But on the positive note there is a 101 to gun safety class every two city blocks so I have that going for me...
Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 on Steam is actually a reasonable, entertaining way to walk through the basics of auto repair. It will help you learn he names and functions of individual parts and systems as well as how they are interconnected, what they look like, their relative cost, and generally where they are. In the game you will, for example, start with real-life diagnostic codes and then troubleshoot from there, buying parts you hope will fix the issue.
After playing the game if you go to YouTube and search for your exact car (by year, make, and model), you'll find a bunch of repair videos. You'll now have the vocabulary and basic understanding to follow along with any common repair.
I find the attitude mentioned above annoying. Of course a ton of people do not understand these things. We make great cars today. So many of us really don't have to know.
It is a want to know in most cases. Share and share alike man.
My favorite line from the book was something like "we'd have far less accidents if we were all strapped to the front of our cars like an aztec sacrifice." Which, while probably not the best approach to safety, has a kernel of truth that things that make us feel same may not make us safer, because they make us more willing to take risks.
The book begins with a great section on the theory of all the parts of the car from the 4 stroke engine to the differential to the brakes--how they work and why they're needed.
It's how I learned.
And that doesn't even begin to touch the true magic in having a large collection of chemicals. Know when to use DC-4, WD-40, 33MS, brake cleaner, contact cleaner, and of course, GOJO.
It has been a fun journey and it is very nice to see through the utter nonsense most auto repair places spew. I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :).
To me, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the internet. No matter your make or model, there is a dedicated forum for your car. And it's got plenty of active accounts.
Why do we not have tablet apps which allow you to see how everything fits together, how the drivetrain redistributes energy, etc?
I'd still love a wireframe view of my Jeep I could manipulate on my iPad.
As a reference away from the garage, it would be cool, but I would still want something I would feel safe having by my side as I work on the car.
Today, it is actually a lot more fun and accessible. Videos of most repairs are online and easy to follow. I compare this to the first time I changed a transmission, or timing belt, and it's like the sci-fi future is here. Ask about it, and there you go!
Often, books did not even have that many photos. You had to reason through the repair.
My advice on this is to get some good tools and a place to work on the car. Clean it too. Working on clean cars is fun. Poor tools and a dirty car can be hell.
Then, fix your car, upgrade it, or get a fun project car, maybe one you thought was cool as a kid.
Most anyone can work on 90's and older cars. Newer ones do still offer a lot of opportunities, but sometimes are tough, due to all the advanced controls in place.
The skill I got as a kid means I can get a 500 dollar beater, size it up, and be driving it regularly for a few weekends of work. It came in handy during hard times once in life. It still does when on camping adventures. I've done some crazy stuff to get vehicles home! Good times. (Not so good actually, but seeking adventure sometimes means finding it.)
It also helps if you have an old beater to work on so that you can take your time and you don't end up messing up your daily driver car.
Last summer I successfully replaced a clutch by myself on an old car of mine soley based on videos and walkthroughs I found online. It took forever and was probably an order of magnitude more difficult than any automotive repair I'd ever attempted prior to that, but I did it.