I think we tend to take general vehicle knowledge for granted.Contributors on here of 'a certain age' probably started their driving careers on a very basic car ie.Mini (real one!), Escort, Chevette etc. or in my case Minor, stuff you could see how it worked and fix it with basic tools, with a bit of help from your Dad. These days a 10 or 15 year old car is beginning to get complicated with ECUs and ABS etc and sensors all over the shop. Big plastic covers over the engine and lots of pipes when you lift the bonnet. Add to that the cost of insuring a young driver quite often means it's more attractive to buy a new car that comes with warranty and an insurance deal. Although this is a good thing, what with modern safety features etc, it does mean there is even less chance of a youngster leaning much about their car. A friend of mine has taught his two lads how to work on their cars, and now when they tell their mates at Uni they changed the brake pads on the weekend they look at them as if they're in possession of some strange unnatural knowledge!
