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I came from a different era... we worked and saved so we could buy some pile with the hopes of keeping it running.
Still remember telling the guy at the tire shop to keep an eye out for a good used tire for me... no one I knew ever bought a set of new tires...
Still remember Mom getting a new set of tires for her car one Christmas... she was very pleased and I had a lot to do with it... Dad was always buying one tire at a time and I said why not surprise mom with a brand new set... he said that is a lot of money and she really only needs one tire right now and maybe two before winter.
We paid for everything with cash... so if you did not have money in hand it was not affordable.
Some parents still see the value of teaching self sufficiency and others don't... simple as that.
Just because you own a $30,000 vehicle no longer means you need to know how it works... only how to start and stop.
I do think it all depends on the persons interest growing up. I am 50....but never saw my dad work on his car. I soon learned I have limited patience and skill in fixing things...as I tend to make things worse than better. Plus with vehicles nowadays much more computer parts. I would most certainly prefer to take my vehicle in to get it fixed and wait. I have AAA and love it. Saves me huge headaches when car battery has issues.
But I also live in town and always lived in town. If I live in the country and had to drive on rural roads a lot to get into town, then likely a whole different story.
No one in my family worked on cars... never saw my Dad change oil... he did know when he heard a sound or something did not work about how much it was going to cost to fix.
Dad was in sales and really worked 7 days a week... well he worked 6 days on the job and Sunday morning would collate all of his paperwork really leaving just Sunday afternoon for family.
When I was 10 I received a Reader's Digest auto repair manual and read it cover to cover... thought it was the most interesting book ever.
Down on the corner lived a man that was always working on his jeep... he did an engine swap, disc brake conversion and would help out other guys in with jeeps... I learned a lot just from watching and asking questions.
I bought my first car at age 13 and had it towed home... a 1929 Model A Ford and that is how I really started learning by doing...
My daughter is coming up on 6 years old and I involve her as much as I can in everything I do in and around the home. From DIY to car repair - from gardening and minor farming to cooking - and fishing and the low level hunting I do for meat. She can change the fuses in a plug - just as readily as she can help me when I am changing the winter and summer tyres on our cars.
And when something is beyond her skills or age - she and I still enjoy her being around to watch and visually be interested in what I do.
So to answer the OPs "at what age" question - I guess there is something they can learn about these things at _any_ age so I do so from as early a moment as I can.
My daughter is coming up on 6 years old and I involve her as much as I can in everything I do in and around the home. From DIY to car repair - from gardening and minor farming to cooking - and fishing and the low level hunting I do for meat. She can change the fuses in a plug - just as readily as she can help me when I am changing the winter and summer tyres on our cars.
And when something is beyond her skills or age - she and I still enjoy her being around to watch and visually be interested in what I do.
So to answer the OPs "at what age" question - I guess there is something they can learn about these things at _any_ age so I do so from as early a moment as I can.
That is fantastic. It will also strengthen your relationship with her
Actually, I know people who won't let their kids (including and especially daughters) drive alone until they can change a tire themselves. Now maybe this was more common before cell phones and run flats, but I still believe it to be sound practice.
I couldn't agree with you more! Even with cell phones, AAA memberships and/or Roadside Assistance, it's still very much a safety issue. Who knows how long it might take for help to arrive in an isolated location....or if the help that arrives has a criminal history or something.
What's scary (to me) is that many new cars no longer come with a spare tire! A can of fix-a-flat and an air compressor is all you get. That's fine for a nail/screw puncture or similar, but not for sidewall damage. I had to pay an extra $400 for a temporary spare for my Volvo V60 and I also had to give up a significant amount of cargo room because of the space it occupies.....
My mom is 61 and isn't physically capable of changing the 20" wheels/tires on her Mazda CX-9. But the tire is stored under the rear end of the vehicle and has to be lowered via a bolt and special tools that are stored in various spots in the cargo area. I at least made sure that she knew where the tools are located and how to use them to lower the spare because a lot of roadside assistance guys don't have a clue.
Actually, I know people who won't let their kids (including and especially daughters) drive alone until they can change a tire themselves. Now maybe this was more common before cell phones and run flats, but I still believe it to be sound practice.
When I got my license, my dad taught me to change tires. For exactly that reason.
I think every guy who is the slightest bit interested, should be learning the basics of a car, oil change, fix a flat tire, change tires, change a light bulb, ...
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