This article sums up some of my worries over the lack of relevant skills needed to look after modern cars, and it's just about to get much more complicated.

My fear is that, in the future, it will become more and more likely that you will confronted by a car that has
had a 'work around' applied to it's safety circuits because the 'fault' could not be found.

From what I read, Main Dealers are just getting to grips with properly training enough technicians, so can we hope that the Non-franchised Garages will follow soon, and hope that Home Mechanics will get the necessary skills/equipment.

'An immediate threat to road safety': Car mechanics warn of huge skills gap for one vital type of vehicle technology by the end of the decade.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/an-imm...&ei=13 FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 76k+ miles) (MY2015)

yesteryear your car would die of RUST.

tomorrow's future, your car will die from its present day TECHNOLOGY.

On some vehicles it's already happening.

Probably firms don’t want to spend lots of money training someone only for them to get offered X amount by a competitor and the mechanic leaves them. Best to just keep people waiting and then if they go elsewhere they can get on with other work.

Just a driver said
Probably firms don’t want to spend lots of money training someone only for them to get offered X amount by a competitor and the mechanic leaves them.

Before the Conservative Government stopped it in the late 1980s, there was a Training Levy taken from all firms and claimed by firms willing to put on training courses.

This encouraged Large Firms and Manufacturers to run Training Schools.

I was lucky enough to benefit from this system, and spent many (happy?) days, weeks, months, being kept up to date on the latest equipment and/or techniques.
And, of course, there used to be free/low cost Night School Courses.

My firm kept me from straying by giving me a good pension to look forward to, if I stayed.

I believe that if we are to survive the present tech revolution, we, as a country, need to sort out our training programmes. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 76k+ miles) (MY2015)

Ah the old days when firms had apprentices. Also the levy was for paye only so lots of firms wanted you self employed so they avoided the levy, builders etc.

Hopefully they are looking into starting (post grad?) technical education again.

This UKCES Study covers most aspects, including poaching and retainment.

https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/15033/1/e...levies.pdf FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 76k+ miles) (MY2015)

Do you know what , now that I am retired and do not drive anywhere very much now days, I am seriously thinking of getting a MGB purely for the simplicity of it. No ECU, no DPF, no complicated electronics, no Engine management light ECT, If it goes wrong just get the spanners out and I can fix it, all the parts are available. and NO road tax to pay or ULEZ cheap insurance.
No depreciation either. 2013 FL2 XS.
Defender 90 300 TDi.
Defender 90 300 TDi CSW.
1964 MGB Roadster.
1944 Willys MB "Jeep" with bullet holes. (gone)
17 hand Irish Drought Thoroughbred (mostly lame)
Nagging Old Boiler.

Ive just done the same with a 1984 Series 3 diesel restoration. Only 5 fuses for the whole car - all DC current.
Took 4 years and passed MOT first time and gave me something to do in the evenings when I wasn't cycling, SCUBA diving , beekeeping and general home DIYing.

Gosh, retirement is exhausting !!  Jules

Had my Triumph Stag 14 years now. RFL exempt, MOT exempt and ULEZ exempt. Full comp insurance with agreed value £150. nothing complicated on the car and all parts readily available. On a run will return + 27mpg, not bad for a 3litre V8. A classic car is a viable, cost effective option now and as said it will not depreciate if looked after

Click image to enlarge

Our 2nd FL1 parked behind 2.5 ES. great car until HGF  2007 TD4 XS The work horse that earns its up keep
2013 SD4 HSE The posh one for towing the caravan
1973 Triumph Stag I bought in 2009 and restored.

Last edited by Milothedog on 29th May 2023 7:21 pm. Edited 2 times in total

double post 2007 TD4 XS The work horse that earns its up keep
2013 SD4 HSE The posh one for towing the caravan
1973 Triumph Stag I bought in 2009 and restored.

Last edited by Milothedog on 29th May 2023 7:18 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Double post  2007 TD4 XS The work horse that earns its up keep
2013 SD4 HSE The posh one for towing the caravan
1973 Triumph Stag I bought in 2009 and restored.

Milothedog wrote:

Had my Triumph Stag 14 years now. RFL exempt, MOT exempt and ULEZ exempt. Full comp insurance with agreed value £150. nothing complicated on the car and all parts readily available. On a run will return + 27mpg, not bad for a 3litre V8. A classic car is a viable, cost effective option now and as said it will not depreciate if looked after

Click image to enlarge

I have twin sons who are both into Porsches. One has a 1996 911 Carrera (cost £60k) and the other a 2002 911 Carrera 4S (cost £40k). Although these cars are only 6 years apart in age there is a world of difference in complexity. The 1996 one is air cooled and no power steering or air con and hardly any electronics, you can service it yourself although it does take nearly 14 litres of engine oil! The 2002 one is a totally different beast with all sorts of traction controls and electronic gizmos etc. It says something that the older one is more valuable. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

The pre-water cooled 911s are much more valuable. Apparently the 996 is the one to go for now as its likely to increase in value and is not too expensive for mere mortals.

Id love a 911 and nearly bought one when I retired but there is nowhere to put two Labradors, and as they come with us on most journeys I stuck with the hot hatches - Fiesta ST3 being our latest. Jules