Why young people don't open the hood ...
 

This is a good thread. I think there are a lot of factors at play here.

1. Modern cars and electronics are just too complex for shade tree mechanics nowadays. With a modern car you need a computerized scanner to analyze it and the remedy is usually to replace an electronic module of some kind. Young people are not more stupid than we were in our day, they recognize this issue and see no useful benefit to them in learning about cars (unless they drive an old MB or similar ...).

2. New vehicles are being designed to require much less maintenance. Tires and fluid levels are some of the very few things that the average driver has to remember. The simpler it is the more likely folks are to forget it.

3. Finally, thanks to Wallmart and its ilk, we have happily sacrificed much of our manufacturing economy in the US and Canada in return for cheap prices. The end result of that is that the economic benefits of developing mechanical engineering common sense for our young people just isn't there. As a society we've decided that it's more important to be able to buy a cheap imported hose adapter at Home Depot or wherever for $1.99 rather than a decent quality, made at home product for $2.99. End result is our young people are all motivated to become software engineers or social workers because those good old fashioned jobs got exported.

Some stuff is worth doing yourself, other not so much. For example changing the transmission fluid on my truck would suck, their is no drain plug on the pan or or the torque converter. So I would take a bath doing it myself and only get part of the fluid, no thanks I rather pay a shop.

It almost doesn't make sense to change my own oil, I only do it because I don't mind it. It costs exactly the same for a shop to do it, I'm not saving a dime.

New vehicles don't really require much in terms of maintenance. Change the oil every 5k or 10k and that's about it for 100k miles. Thats going up to, BMW is now on 20k mile oil changes.

Thing is, if you lift the bonnet of a nice brand-new Euro-Crap-Box,(Enter any Euro car make of your choice here...)--You Won't SEE the engine!

Its all covered near as completely as is possible with a huge plastic cover, itself in some cases a real pain to remove....

You only have access to the various fluid-fillers and dipstick, nothing much else!
--Changing a Headlamp Bulb in some French cars can take at least an hour!

This again 'removes' or isolates the owner from the mechanicals of the vehicle....
--And makes looking to check of impending issues like freyed belts and leaky hoses impossible!:(

Why open the hood? My W211 doesn't even have a dipstick.

Dan

An article & book suggestion
 

This thread reminds me of a phenomenal book I read about a year ago. "Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work", by Matthew Crawford. It's written by a lifelong motorcycle mechanic who got his PhD in political philosophy - but soon after realized that all he wanted was to work on bikes. His main point is that working as a mechanic is more intellectually challenging and stimulating, and personally fulfilling, than academia ever was. He's a great writer, and really encapsulates many of the ideas and opinions that I've read in this thread. I can't suggest it enough.

If you don't want to run out to the library or bookstore to buy it, Crawford wrote an article in the NY Times Magazine in 2009. It more succinctly touches upon his main argument in the book.

I'LL SECOND THAT - FANTASTIC BOOK

With the current costs of the local auto repair places it might still pay to stay on top of issues as much as possible for a young individual. What does a code reader cost? Far less than the first repair charge.

Another thing is parts. Paid for service parts can have a signifigant premium attached compared to what an individual can source. Otherwise that young individual had better get well heeled financially or be in continious obligation for newer cars.

Perhaps the ideal to get clear of debt and pay cash for everything is obsolite like I am becoming. Or just much harder to accomplish so the concept is history...

At least for the last while interest rates are far more managable. This may have just been enabled to prevent a major crash though as people had become overcommited with time.

If they totally stop buying in substantial numbers because they cannot afford to the system crashes.