Car talk

While cruising down the freeway last night after a meeting of the RSM blogging minds, my car went HARRUMPH and set her speed at a doddery 40 mph.

"I say, old dear," looking at Renee, "it seems the autocar is a bit out of sorts."

"Hmm?" she replied, picking at her cuticles. "Oh, yes, she does sound a bit grumbily, doesn't she? Whatever could be the matter?"

"I'll have to take the old girl in to the service station for a thorough going-over. Drat!"

And then I woke up this morning in the 21st century and said, "I'm not taking this MF car into no MF dealership. I'm gonna pop the MF hood and figure this out myself, because if Hilary Clinton can run for president then I can fix this MF car." (MF stands for Mostly Fabulous, by the way, so get your head out of the gutter.) So pop that hood I did, and lo and behold, there was a renegade hose that had come unclamped. SO I RECLAMPED IT. Slam! went the hood as I wiped my nose on my sleeve.

Ever since my lovely experience with Jiffy Lube I've really been wanting to learn more about my car. I don't ever want to be at the mercy of lube technicians again. When they say, "You really need a new air filter," I want to be able to reply, "I just checked the air filter, Jimbo, and it's fine." These are the things I think every woman should know about their cars:

1. How to put air in the tires and how much to put in. This is really easy. Just have someone, like your husband or a girlfriend who knows how to do it show you how. All you need is a little tire gauge because the ones on the air pump are often broken. And the amount of air is always imprinted on the tire.

2. When to get the oil changed. Check your car manual. Some cars only need oil changed every 5,000 miles, versus 3,000 which is what the lubers always tell you. Skip the quick lube guys and find a reliable mechanic or dealer who will change it responsibly.

3. How to refill the windshield wiper fluid. Unscrew the cap, fill the compartment.

4. Where to find the air filter and how to determine whether it needs to be changed. This I don't know. Yet.

Knowing these little things can be very empowering for women. Ask your husband to show you, or just read your manual. What other super easy car maintenance tasks should all women know?  

Comments

[KarenP]

You're assuming my husband knows these things. A VERY big assumption, in my case! :^)

[Regan]

I would add: Learn how to change a tire! Waiting for AAA on the side of the road for 2 hours while you have a fully functional spare tire in your trunk is no fun and easily avoidable.

It was my father who taught me what little I know about car maintenance and basic emergency roadside tips. Another tip I learned from him is to carry a flat board in the trunk when travelling in snow/ice. When you wheels are spinning, placing the board under the spinning tire will greatly improve your traction and very often enable you to get out of a tough spot!

[lilah]

This is weird because just this week I called the dealership to take my car in for a little problem that they informed me would cost an arm and a leg to fix. I made the appt. and then looked the problem up on the internet. It turns out that a lot of people had the same problem with their 2002-2005 Toyota's. They told me exactly what to order and exactly what to do. The part was $65 and so simple to replace. Woo Hoo. My husband was so proud.

[lilah]

Oh, to answer the question.....how to change a relay switch and a fuse. Also light bulbs. So Easy.

[Amy]

How to inflate your tires, which improves your miles per gallon. Oh, and if you travel out of state, how to pump gas. That may sound ridiculous, but I vividly remember being at a gas station in Washington once when two women came in and sheepishly asked for help because they didn't know how to pump their gas. Talk about putting yourself in a situation where you could really get taken advantage of!

Not a car maintenance task, but...

How to fix a leaky faucet! Once when I was complaining about this, my husband told me the solution was to get a washer. So I went to A-Boy but had no idea which washer was be the right one. The guy I asked for help suggested that I go home, get under the sink, fiddle with the nut-and-bolt arrangement I would find there, and then if the faucet still leaked, I could go back and he would help me figure out the right washer. Well, I have yet to do so!

[Jenn]

I'm very thankful to have grown up as the daughter of a mechanic and before I was allowed to drive away on my own at 16 I was required to change a tire in the driveway to prove that if I got stuck I would know what to do. I would also agree with changing fuses, light bulbs, air filter, spark plugs, and various other easy tasks. Really those things are not that difficult and can save you a LOAD of money. Wiper blades is another one that I can think of off hand.

Good post!