Okay guys, being able to deal with cars is an important aspect to me for my own personal version of "being manly" and it's also very useful to know stuff about cars even if you don't have any interest in cars. Since bio-females tend to get steered away from things like autoshop in school, and our fathers may have only saved the auto lessons for our brothers, it's time we do our own catching up. (Seriously, I once overheard a woman complaining to a mechanic that he didn't fix her A/C when he changed the air filter. After listening in for a bit, I could tell that she didn't even realize that the air filter has nothing to do with the air conditioner. So, obviously, I am not the only person who lacks essential automobile basics.)
Luckily, I know a few basics to just merely taking care of a car like checking tire pressure and oil, changing the oil every 3,000-5,000 miles, I know some things need to be changed every 30,000 miles and a few others at 120,000 or so. I am capable of changing/rotating my own tires. I've learned the value of being a AAA member. But, more knowledge would be great that way the next time I am in Autozone, I don't feel like a complete idiot when I say "I need some of the green liquid thing".
So guys, have you picked any great bits of info up over the years? Have you found any helpful, easy to read, guides that you go by? Ladies, join in.
Oh, and we must all congratulate Alex on beginning to drive!
Things I've picked up over the years:
1) If your engine doesn't seem up pick up too quickly when you turn the key, you may need a new battery, especially when you're at the point where you turn it, it doesn't do anything, and it finally starts when you turn it again. You might think you're doing something wrong, but you're not. (
thank you AAA for existing)
2) This is kind of hard to describe, but if your car seems slower and harder to drive then usual, you may need new sparkplugs. Or a new coil pack. I went through two coil packs on my stang because of a manufacturer's error, and then I found out my first mechanic was a jerk and never changed one of the sparkplugs all the times I brought it in for new ones because it was in a hard to reach spot, and they were
knock off sparkplugs. Luckily, I got a great mechanic who sorted that all out (anyone in the Orlando, FL area, I highly recommend
Calderon).
3) People at JiffyLube lie, and they're too expensive.
4) If a brand new, really expensive tire suddenly ruptures while you're driving, you might want to check the air plugs (or valve, stem, whatever it's called). I've found out the hard way that if the valves are cheap, they sometimes fall off and into the tire itself. So, the thing is bouncing around inside the tire while you're driving and it causes the rubber in the tire to fall apart and then *bam* tire ruptures on the highway. Yeah. . . three tires within two months later, that was discovered. . .
5) Grinding noises when you hit the brake means you need to get your brakes checked.
Obviously, my tips aren't the best or most comprehensive. So, join in so we can all learn.
