Having done my fair share of DIY-ing on cars over the years, I can't help thinking that the knowledge gained has helped me become a better driver.
Notwithstanding all the other skills which must be brought to bear whilst on the road, having an understanding of what's going on under the bonnet gives a sense of 'mechanical empathy' - which I think makes for safer, smoother (and probably more pleasurable) progress.
Do other backroomers think that some mechanical knowledge is required to develop one's full potential as a driver?
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I think it makes you a more sympathetic driver - mechanically at least but not required to make you a good driver. A good example is my mate who has no mechanical knowledge whatsoever - I doubt he's even ever opened the bonnet on his car. He's still a superb driver.
I've been interested in cars all my life but when I got my first one, I didn't have the foggiest idea what went on mechanically so I used to drive over potholes indiscriminately, drive up kerbs etc.
However, after reading Technical Matters every day, hanging around my Dad's mate's garage sometimes and just being genuinely interested in the oily bits since passing my test, I have a basic (very basic!) knowledge...well - in as much that I know what damage a pothole can do, what damage riding the clutch can do etc etc but I know that taking it to the redline isn't harmful to the car!
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I've always advocated that under-bonnet knowledge be part of the drivers test.
Today I spoke to somebody whose son's friend's car (a Toyota of 80s vintage design) had overheated en route to a holiday resort - effectively a new-engine job.
When the mechanic had a look at it, after the 'spectacular blow-up', it was found that the radiator/cooling system was gunked-up and out of water, there was hardly any oil in it, and what there was was 'black like treacle'.
The clown had just filled up with petrol on occasion, and never looked under the bonnet in almost 2 years ...
(Oh, before you ask, MOT don't exist here ....)
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The OP asked about driving only, not keeping the jalopy going without trashing it.
There's been a recent thread - 'Mechanical sympathy' I think - addressing this same matter. Obviously it pays, when you hear a noise or feel a symptom, to know whether it's important or not. But my impression is that there are very good drivers who haven't a clue about the workings of the device, and mechanical engineers who are thoroughly carp drivers. In the latter case, perhaps a matter of physical coordination or something of the sort.
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My father was a highly skilled engineer and I used to help him, as a young lad, when he did maintenance and repairs on his cars and motorcycles.
One thing he always emphasised was to be mechanically sympathetic as you would obtain both longer life and greater reliability and to ensure that proper servicing and lubrication was carried out.
In those days oil changes were every 3,000 miles...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Knowledge of the basics of a car's engineering does help to spot when something is not as it should be. How many women ever bother to check fluid levels, for instance, or tyre pressures?
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I should add that I think it is necessary to do these things in order to ensure that a car is roadworthy, which is part of what makes a 'good' driver.
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You mean it isn't good driving to bang over kerbs when your tyre pressures are comfortably and visibly soft, say 10 psi?
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Knowledge of the basics of a car's engineering does help to spot when something is not as it should be. How many women ever bother to check fluid levels, for instance, or tyre pressures?
I found my car's switch to open the lid at the front, and checked all the fluids. I know some women don't, but many of us can if we want to, but find it easier to let a man do it 'cos they won't believe us when we tell them we have checked it ourselves.
That said, I think that the notions of "good driver" and "mechanical sympathy" are not closely related. I know some drivers who are kind to their cars, but drive in a fashion which endangers themselves and other road users. I also know drivers who have even less idea than me of what happens under the bonnet, but who make good and safe progress while driving and let someone else sort out the technicalities.
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Not directly related, but interesting nonetheless.
In the Battle of Britain, aircraft engineers who became fighter pilots had a much higher mortality rate than everyone else, as they cared about the aircraft too much to fly them to their limits.
V
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I do really think that underbonnet knowledge does indeed = better driving. I believe that once you appreciate how it all works you tend to drive smoother i.e. no thrashing, hitting potholes and use the gears properly instead of the brakes all time.
This coupled with better vision i.e. look 2 or 3 cars in front and not just at the car in front of you makes a better driver.
PS don't you just hate being behind that individual that pulls up to a roundabout - stops - and then looks is infuriating.
Why can't they look for a clear exit during the approach and then keep everything flowing smoothly.
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In this context NW I feel underbonnet filth (from which ladies must shrink) may be a factor. However no-nonsense you are, merely unscrewing a cap - which can take some muscle - or pulling the dipstick, let alone brake-dust-covered tyrevalve caps can leave a grubby patch on your lily-white fingers, not so?
Anyway I think that's what puts a lot of men off, as well as being why my wife gets me to do that stuff for her usually and why I don't mind doing it. Do you keep gloves for the purpose?
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Lud, I try to remember to keep gloves handy. But otherwise I just make sure to have the car's stash of wet wipes ready for when the job is done.
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That said, I think that the notions of "good driver" and "mechanical sympathy" are not closely related. I know some drivers who are kind to their cars, but drive in a fashion which endangers themselves and other road users. I also know drivers who have even less idea than me of what happens under the bonnet, but who make good and safe progress while driving and let someone else sort out the technicalities.
Up to a point I would agree, NW, as a bad driver is a bad driver, no matter how well maintained their car is. However, I have known plenty of women drivers that have never checked tyre pressures (or the condition of the tyres) and that is something that could be very dangerous. It doesn't matter how well they drive, if the car has a dangerous fault.
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Knowing that crashing over kerbs is stupid isn't underbonnet knowledge.
I have no idea how my PC works, but I know that dropping it in a puddle is unwise. That doesn't affect my ability to write this posting though or use the PC for its intended purpose. Knowing my way round the software is a different matter and is similar to know how to read road conditions.
Mechanical empathy? Please!
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I think it's better to know a bit about how a car works than not to, as long as one doesn't attempt DIY maintenance and repairs beyond that knowledge!
But does mechanical knowledge make a good driver? In my experience car mechanics and car enthusiasts make some of the worst drivers on our roads (Backroomers excepted, of course!).
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Knowing that crashing over kerbs is stupid isn't underbonnet knowledge.
It is in a way you know. I wonder how many people there are driving about out there who really don't understand how fragile tyres are, who think they're just rolling cushions and unless visibly flat are probably more or less all right... quite a lot from what I see.
I wonder how many people really understand the simple fact that it does no harm to jump off a kerb at any speed at all, while climbing onto one is a completely different matter?
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Anyone who has ever lived in a country where the nearest help can be over 100 miles away has no doubt that someone with a bit of mechanical savvy and sympathy is a better driver.
Kevin...
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I have a better than average knowledge of what goes on under the bonnet, how it all works and how it all relates to traveling along the road. Given 1000 miles and various weather, and road conditions I can feel every stone under the tyres through the car seat, and tell you if the car drifted 2mm at the limit. I could tell you what the weather is like just by listening to the sound of the engine breathing and how well it is performing.
I also tried to kill myself by hitting a bus at speed.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I could tell you what the weather's like by looking out of the windscreen.
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I cant - we have a hosepipe ban and its filthy.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"Do other backroomers think that some mechanical knowledge is required to develop one's full potential as a driver?"
Most certainly so, also motorcyclists!
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TVM, simple just drive really, really fast and the dirt will blow clean away.
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You mean you're Algy????
But of course!! It's all coming together.
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Who is Algy? RF Hit the bus. Algy went to court. TVM posts on here. Simple really.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I'm so silly!
Just one question - what, given your past experience of me, leads to you believe I can understand something simple?
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Does this question include knowledge and understanding of a car's service schedule? I ask this question because our C5 has just been for it's annual service and the garage concerned didn't change the brake fluid, which is required to be changed every two years, and this was last done, by them, in January 2004.
Now, my wife would never have noticed this and I forgot about it until we got the car back. I did mean to mention it to them, so one could say I am as much to blame as the garage is. But is it? Should the owner of the car be savvy with what needs to be done or is it the responsibility of the garage that services the car?
I have to say, in addition, that the service schedule that comes with the C5 is a pig's ear of job, covering a multitude of different vehicles. It's like reading the small print on an insurance policy and most people would not bother to read it and would expect that the dealer, or garage servicing the car, knew what they were doing.
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"I cant - we have a hosepipe ban and its filthy".So do we, but that wont stop me.
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