Spanner or Cell Phone?

Shahwar looks at the price you pay for high technology – literally and figuratively...

The more we try to make our lives easier, the more complicated it gets. And this applies to all aspects of life, including our vehicles. Engineers are climbing three steps at a time in the pursuit of better technology. But, in the process, they leave many-an-end-user behind.

For many years, automotive technology progressed at a very slow pace. People drove around in the same 4 and 6 cylinder cars (we had a precious few 8 cylinder cars in India). Of course, there were changes, but they were superficial tweaks here and there, and nothing worth mentioning in a magazine.

The side valve engines became overhead valve engines, but the electricals still remained 6 volts. Most cars had a hole in the middle of the heavy stainless steel or iron bumpers. Since the battery lost power after a few sustained self crankings, the driver had to handcrank the engine to get it started – the heavy iron handle always by the the driver’s seat.

Gradually, engines got more powerful and smoother – but the basics of the engine remained the same. I was gifted a book when I was very young, AA’s Book Of Cars. The book explained how car engines with different layouts worked. It explained the inner workings of the gearbox, differential, firing order, and electricals. It had some fantastic illustrations of cutaway sections of engine parts, and the book soon became my Bible. It helped me understand the automobile, and also helped in trouble shooting.

I still own that book, and I flip through it at times. But I find that it’s become rather obsolete. That book was, after all, for a hands-on generation. Cars of an earlier generation (but not that long ago) were sold with a driver and workshop manual, as well as a real set of tools. These cars, with basic technology, did breakdown frequently (especially after having been run a few years), but an overwhelming number of owners knew how to fix them on the road and get them back home or to the garage – even if they belched smoke, leaked oil, or farted loudly every few meters!

Now, cars have become highly reliable. They don’t breakdown often, and even have tyres that self seal leaks – allowing you to drive down the road a fair distance at a respectable speed. They have wipers that sense water on the windscreen, and headlights that come on as soon as God decides to use his dimmer. If you get bogged down, the 4x4 comes into play automatically and pulls you out. Fantastic is not even the word for all this mind-boggling technology.

Yet, we simply take all this technology for granted, and it’s spoilt us silly. Some drivers don’t even know where to fix the jack in the case of a puncture. I’ve even seen people stand and shift their gaze between the flat tyre and the spare tyre, almost willing them to swap places. Well, all the technology in the world won’t do that for you.

A few years back, a colleague of mine, who is a big honcho in the automotive industry now, took a brand new Mercedes-Benz Kompressor for a ride. A day later, I was riding through a lonely stretch of road towards Greater Noida, when I happened to see him on the opposite side of the road – the bonnet open, talking on the phone while kicking the wheel, and looking very frustrated indeed! So, I went around to him, and he says, “This damn 20 lakh car just stopped for no reason.” This was followed by a barrage of the choicest abuses directed at the car, and its manufacturer.

I peeped inside the bonnet, but all I could see were mysterious black boxes with concealed cables coming out of them.  Unless the car can set itself right in such a scenario, there isn’t a hope in the world that you could get it going on your own.

I hope such a situation doesn’t befall you. But, if it does, all you can do is open up the bonnet and curse. Instead of a spanner, pull out your cell phone and dial roadside assistance. Rest assured, you’ll get the car back in a few days – purring like new again – but also having made your wallet considerably lighter in the interim.

That’s the downside of high-end technology. There’s always a price to pay, I suppose!