The next generation coming of age - We are all doomed !!

[Totoro]

Why would I check the oil? I've got an indicator light for that, regular maintenance who checks it for me and roadside assistance. Same with tire pressure.

Next car is hopefully fully electric, even less hassle.

 

[Aerides]

It’s a bit of a stretch to extrapolate from one teenager’s lack of knowledge about the internal combustion engine to the potential leadership qualities of an entire generation.

+1

If he doesn't know, blame his parent(s). Me personally? Haven't checked my oil in decades, and couldn't tell you when I'm due. I don't have to know, my car will tell me, as will most cars that are younger than the sample teenager.

 

[jazz4cash]

Electric cars should solve these problems. No oil to worry about, and the car will text you when it needs attention.

My ICE car sends me an email every month, but an 18 yr old might only respond to a text.

 

[DEC-1982]

Older generation complaining about the younger generation - where have I heard that before?

I would bet that the younger generation does better than us overall. That's how mankind/personkind progresses.

 

[Freedom56]

Take a look at the video of the February 6 Falcon Heavy launch - a great success.

Pay particular attention to the shots inside the SpaceX headquarters. Note the age of the faces. These people:

1. Successfully launched the world's most powerful rocket.
2. Recovered two of the first stage booster and came close to recovering the 3rd.
3. Proved the 2nd stage can be restarted after spending 6 hours in the freezing cold of outer space (important to the military and those launching heavy satellites into geosynchronous orbit).
4. Sent a sports car out to Mars orbit (OK, a crazy publicity stunt, but who is going to put a multi-million dollar satellite on top of a rocket that is being tested for the first time?)
5. The cost of the rocket is less than 1/2 the cost of its closest, less powerful competitor.

It's a pretty impressive group of young people.

I have to agree with you. During the 21 years I spent with my last employer, I hired a lot of good young talent from UCLA, USC, Caltech, UC Berkeley, Stanford and other schools. Many were just simply brilliant digital designers and software engineers. Some left our company to join SpaceX and are doing well. Most have shares in the company and are waiting for and IPO. A lot of young people are driving the successes at JPL also.

At the same time I have to agree with the OP, there are a lot of dumb kids out there also who lack direction and motivation and end up doing nothing with their lives. I know far many more of those.

 

[Walt34]

Of course compared to the 1960s when gm could put out a 100 page book that told how cars work, today I have no idea how long a book would be required when you include the computers needed to make fuel injection etc work would be required. (not at the shop manual level of course but)

When I bought my 2003 GMC pickup truck I also ordered the service manual. Turned out that is plural - FIVE volumes! There was one whole volume on just the electronics for the engine. I did actually skim through most of it and decided that about the only repair/maintenance I was going to be doing on this thing was change light bulbs, wiper blades, oil & filter and grease it. I did all that until a couple of years ago and then decided I was tired of crawling around underneath and now take it to a shop for all that.

I imagine by now you don't get a printed manual, it's probably on a DVD or just online.

 

[kcowan]

In Mexico, we get the gas pumped (mandatory), and always have the tires pumped up. About every 3rd fillup, we get all the fluids levels checked too. The joys of a low wage country. Just a nominal tip needed.

(I have noticed that obsession with cars tends to be in dramatic decline with newer generations.)

 

[38Chevy454]

And look how Greece has turned out since. Maybe ol' Soc was onto something.
If it weren't for tourism.........

Back in the day it seemed that kids knew a lot more about cars. One afternoon we swapped engines on two VW bugs just to see if we could. (we could).

Now, cars are not only more complicated but kids just don't seem to have the interest in even getting their license, let alone checking the oil. Most young'uns appear terrified behind the wheel....unlike when I was just itchin' to get out there and hit the gas.

Cars no longer seem to be part of the rite of passage.

Agree with this. So many kids now do not even want to get a driver's license as soon as they can at 16. Some reluctantly get it so they can drive to college. It is a very strange concept to me with kids not wanting to get a license and the freedom that provides.

Having basic idea about required maintenance can save a person a lot of money. Ignore the warning signs/sounds and as the old Fram commercial used to say "pay a little now or a lot later"

 

[Scrapr]

Actually with many recent cars it is much simpler, the car tells you when the oil needs changing. All you need to know is where the place you want it changed is and have your credit card handy. As a result of the rollovers with SUVs in the 1990s cars now also tell you when the tire pressure is low. Further many cars no longer come with spares so in many cases its call the tow truck to get the tire changed if it is a blowout type of flat. Further many of the telematics systems such as onstar tell you required maint. on their monthly check up. Of course compared to the 1960s when gm could put out a 100 page book that told how cars work, today I have no idea how long a book would be required when you include the computers needed to make fuel injection etc work would be required. (not at the shop manual level of course but)

My new Volvo has no dipstick. That bugs me a lot. I like to see the color of the oil. And if is at the top of the mark on the stick. Ahhh, well. Whatcha gonna do. Also just a can of "Fix a Flat" in the boot. I could not abide that so ordered a donut spare off e bay. I drive the mountain pass most every week. And some areas are out of cell range. Which is exactly where i would break down.

 

[Bamaman]

Take a look at the video of the February 6 Falcon Heavy launch - a great success.

Pay particular attention to the shots inside the SpaceX headquarters. Note the age of the faces. These people:

1. Successfully launched the world's most powerful rocket.
2. Recovered two of the first stage booster and came close to recovering the 3rd.
3. Proved the 2nd stage can be restarted after spending 6 hours in the freezing cold of outer space (important to the military and those launching heavy satellites into geosynchronous orbit).
4. Sent a sports car out to Mars orbit (OK, a crazy publicity stunt, but who is going to put a multi-million dollar satellite on top of a rocket that is being tested for the first time?)
5. The cost of the rocket is less than 1/2 the cost of its closest, less powerful competitor.

It's a pretty impressive group of young people.

I hate to tell you, but the US Government is picking up the tab to get this company up and running. NASA and the US Army Missile Command need more competition than just Boeing's joint project building rockets--to keep The price down

And don't think this is a company with millennial engineers running the show. Only ex-Boeing and ex-NASA employees have the education and training to build heavy lift rockets from scratch.

I live close to the Rocket City (Hunfsville) where they build rockets.It is billed as "one of America's Smartest Cities.". That is an understatement .

 

[meierlde]

My new Volvo has no dipstick. That bugs me a lot. I like to see the color of the oil. And if is at the top of the mark on the stick. Ahhh, well. Whatcha gonna do. Also just a can of "Fix a Flat" in the boot. I could not abide that so ordered a donut spare off e bay. I drive the mountain pass most every week. And some areas are out of cell range. Which is exactly where i would break down.

Did the car come with a jack? My Malibu just came with a can and a tire pump. ordering the jack, the spare wheel etc cost about $500. (I did it thru the dealer...) Of course if no cell service you could always buy a satellite phone. (assuming money is no object). Of course I also carry a 12 v tire inflator which will keep a slow leak going for a while. (Also nice in the fall when one has to add air to the tires due to cooler temps)

 

[Scuba]

I mentor college students through a program at a local university, and also am part of a philanthropic organization that funds scholarships. My interactions with the students has given me a lot of hope for the future. These kids may value different things than I did at their age, but most of them work hard, care deeply about improving the world, and will likely turn out to be productive citizens.

I do think it’s hard to be a kid or young couple starting out in Southern CA. Salaries haven’t risen nearly as fast as housing prices. We know young couples who scraped together enough to buy a condo or townhome. Now they’re having kids and want to buy a house, but can’t find anything remotely affordable in good neighborhoods that are not out in the boonies.

 

[audreyh1]

It’s a bit of a stretch to extrapolate from one teenager’s lack of knowledge about the internal combustion engine to the potential leadership qualities of an entire generation.

Agreed.

 

[audreyh1]

Take a look at the video of the February 6 Falcon Heavy launch - a great success.

Pay particular attention to the shots inside the SpaceX headquarters. Note the age of the faces. These people:

1. Successfully launched the world's most powerful rocket.
2. Recovered two of the first stage booster and came close to recovering the 3rd.
3. Proved the 2nd stage can be restarted after spending 6 hours in the freezing cold of outer space (important to the military and those launching heavy satellites into geosynchronous orbit).
4. Sent a sports car out to Mars orbit (OK, a crazy publicity stunt, but who is going to put a multi-million dollar satellite on top of a rocket that is being tested for the first time?)
5. The cost of the rocket is less than 1/2 the cost of its closest, less powerful competitor.

It's a pretty impressive group of young people.

Excellent example!

 

[Freedom56]

I hate to tell you, but the US Government is picking up the tab to get this company up and running. NASA and the US Army Missile Command need more competition than just Boeing's joint project building rockets--to keep The price down

And don't think this is a company with millennial engineers running the show. Only ex-Boeing and ex-NASA employees have the education and training to build heavy lift rockets from scratch.

I live close to the Rocket City (Hunfsville) where they build rockets.It is billed as "one of America's Smartest Cities.". That is an understatement .

I hate to inform you that before Spacex came into the picture, rocket launches in this country were no-bid and controlled by a few players that eventually formed the United Launch Alliance. Very little private capital went to the alliance for development. It was all funded by the government with cost plus contracts. Spacex is one of many players that have entered the market because of skyrocketing costs at Boeing, LM, and NASA. Spacex did receive government funding but it was also the first one to receive significant private sector funding from Google and Fidelity ($1 billion). There was zero government funding in the development of Falcon Heavy. This is fact. Wheres the Space Launch System, is being 100% funded by the government and is as usual over budget and behind schedule. I know engineers and management at Boeing and prior to the Falcon heavy launch, they were telling me how it was going to explode on the launch pad and shoot the Tesla Roadster into the swamp. They were all watching the Falcon Heavy launch with the rest of the world. I can tell you that they were depressed and demoralized when they saw a roadster up in space and two side boosters successfully landing. They saw what I saw, a young vibrant company achieve success. The two side boosters landing was like a scene from a science fiction movie. I also heard from Boeing engineers that booster re-entry and landing would never work, but now for Spacex it's routine. Boeing is now working on their own booster re-entry and landing. So much for being original and innovative.

 

[Scrapr]

Did the car come with a jack? My Malibu just came with a can and a tire pump. ordering the jack, the spare wheel etc cost about $500. (I did it thru the dealer...) Of course if no cell service you could always buy a satellite phone. (assuming money is no object). Of course I also carry a 12 v tire inflator which will keep a slow leak going for a while. (Also nice in the fall when one has to add air to the tires due to cooler temps)

Yes there is a jack that fits neatly in a tray on top of the donut spare. Since the car came with a jack I now have 2. Wanna buy one? I always go back to the early morning about 2000-2002 where I hit a rock in the road before 5:00 am. It's dark and nowhere to pull over. I limped into a nearby town and changed the tire. It was shredded. No fix a flat or compressor was going to breathe life back into that tire. (que...Frankenstein movie...LIVE!!!!)

 

[bUU]

It’s a bit of a stretch to extrapolate from one teenager’s lack of knowledge about the internal combustion engine to the potential leadership qualities of an entire generation.

Good point and the real lesson from that scenario might be how much our children and grandchildren are putting more value on more important things than car maintenance. I have found the two younger generations far more conscious and concerned about the future of our planet and the future of our civilization, as compared to my generation.

 

[Bamaman]

But with increasing costs of real estate, enormous student loans and disappearing defined pension programs, will mllentials have the willpower to live far below their means in order to save for their retirement years?

Of the young adults in our family (our children, nieces, nephews), they appear to be looking to inheritances to take care of them. I hate to tell them, but we have paid our dues and who knows if anything will be left for them.

 

[bUU]

That's a good point. It is going to be a lot harder for them to secure their own future than it was for us. We've effectively mortgaged their future.

 

[nativenewenglander]

I had a friend stop over one day looked at his tires and said he was low on air. He said really? I walked around the car and said all four probably have under 25 lbs in them. Sure enough they had 20 to 25 in each, so I put them up to 38 lbs. Another time he came over and said his oil light flashed on for a second. I said do you ever check the oil? No, why? I explained how the engine will be junk without oil in a few minutes. I checked the oil, no sign of oil on the dipstick. I put in three quarts and it still didn't register, finally after four it showed. I added a fifth and it was back to normal, so he was totally out of oil. This is a 60 year old guy.

 

[DEC-1982]

^^^

We added about 5-7% to the 20 trillion deficit recently.

On the oil change topic, it does strike me that just as we know little about the horse and buggy (and don't care), the young people will probably not need to know about oil changes, what with electric cars, autonomous cars, Uber, Lyft ... They focus on what's important to them, which clearly is not oil and filter change.

 

[jim584672]

Can millennials change a light bulb?

 

[Lakewood90712]

I realize people like me are obsolete in the tech world of the current generation .

So cal ( about 25 million pop. of the 38 mil state) is still an auto based transportation system and will be for the foreseeable future.

Without reliable, on demand transportation, you are limiting yourself access to most employment and other activities.

Things have changed over the years, but reliable transport is still golden.

One of my co-workers has photos of his grandfather, who was a Federal Marshall in the southwest, in the early 20th century.On Horseback. If your Horse became lame or died, you probably would die too !. He took very good care of his transportation system. His life depended on it.

 

[Winemaker]

Tire pressure sensors are extremely unreliable after your first set of tires. The tire tech will destroy/maim at least one of them.

Again as aja mentioned , the oil idiot light comes on for low pressure, not low level.

I can see why a lot of folks trade in their cars after three years.

Maintenance of your body, home, or mode of transportation involves responsibility, something that is severely lacking across all generations.

 

[joeea]

The kid is not stupid, but I fear this is an indication our our future leaders.

Kids, I don't know what's wrong with these kids today
Kids, who can understand anything they say?
Kids, they are disobedient, disrespectful oafs
Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy, loafers
And while we're on the subject

Kids, you can talk and talk till your face is blue
Kids, but they still do just what they want to do
Why can't they be like we were, perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids today?