Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Re: Are Today's Young People Mechanical Nitwits?
From:neil N
Date:Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:37:31 -0700

Hey life, and driving, is just a video game right?

Blow out a tire or two? No problem. Just reset the game and off ya go! --- ;^)

Neil.

On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 8:47 AM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com> wrote:
> To elaborate on your rant, I was a road rep for many years driving about 50,000 miles annually and came to appreciate the condition of my tires.  By extension, I also noticed tires on other vehicles and if I noticed something amiss would not hesitate to leave a note or tell the person if I noticed a nail or screw in the tire (more common than you'd think) or prolonged wear from improper inflation.
>
> You'd be astonished at the percentage whose response was, essentially, "Whatever."
>
> Stephen
>
>
> --- On Thu, 8/14/08, Ed Lloyd <elloyd10@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>
>> From: Ed Lloyd <elloyd10@COMCAST.NET>
>> Subject: Are Today's Young People Mechanical Nitwits?
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 11:24 AM
>> I too have been living the Vanagon Experience during my 20+
>> years of driving my 87 Westy, and before that a 76 Westy.
>>
>> My daughter just bought a sporty little 20004 Mazda 3, and
>> I looked into the Driver's Manual, and did a double take
>> on this:
>>
>> "Front Turn Signal Lights - Due to the complexity and
>> difficulty of the procedure, the bulbs should be replaced by
>> an Authorized Mazda Dealer."
>>
>> Same for the Fog lights, and side marker lights.  They do
>> show pictures and procedures, which amount to unscrewing the
>> plastic housings and gently twisting and pulling out the
>> bulbs.  Installation is the reverse.
>>
>> Low beam Xenon bulb may be more of a problem.  "You
>> cannot replace the low beam bulbs by yourself.  Must be
>> replaced at an Authorized Dealer."  OK, there may be
>> some high voltage and disposal risk here.
>>
>> Oil change, and perhaps Air Filter, and that is the
>> complete list of what an owner can do by themselves!
>> Everything else is Dealer.
>>
>> I also noted that the Windshield washer reservoir has a
>> light on the dash board to tell you when the washer fluid is
>> low.  I have never found this to be a problem in my Vanagon.
>>  When it starts to dribble out, then you just add more!
>>
>> this is a sporty car for young people, not a big
>> "Luxury" car for pampered fat cats.  Her friends
>> all seem to know how to work the CD player and electronic
>> gadgets installed, but seem clueless about the mechanicals.
>>
>> End of Rant by crusty old guy.
>