You
are driving alone down a country road when you get a flat tire.
You have zero bars on your cell phone and not a soul in sight. What
do you do? Wait for someone to come along and pray they are not
a serial killer? Walk back a few miles hoping to pick up cell service?
Hope that really was a house you saw a few minutes before your tire
went flat? Knowing what to do in case of an auto emergency can mean
the difference between getting back on the road quickly and not
getting back on the road at all.
As
recently as ten years ago auto shop was a regular fixture in high
schools. However with the complexities of today's newer, computerized
engines and the decline of vocational education in the public schools,
the idea that the average person, man or woman, can fix their own
car becomes more and more remote. Despite this trend however of
taking our car to the shop for everything from oil changes to installing
new wiper blades, there are five important things every woman should
know about their car. While you may never have a flat tire, having
a working knowledge of your car and what do to when the check engine
light comes on can save you both time and money in the event of
an auto emergency.
1)
Know how to change a tire-
Flat tires are the number one cause of auto emergencies. Whether
a blowout at 70 mph on the freeway or a slow leak caused by a nail
imbedded in the rubber, a flat tire will derail your trip faster
than you can say, "what happened?" The key to changing
your own tire is to have the proper equipment. Most importantly,
keep your spare tire properly inflated and know where to find the
jack and iron. In cars with trunks these tools are usually found
there. Many models have a hidden compartment in the trunk or cargo
area where the spare, the jack and the tire iron are neatly stored
without taking up valuable cargo area.
You
should always loosen the lug nuts on your tire before you raise
the car with the jack. It will be easier to exert force on the nut
while the car is planted firmly on the ground. Not sure which way
to turn? Just remember the saying "lefty loosy, righty tighty."
Turn the nuts to the left to remove them and to the right to tighten
them up. Here's a tip: this rule applies to just about anything
you are trying to loosen or tighten. In the event your car has a
hub cap that hides the lug nuts, keep a flat head screw driver in
your cargo area as well. Practice using the screw driver to remove
the hub cap so that if you ever have to change your tire, you are
not struggling to find the lug nuts.
Learn
where to place the jack in order to properly lift the car. Your
owner's manual should have both a description of the process and
an illustration. Putting the jack in the right place makes all the
difference when you begin to lift. Follow the directions in your
manual and you will be surprised at how easily you can raise the
car to the right height.
After
you have removed the damaged tire and put on your spare, tighten
the lug nuts as much as you can with your hands and then give them
a little turn with the tire iron. Follow a star pattern when tightening
instead of going around the tire in a circle. This will help balance
the tire and prevent one side from being over-tightened. After you
have secured the tire, lower the car slowly to the ground. Once
on the ground, use the tire iron to tighten the nuts as much as
possible. Return your damaged tire, jack, iron and any other tools
you used to their proper storage area and now you're on your way.
If
your spare tire is smaller than your other three tires and only
intended to be used as an emergency spare, it is important that
you follow the directions in your manual and only drive at moderate
speeds until you have the full size tire repaired and placed back
on your car. If you had trouble fully tightening your lug nuts,
find the nearest service station or automobile repair shop and ask
someone to check to make sure they are completely tightened.
2)
Know how the read both the gauges on your dash and the owner's manual
in your glove box:
The second most common auto emergency is a warning light on your
dash board. Examples of warning lights are the Check Engine light,
Oil light, ABS brake light, or Airbag light. A sudden illumination
of any of these lights can mean a serious problem is occurring and
you should have your car checked as quickly as possible. However
with the modern computers in vehicles today sometimes the lights
come on without a serious underlying problem. Sometimes the lights
come on due to a faulty switch in the dash or a circuit that isn't
properly functioning.
The
most important thing to remember about warning lights is that they
are your car's way of talking to you and you have to be able to
understand what it is saying. Read your owner's manual. Review the
section on troubleshooting. Familiarize yourself with what the different
warning lights look like when they are illuminated. Know that when
the ABS light comes on you might need to have your brake fluid checked.
Know that when the Airbag light comes on you could be driving with
the risk that your airbag may not deploy in the event of a collision.
Have it checked by the proper technician as soon as possible.
By
knowing what your dash gauges mean and how to interpret them using
the owner's manual you can catch problems before they become serious,
saving yourself money and potential lost time in the process.
3)
Know how to check the oil and radiator fluid:
Keeping your engine running smoothly is often as simple as making
sure it has enough oil and radiator fluid. Automobile engines are
made up of lots of little parts. These parts move interchangeably
against each other thousands of times a minute and build up friction.
Motor oil keeps those engine parts lubricated and functioning properly.
Radiator fluid, or engine coolant as it may be called in your owner's
manual, does a similar job. Like any machine, an automobile engine
gets warm through the constant moving of its many parts. Radiator
fluid cools the engine down so that it doesn't overheat, allowing
it to keep working even on the hottest days. Find where the dip
sticks are for both engine oil and engine coolant. In many cars
they are yellow in color and marked with a picture of either a drop
of oil or some sort of liquid. Using your owner's manual, determine
the proper levels for both fluids. To get the most accurate reading,
have your engine running when using the dip sticks.
Check
your fluids once a month. In warmer weather you may need to check
it twice a month. Always have a minimal amount of motor oil or radiator
fluid on hand in your garage in case your levels are low and you
need to add some. While it is normal to lose some fluid periodically
between oil changes, if you find yourself having to add oil or engine
coolant regularly to your car you should have it checked by a technician
as soon as possible. This can be a sign of a more serious problem
and having it repaired quickly will prevent further damage to your
car's engine.
4)
Know how to jump the battery:
Ever leave your dome light on accidentally? How about leaving
the glove box open all weekend? If so you have probably experienced
a dead battery and have had to jump start your car. Jumping your
battery requires jumper cables and another car that can start its
engine. The key to jumping your car is to know that there is both
a positive and negative cable which corresponds to the positive
and negative posts on your battery. The posts are usually covered
with a cap however once you remove the cap, the posts are marked
with a + sign or a - sign. The cables will be marked as well. With
both engines off, clamp the positive cable to the positive post
and the negative cable to the negative post. Do this to both cars.
Start the engine of the other car. Wait a minute or two to allow
the charge from the running engine to flow through the cables into
your battery and then try and start your car. If it doesn't turn
over at all, wait another minute or two and then try again. If it
starts to turn over, wait a few seconds and then try again.
Once
your car starts you can disconnect the cables and close the hood.
Allowing your engine to run for about thirty minutes, or driving
to your destination, will recharge your battery and you shouldn't
have trouble starting it again. However if you find yourself stranded
more than once and cannot find evidence of a light left on or other
drain on your battery's power, have your battery checked by a technician.
It may need to be replaced.
Don't
own a pair of jumper cables? For around $30 you can purchase a good
set that store conveniently in your trunk or next to your spare
tire. Even if you never have to use them, you are guaranteed to
save the day for one of your friends or neighbors.
5)
Change the wiper blades:
Depending
on the area you live in, having properly functioning windshield
wipers can be critical to safe driving. Getting caught in the season's
first rainstorm with dry or brittle wiper blades can happen to anyone.
Knowing how to change your own wiper blades however can get you
quickly back on the road.
Again,
reading your owner's manual is key. Many models have different size
blades for each window. Determine what size blade you need and keep
an extra pair on hand at home. The manual will also tell you how
to remove the wiper blades and replace them. Some models simply
snap on and off, blade and wiper all in one unit. Others need to
be threaded across the length of the blade and are more tedious.
Just because your manual calls out a particular kind of wiper blade
doesn't mean that your car won't function with a different one.
If your car has a wiper blade that is difficult to change, ask at
the auto parts store if there are compatible models. Often the customer
service technicians there are able to help you find a product that
works just as well as the dealer specification.
Whether
your car is five days or five years old, spending time getting to
know the ins and outs of the owner's manual, practicing some basic
maintenance techniques, and purchasing just a few basic tools and
supplies will keep you safer and your car on the road longer.- Stephanie
Tallman Smith
