week one; topic three

I didn’t get this posted yesterday so here it is today;

Today’s topic is car maintenance. Cars are a factor in almost every ones day to day life. The US alone averages just over 800 cars per 1000 people, we rank third in cars per capita with San Marino and Monaco taking the number one and two spots. That means we rely on those four wheeled creatures to carry us from point A to point B. Because of that we need them to run, and run well. Just like your health you need to keep your ride just as healthy and the best way is proper maintenance. Now I’m not going to go on about how you need to know how to replace a timing belt or a ball joint or even change your own oil although it is a good thing to know but there are a few things that, I feel, every man, scratch that, everyone should know about your car. Here is my list of must knows;

1.      First and foremost, know what every button, lever, switch, and light means. These days every car comes with a manual, but if you don’t have one you can figure it out online. You laugh but when I worked as a valet I had a guy who sat there, in his car and complained that we broke it because it wouldn’t move. When I came around to the driver side there was a bright red light above his steering wheel that said “BRAKE”. So I told the fellow that his emergency brake was on and when he releases it he can go on. He followed up with, “How do I release it?” Yep, some people. Back to the point know everything about the inside. Also, the little lights on the dash mean something, learn them.

2.      Next kind of goes along with number one, know where the fuse box is. The fuse box is usually inside the cab of the car. Know where it is and it wouldn’t hurt to know how to change a fuse. It’s not always what is wrong with the car but usually when something electrical happens to my car that’s the first thing I look at. It’s a cheap easy fix less than $5 for fuses at the auto parts store. The best part is the labeling for the fuses is usually pretty good.

3.      Moving outside your car, know how to check your tire pressure, how to add/remove air, and how to change a tire. The tire always has written on it what the proper pressure (PSI) should be and most air pumps at gas stations have tire gauges that check the tire pressure when you hook up to the valve stem.

4.      You should know how to open your hood.

5.      And how to jump a battery and keep a set of jumper cables in your car.

6.      Know how to check the fluid in your car that includes oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid. And know how to refill them if needed.

7.      Last is huge especially during the winter time, how to replace a windshield wiper.

Knowing these little things about you car can save you from being stranded and you won’t need to rely on someone else. Plus, if you ever find someone stranded you might be able to help them and that would make you a hero.