Are the days of the home auto mechanic numbered?

[james124]

Interesting article. Could we realistically be the caretakers of the new generation Fiat?
Let's enjoy our Fiats while we can! James
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-dr ... le1707599/

[courtenay]

Very interesting - my new Volvo has a large cowl over the engine that might as well say "keep out idiot". The only thing that portrudes is the oil dipstick! Thank goodness I can still get my hands greasy under the hood of my Fiat.

[sptcoupe]

Our C-class Mercedes is even worse. It also has the "keep out idiot" cowl over the engine, but there is no dipstick protruding from it because there is no dipstick, period. The computer quietly checks your oil for you. No fun at all.

[Zippy]

Interesting article. However, I think he is missing one point completely. We as humans are a creative and curious bunch. There will always be those that want to make their car special, faster, cooler, different. There will always be tinkerers. If not the world will come to a screeching halt as no one would have an idea how to make anything. Our educational system may be shifting our high schoolers away from "industrial arts" but that doesn't mean those kids aren't learning how to fix cars, build houses, repair toasters or whatever, they are just doing it less in school and more on their own. Besides, he is Canadian and while they may be shutting down shop classes in Canada the schools here in Kent, WA are very strong on shop classes. We recently installed new lathes in the shop at one high school, put new lighting in the auto shop at another and completely upgraded the welders at yet another. I don't see these shops getting shut down any time soon. The biggest change I did notice was the larger number of girls in these classes. A neighbor of mine has a friend that teaches auto shop at one of the local highschools. The neighbor took an old bugeye to the shop and they completely disassembled it, fixed the body work, rebuilt the engine, repaired the upholstery and reassembled the car. He had to pay for all the parts, paint, chrome etc. but got back an exceptional car. I would say shop classes are alive and well here.

[Zippy]

One more thing I forgot to mention. I'm sure the manufacturers are putting those large cowls over the engines to discourage people from working on their own cars to support the dealers repair shops. It's just like the little stickers on eelectronic components that say "No user serviceable parts inside". That sticker doesn't mean that you can't open the cover and swap out resistors or transistors or whatever, just that they think it's cheaper to buy a whole new unit. Sometimes I agree but that doesn't always stop me.

[katsi]

HMM, Zippy, I have to agree with you. Yet, their is a growing trend in our society about being a pretty boy who likes to shop, get facials and pedacures (Spelling - don't really freaking care). It's almost sickning. Likewise, pedacure, facial euro boys do not tinker with cars - they lease them. Automobiles are a complete mystery to them and by blocking off or discriminating them from going under the hood from time to time, the car companies are telling them it's OK to be a pansy. Don't worry about it, you're not supposed to understand it. My BMW is the same. Yet, take off the cowl and BAM - streight six. Nothing supprising. Yet, they will never know the feeling of looking at a mechanical problem and actually fixing it. It's awesome when you move up that next notch as a garage mechanic.

My BMW has 100K on it now and I called BMW and inquirred about getting the automatic transmission fluid changed. They said that the transmissions were sealed and that no maintenance could be done. I swapped it out in 2 hours and it only cost 30 bucks for a filter, gaskets and new bolts. 45 minutes of that was waiting for the transmission to heat up to double check the fluid level. Even the mechanics nowdays are pansies!

[jimincalif]

Likewise, pedacure, facial euro boys do not tinker with cars - they lease them. Automobiles are a complete mystery to them and by blocking off or discriminating them from going under the hood from time to time, the car companies are telling them it's OK to be a pansy. Don't worry about it, you're not supposed to understand it.

Yeah, there is definitely something to be said for being able to turn a wrench or swing a hammer. Reminds me of my favor Robert Heinlein quote:

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

[maytag]

My other two rides right now are a Jag 'X' and a Mercedes ML. Both have the aforementioned "cowls" over the engines. The Mercedes requires NO TOOLS to remove it and get to the motor, and the Jag has (3) 1/4-turn fasteners holding it on.

These cars are essentially just like old cars. They gotta have fuel and spark, and those at the correct time. I do not see the difficulty in working on them. I've had major service items I've done, including a transfer-case replacement in the Jaguar, and minor issues, like a leaking front engine-cover on the Mercedes. Both (and many other) tasks were completed in the same garage I keep my Fiat in, using the same tools I've been wrenching with forever. Of course a manual is essential.... but other than that, there is almost ALWAYS a way around the "specialty" tools.

Perhaps we're seeing more of a trend though that we don't WANT to work on 'em? We're getting older, and maybe we wanna tinker... but not repair? And the younger generation has been raised in a "modular" and "disposable" world. Swap parts. Don't repair. Upgrade to the newer models within 2 years of them becoming available. I blame computers. Really: how many of your kids even know what a "P4" is? the technology moves so fast, that's what we've accustomed to: dispose and upgrade, rather than service / repair.

I don;t know that it;s a bad thing. I tell my boy that he can own a LOT more car for his dollar if he cares to learn to work on it a bit himself. Last month he countered with "I can own a LOT more car if I'm making 10 times what you do when I'm your age".

[htchevyii]

I like working on old cars, I only work on newer ones out of necessity and only on my own. I think newer ones are getting worse (at least as far as working on) all the time. When it comes to the newer multiplex and hybrid stuff we might as well forget it, half of the time the people that designed it can't diagnose it correctly. Engines and subframes that have to be removed out the bottom are no DIY picnic either.

[Zippy]

I still think there will always be a group of people that will find ways to DIY. I can see this new generation of electric vehicles that will be coming on line over the next 2 or 3 years getting older and people figuring out how to put more batteries, bigger faster electric motors, lowering, raising, customizing or whatever they are into. There have always been, and there will always be those that can or want to learn how to fix things. Back in the 50s, when I was little my grandfather and both my parents owned a furniture shop. Both my dad and my granfather built beautiful cabinets for Zenith and RCA TVs. The TV manufacturer always returned the samples they built with the TVs in them. When they would go on the fritz my mom would open them up and pull the tubes out and change them. When I was ten it became my job to take them to the tester at the drugstore and get the replacements and put them in. I learned to love tinkering at a young age. The original article that started this thread was written by an automotive journalist whose 18 year old son didn't even know how to drive a stick. We have a responsibility to teach our children the basics of life as we know it, at least teach them the skills we have and encourage them to learn the skills of others. Through that process they will find something they love to do instead of graduating high school with no idea of what they want to be. Sorry for the long winded posts...

[tonyfromjersey]

My neighbors think I'm nuts for working on my car. I get asked "who is restoring that for you?" Answer: "me."

I'm the only one in this neighborhood who has a nail gun, air tools, a hammer, screwdriver...

We are growing into a pretty pathetic society where we pay everyone to do everything for us that involves getting dirty, sweaty, or having any skills whatsoever. Both my kids (girl and boy) will grow up knowing some skills that most people no longer value. Funny thing is, they love doing it. Amazing.

[worndown]

Road and Track had an article just like this about 30 years ago. I am still working on my cars and that includes my new ones.

I remember when 'codes' were new and everyone had to have a code reader. Then it became known that all you really needed was a short piece of wire to jump the code interface plug and a book that decoded the flashing lights.

Next came 'you will have to have a $20,000 scan-tool to work on your cars' and that machine turned out to be about $200 retail.

The only thing that prevents me from working on a car is if my hands are too big to fit into a tiny spot.

I cannot get around like I used to, but I would still rather do the work I can that have to do it over when it comes back from the shop.

[Raze]

I'd say this is more doomsday talk than anything. As long as there are some of us youngsters around (worndown called out a R&T article from 30 years ago at which point I wasn't even born yet) home mechanics will never die. They just have to have a different toolset and knowledge. No offense but while I'm mechanically inclined I still have to figure out how adjust the Carb on the 72 Spider I just bought. Now if you asked me to diagnose a modern FI system I'd have it nailed down with 3 questions and 2 tests ~ 5 minutes. I've MegaSquirted a boosted XR4Ti track rat, and fixed more issues on an OBD-II Cadillac than you can imagine. Electronics and sensor diagnostics IMO are easy, hell, half the time the part the sensor indicates is failed isn't the problem, but the sensor itself. The whole sealed hood thing to me is more an indication of warranty control. With car companies engineering things to tighter tolerance and lower safety margins as part of cost efficiency measures, someone who goes and tosses on a turbo or attempts to mod the motor may cause damage which if all the parts are then removed can get repaired as warranty work. So in summary, I think backyard mechanics just have to have a different tool set, and greater knowledge. That's the best part to me, you can almost always learn something new on a car.

[Zippy]

I read an article that said there were more home mechanics building cars than ever before. Can't find it now. I did find this list of kit cars though and it is pretty extensive. No Fiat replicas or kit cars yet though.

http://www.kitcarlist.com/

[MNspiderman]

Unless you can touch your tongue to a resistor and calculate how many ohms or millivolts are being used and can tell the difference between 20 and 50 pulses/second. Our days are numbered.