicates that 60% of American drivers did not know how to check tire pressure on the car much less change a flat tire if it was needed.

With reliability quickly becoming non issue and the complexity of internal systems on modern vehicle on the rise, the typical consumer is being forced to forego many services to outside facilities rather than perform the most basic service. Our question to you is do you perform any maintenance on your vehicle, or simply trust another individual to do it for you?

Agent009 - 7/13/2007 4:02:36 PM

+3 Boost

So can you find the dip stick? Or call AAA?

Caddyman07 - 7/13/2007 4:26:22 PM

+3 Boost

You have never opened the hood of your car except to clean it? What do you mean clean it. Clean what?

Bimmerstang - 7/13/2007 4:32:04 PM

+1 Boost

The dipstick is a "moot" point on the new BMWs...no dipstick.
Stop the madness for us stupid old gear heads

Jonathan - 7/14/2007 1:48:23 AM

+4 Boost

It initially shocked me when I couldn't find the dipstick on our AMG as I was used to doing fluid checks myself. There is an electronic oil level gauge. I finally came to terms with it when I realized that we all trust our fuel gauges and don't really need a dipstick for our gas.

Will_ - 7/13/2007 4:36:18 PM

+1 Boost

Increasing dealership service is also to blame, specially BMW's free maintenance. With such programs in place, you'll never have to open your hood unless something goes terribly wrong.

Brembo - 7/13/2007 4:43:57 PM

+1 Boost

I didn't know cars come with oil dipstick anymore.

EnnNorak - 7/14/2007 2:14:02 PM

+3 Boost

Not only do cars still come with dipsticks but some dipsticks are designed by dipshits. I have an Audi A6 (fortunately leased) that has the most useless hard-to-read dipstick you can imagine. It's all-plastic (presumably to meet some silly wight goal) and it's only slightly stiffer than a Gorilla's pubic hair. Whatever happened to good old stiff metal dipsticks?

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 7/13/2007 5:13:14 PM

+1 Boost

Yep
They still do.

kart1 - 7/13/2007 7:30:17 PM

+1 Boost

I can do all of those things and I do all of those things except changing the oil. The reason is because the cost of the oil change (around $24 for my MR2 and $28 for my TSX) isn't that much.

PlanoA4 - 7/13/2007 10:38:33 PM

+2 Boost

I always change the oil, rotate the tires, etc. By doing so I am also inspecting for any issues. I have found this heads off most issues, like a screw in the inside sidewall of a tire. A high speed blowout waiting to happen.

I also have the diagnostic software to monitor the complete vehicle. May times this is where the dealers nail you and you can head it off at the get go.

for example I reset an error code on the AC unit of a car that said an expensive vacuum switch had failed to operate. The dealer wanted to replace the part at over $750 plus labor. Four years later the error code never popped up again and the issue never reoccurred. The error codes tell you everything.

A bad tank of gas than throw several error codes that the dealer can use to replace parts needlessly. When all that is needed is to clear the code and see if it reoccurs after the gas is replaced.

Dealerships are under tremendous pressure to make money and many times an error code can be tripped and a part replaced for no real reason. Of course if the code reappears it should not be ignored.

Rupert - 7/14/2007 6:57:21 PM

+1 Boost

I'm good with most stuff...but my filters? My what?