Only had two car with electronic dipsticks but it was still possible to check the oil level in the old way.

Had 4 cars in the house with TPMS since 2005. 3 have had the ABS system, one the valve based system. With the ABS based system it compares the speed of each wheel rotation, if one looses pressure it rotates faser and the system light up a warning. But if all the tyres lost the exact same amount of pressure over a long period you could be running dangerously low pressures and get no warning since the rotational speeds would be identical. Thus IMHO its stupid not to bend down once (4 times in truth) at least every 4 weeks and check them manually. And while you are down there check for damage. 5 minutes spend could save hours by the road side, or even worse.

Some people believe in preventative maintenance, others don't.

Those that don't keep the AA/RAC etc in business.

...only retired folk are significantly 'time-rich' to do those checks these days...

I must be doing something wrong then.

Work 40 hours per week (though minimal commute), can do checks on the 3 cars we own, maintain our tractor and machinery, AND have 120 acres of farm, with 300 sheep (due to start lambing in January). That, and I run 20-30 miles a week, do pest control and game shooting, and a bit of target rifle and clay shooting to keep my eye in.

I'd be bored senseless if I was retired !

...only retired folk are significantly 'time-rich' to do those checks these days...

Never been so busy- I retired(15 years ago) and every retired person I talk to agrees.

My Indie sees at least 2 newish cars with siezed engines per year - no oil in the sump!

Lots of bangers with knackered engines but they have oil in them.

He does not supply engines, only fits them when the customer sources it.

Nearby there is a company that does rebuild engines (inc the odd aero engine) but he is quite expensive for a re-worked engine.

Lorries, tractors, JCBs etc are his main jobs.

When my kids lived @ home / first left home 20+ yrs ago - we would get regular requests for the garage key (only 1 key on my carkey ring) - oil, washer fluid, foot pump.....it seemed that I was the only source of the items - garages would not sell it to them. They were not running bangers - new / newish motors that cost more than my car budgets.

1997 one of them said they had an issue- water temp. I switched it on & you could hear "plumbing noises" - needed top up. Why had they not heard the water issues? - stereo ALWAYS on so on start up the cassette drowned out the noise. Radweld & a kettle fixed the 2 yr old car.

It ran another 4 years faultlessly - Vx Astra - ex Hertz that I had bought for Uni commute - 20 mins by car - train/bus was over an hour each way.

This does not happen nowadays - if their car needed Oil I do not stock the specific 0-20 Full Synthetic with added clearance from a specific manufacturer standards. Even the washer bottle needs BMW fluid!....... the footpump still works but they only put air in when the computer says the runflats need topped up.

It used to be a weekly check when I worked - 500 miles a week, check/top up on Sunday, fill tank etc etc.

Now more like 500 month - oil/water /tyres - once a month - habit as car does use oil & the washer bottle top up is half a kettle @ most.

I must be very odd. I have checked under the bonnet of my and my wife's car approx every week, or at least every month, for the last 30 years. I check oil, water, washer fluid, brake levels, power steering fluid, and check on the belts.

Strange to say I have never had an engine failure of any kind and very few actual problems, I also check what car I am buying carefully. I now run a large Peugeot, after being burned by Audis and BMW. The Peugeot is now 7 seven years old and comfortable, fast enough and faultless. I was planning on selling it but only if it starts costing me money, but so far so good.

I know people who have never checked under the bonnet, and on one car the engine run out of oil 4 or 5 times in about a year, the only way this person knew, was engine would not start.

they still do not check, and get another person to do all the checks as and when they remember it needs it, when you question as to why they dont, answer is, as long as they can jump in car and it runs, thats all they are interested in

seems to be a lot of people about like that?

Some engines, including modern units, are prone to using oil by design, and the manufacturers consider it normal. If you were to own one of these and forget the oil checking you could suffer terminal engine failure. Once the oil pressure light comes on it's too late usually.

I'm sure that mechanics are witness to these scenarios all the time, you just don't hear about it.

I've never needed to top up oil between annual services.

If you're in habit of checking regularly then you'll spot the change when it does start to lose oil. Ran a Citroen Xantia from new in 2000 until 2013.

Never needed topping up until late 2012 when it needed 250ml+ every couple of months. Not burning and no drips on drive. Turned out it was leaking from cam shaft onto timing belt. What didn't congeal on cover was retained in under tray.

Would have cost hundreds to put right, new belt etc, which I'd have paid if it had been only issue. Knacked clutch, 4 or 5 suspension spheres needing replacement and persistent limp mode fault meant it departed my fleet on a scrappies truck in September 2013.

I still do my weekly monthly checks even though as people say I can do the checks by looking at the screen in the car. For me it pays to take a look under the bonnet once a week to do the checks so you can also look to make sure nothing is wrong or packed with leaves or minor leaks etc. I tend to do them while filling up.

I'm obsessive about getting rid of the leaves regularly - opposite our house is a lovely old oak tree, until autumn that is, and back in the '70s we had an Escort that collected leaves in it's heater plenum chamber - which eventually rusted through as it was a welded-in integral part of the front bulkhead.