Would you be able to jump start a car or change a tyre?

[Werewolf]

We can take this further, both my Son in Laws wouldn't have a clue how to drill a hole in the wall to fix something to it but both my daughters would know because I taught them.
A couple of Christmas's ago we bought both of the lads a £20 toolkit as one of their presents and it was hilarious looking at their faces.
They wouldn't even know how to wire a plug but my daughters would.

To be honest, since the government changed the law 20 odd years ago so that all UK appliances came with a pre fitted plug (because of the number of people that thought they were competent but turned out not to be), most people now will only ever do it a couple of times in school as part of a practical lesson (assuming they even do that now*), and then probably not at all for years or decades.

I used to be changing/fitting plugs on a regular basis as a kid as I'd do it to help my dad, but these days it can be a year or more between doing them as it's only when I do something like replacing the cable on an extension lead, or running a cable for a light in the garage/shed.


*I remember it when I was in school.

 

[Thekwango]

Both of my Son in Laws have beards and are useless when it comes to man jobs.
There is truth in this picture.

I use that ‘meme’ a lot. I know a couple of folk who fit it almost to a tee. One chap I know rocks a beard, wears ‘work type’ cargo trousers and boots most of his free time, drives a jeep with hugely oversized chunky tyres. **** wit could literally blind himself with kids safety scissors such is his handlessness. Yet to look at him you’d think he was MacGuyver.

 

[Destination]

To be honest, since the government changed the law 20 odd years ago so that all UK appliances came with a pre fitted plug (because of the number of people that thought they were competent but turned out not to be), most people now will only ever do it a couple of times in school as part of a practical lesson (assuming they even do that now*), and then probably not at all for years or decades.

I thought this was the case also, are some items exempt from this.
Or is it just that the plug has to be fitted no moulded, I recently realised our toaster and iron have fitted plugs, but they are not moulded ones.

 

[flipface]

Jump start a car and change a wheel easy. Changed the heater blower motor on my car last week ,2 hours and a £60 part. Nissan wanted £510.00

 

[Werewolf]

I thought this was the case also, are some items exempt from this.
Or is it just that the plug has to be fitted no moulded, I recently realised our toaster and iron have fitted plugs, but they are not moulded ones.

IIRC it's that a suitable plug has to be fitted (I think there may be a few odd exceptions), but whether it's moulded or normal is up to the manufacturer/supplier, as in some instances it's more practical to have a non moulded plug (anything done as part of small production runs/hand made, or refurbished/second hand for example).

 

[moon man]

Jump start a car and change a wheel easy. Changed the heater blower motor on my car last week ,2 hours and a £60 part. Nissan wanted £510.00

ah yes did mine again recently ,think its because i leave it on constantly and had the car 17 years soon ,need a resistor pack now though as its only working on top speed

 

[Gixer]

Yes to both and to knowing how to bump start a car too if there's a slope to help out.

 

[Roland Butter]

A lot of new cars dont have a spare anyway, so God knows what one is to do in the event of a catastrophic blow out.


Never did get to replace a fan belt in an emergency with tights, probably would never have worked anyway, like putting
egg white in a leaky radiator, motoring myths.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Print it out, leave it lying around.

Bugger only just seen this and they have both just left after a family dinner.

 

[flipface]

ah yes did mine again recently ,think its because i leave it on constantly and had the car 17 years soon ,need a resistor pack now though as its only working on top speed

Resistor pack has to be easier than the blower motor?

 

[moon man]

Resistor pack has to be easier than the blower motor?

never done one but seems to be mounted on a disc that twists out ,the motor on mine is very easy torx screws to take the glove box out ,then the same where the motor goes into the air box ,simply pulls out then just a connecter attached

 

[Jonny2284]

Yes to both.

To be fair, I'm not handy at all and that's pretty much the upper limit of my car knowledge besides turn the key and make it go vroom, but I can do those.

 

[stuie]

Yes and have done, also bump started cars and bikes too so no probs

 

[Freakbro]

Changing a tyre is easy. Jack up from jack point. Undo bolts. Remove wheel and put new wheel on and tighten bolts.

You forgot to loosen the nuts before jacking the car up

 

[ci_newman]

Yes to both, and far more besides. I do most of my own car maintenance, with the exception of the brakes.

 

[pastymuncher]

Of course and much much more as well. I do all the servicing and maintenance on my car and no job would put me off. I am a mechanical engineer by trade though. It is surprising just how many people are incapable of something as simple as changing a wheel. Next door to me called out the AA to change their wheel because they didn't know how to do it. They didn't even watch the guy so that they would learn how to do it themselves. I would have offered to do it for them but it was the side facing away from us so didn't see it. I know a lot of cars don't even have a spare wheel these days and all you get is a can of gunk and a tyre inflator. Fat lot of good that will do you if the tyre is torn or you have a blowout. To me it makes sense that everybody who drives should at least know the basics of car maintenance, wheel changing, topping up fluids, tyre pressures, changing bulbs and things like that.

 

[Diddums]

Of course and much much more as well. I do all the servicing and maintenance on my car and no job would put me off. I am a mechanical engineer by trade though. It is surprising just how many people are incapable of something as simple as changing a wheel. Next door to me called out the AA to change their wheel because they didn't know how to do it. They didn't even watch the guy so that they would learn how to do it themselves. I would have offered to do it for them but it was the side facing away from us so didn't see it. I know a lot of cars don't even have a spare wheel these days and all you get is a can of gunk and a tyre inflator. Fat lot of good that will do you if the tyre is torn or you have a blowout. To me it makes sense that everybody who drives should at least know the basics of car maintenance, wheel changing, topping up fluids, tyre pressures, changing bulbs and things like that.

Yep, agreed. Although bulbs are tricky nowadays as often you have to strip half the car to get to them.

 

[Psymonkee]

Yep, agreed. Although bulbs are tricky nowadays as often you have to strip half the car to get to them.

I can do the rear lights on my Mondeo but screw that noise when it comes to the fronts! The Mk5 is even worse!

 

[kurosagi01]

Yep I can do both, provided the person who fits my wheels after tyre change don't go crazy on impact gun and making them impossible to remove by hand with the emergency tool.
Although the Mazda 3 MPS only comes with a tyre repair kit which I will probably need to replace as its old and it probably have reached its expiry date.
I carry a jump-lead in case of emergencies now as I had a minor incident of draining the battery in my previous car while eating a Mcdonalds, also carry a tyre inflation kit with me at all times and making sure the tyres are at the correct pressure before topping up with petrol.

 

[krooton]

I don't have a car or a licence, so no, but I'm sure I could youtube it.

I managed to change the headlight on my ex's Golf using just Youtube.