Every woman needs to know how to manage basic tasks on her car – keep reading to learn the 8 things every woman should know about her car.
Before I met Alex, I knew how to do exactly three things to my car: turn it on and off, put in windshield wiper fluid, and pop open the gas cap so that the gas station attendant could fill it for me. (Gotta love New Jersey.) My dad tried for years after I got my license to teach me to change a tire, but I was so not interested. I knew nothing about cars and wanted to know nothing about cars. Let’s be honest, there is definitely a stigma around women who know a lot about cars, it just wasn’t an image I wanted for myself. (Side note: that stigma is clearly the worst and if you’re into cars, then you go, girl.)
And then I went and married a mechanic. He refused to let me drive without some basic knowledge of how a car works and how to care for it. And let’s be real, most young women are much more willing to learn from their cute boyfriend than they are their own fathers. (sorry dad!) So he taught me the need to know basics and you know what? I felt so empowered knowing that if I get into a tricky situation, I know what to do and how to handle myself. I can handle little issues that may pop up without feeling like I need to ask some random guy to help.
Some of the things I learned are very basic tasks that I feel every woman should know about her car, for both convenience and safety. So today, I’m going to share with you the 8 things I feel that every woman should know about her car!
8 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Car
-How to turn on your hazard lights. Personally, I think this is the most important thing. It might seem silly, but your hazards are what brings attention to your car if it’s on the side of the road in the dark or let’s other drivers know that something might be off with your car and to be aware of you and/or go around you. Each car has a button (you can see a picture of mine above) that you press to turn on your hazards. This will make both your left and right blinkers flash.
-How to check your tire pressure. Being able to check your tire pressure is important for 2 reasons – one, it is very dangerous to drive with under or over inflated tires and two, it can be very costly to drive on under or overinflated tires, as they will wear quicker and unevenly, meaning they must be replaced sooner. On the inside of your driver side door, you will find the tire pressure levels recommended for your front and back tires. You can see mine above. You can check your tire pressure using either a small tire pressure gauge that you can keep in your car or by heading to your local air pump (most gas stations have them) and check using the gauge there.
-How to put air in to your tires. If you notice that your tires are low on air, you need to fill them with air ASAP. Head over to your local air pump (or invest in an air compressor – we have a portable one you can just throw in your car.) and fill the tire(s) with the appropriate amount of air. Be sure to keep an eye on any tires that needed air, as it could be a sign of a leak. You should always check you tire pressure when the temperature drops in late fall even if your light doesn’t go on, as the drop in temperate could cause a drop in pressure.
-How to refill your washer fluid. This is one of the few things my dad was actually able to convince me to let him show me. There is nothing worse (and also, it’s dangerous!) than having a windsheild full of salt from a snowstorm and realizing that you’re out of fluid. Be sure to check it regularly so that you don’t run out (and have to spend three times as much as normal at a 7/11…) when you really need it.
-How to change a tire. This may seem tedious, especially considering most of the other things every woman should know about her car are pretty small, but it’s so, so important. Alex forced me to learn, and while (knock on wood!) I’ve never had to do it myself, I am definitely comforted in knowing that I could if I was in a bind. Here is a great video showing how it’s done, as I don’t feel qualified to fully explain it myself. Just watch it a few times to get a feel for it and take note of where your spare and jack are located in your car.
-How to pop the hood. Another simple task that every woman should know. Look in your owners manual to read about how to do it for your specific car – mine has an interior latch to pull and then a little tab to press when lifting the hood. (please don’t judge my dirty car ;))
-Danger signs. Knowing what lights and sounds cannot be ignored could save your engine or even your life. I know that it’s sometimes hard to know what’s a “real” problem and what can be put off (though nothing can be put off forever! Even a small issue can build into a very dangerous and/or expensive issue.) and what needs to be immediately addressed. Here is an article from Popular Mechanics on sounds not to ignore and here is an article from AAA on lights not to ignore.
-How to check your oil. Look, I’m not going to tell you that you need to know how to change your oil. To be honest, I don’t know how and I really don’t want to know how. But what you SHOULD know is how to check your oil. You need to check your oil for a couple reasons : one, to see if it needs to be changed or if you might have some kind of issue in your engine and two, you might need to fill it. (here’s a good description of how to check you oil/what to look for.) If your oil is low, be sure to add more oil so that it hits the full line. For my car, that is the second dot while the first dot is the low line. Be sure to keep an eye out for wet spots under your car if your oil is low often to make sure it’s not leaking.
So ladies – I really, truly hope that you take these 8 things that every woman should know about her car to heart. Think of how often you drive – think of the loved one you drive around.
At the very least, think of the gorgeous shoes you could buy instead of buying a new car.
Linking up with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud!
So tell me – do you need to work on any of these? Do you consider yourself a “car girl”? Anything I missed? Let me know in the comments!
Heather @ Polyglot Jot says
Great post idea! I am guilty of hating car stuff too and never being interested. For years i had the AAA roadside assistance plan so i just called them for help if i needed to haha! Definitely saving this post!
Andrea says
What tire size your car takes and what kind of oil so shops don’t take advantage of you
Morgan says
Such a good point! As well as general knowledge of how often things need to be done, like tire rotations and oil changes.
Julie Hood says
Ummm, Morgan! What a SUPER useful post!!!!! (Also, being married to a construction guy has totally changed my outlook on the impossibilities of renovations haha. Yay for husbands’ career choice influences on us! Haha). I wish I knew how to check tire pressure, because it seems so easy with that little stick thing! Thankfully I’m pretty confident on changing a tire……..though I’ve never had to do it myself haha!
Rachel says
I feel really embarrassed at the fact that I only know a handful of these tips. My friend tried to ask me how to put air in a tire and we were both at a complete loss. It’s just smart to know all you can about the car you’re driving. Makes driving a lot safer and less stressful!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
My dad is actually in the car biz so I basically grew up in a garage and developed a serious love for cars in the process. I even wanted to be a race car driver at one point 😆
Ana@CelebratingSunshine says
This is such a great post, Morgan! I have to admit that I don’t know much about my car, but your post is a great guide. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Meg @ The Many Little Joys says
As a girl who lived on my own for 8 years before getting married, I think it’s really important to know basics about your car. I have had to change a tire two different times, and I was so grateful for the guy in college who taught me how to do it. Thanks for this post!
Rachel says
I admittedly do not know how to change a tire. All the other stuff, yes!
Maria says
Good call about those hazard lights. It seems like such a simple thing that, but it’s the first thing I look for when I’m getting into a car (whether it’s me buying a new one or me just driving someone else’s car). That’s a very important feature to know as a driver, I think. Thanks so much for sharing this on #shinebloghop this week!
Tiffany @ Arrows & awe says
I feel pretty good after reading this – I knew most of it! But, I realllllly need to learn how to put a tire on!
Erin says
Such a helpful and important post. I will be sharing this on my blog’s Facebook page as the majority of my followers are women. I am guilty of not knowing how to change a tire. But you have convinced me to learn, especially for the sake of my daughter if it was just her and I. Thank you for sharing your awesome tips!
Ellie says
GREAT TIPS! I always forget all these things. I am saving this post so on my next day off I can do this <3 You saved a life!
Liv says
I had to do all of those things in my first marriage, and when I was subsequently single. My husband takes care of them now though…but I’ll make sure my kids (boys and a girl) all know.
Kristy from Southern In Law says
I am totally clueless when it comes to cars – but I also don’t drive so I kind of have an excuse, haha!
David @ Spiced says
Great tips! You never know when you’ll need things like turning on hazard lights or changing a tire…but figuring it out in an emergency is not the right time! Thanks for sharing the rollback pricing on oil, too. #client
Louisa says
Extremely helpful checklist. I don’t know how to drive yet but I will keep this in mind! These can help you out of car problems.
Janelle says
I feel so accomplished for knowing how to do most of these already!
Michelle says
Great suggestions. I’m guilty, I only look for the lights and any unusual sounds. The rest I leave for our mechanic and the hubs. This is a true safety checklist though. Especially for young drivers.
Beth says
This is a great list. My dad made me learn to change a tire, drive a manual transmission, and chage the oil before I was allowed to drive. I was annoyed at 16, but thankful now! Thanks for sharing on Simply Natural Saturdays!
Debbie Williams says
I think I can. I think I know, but could I really change a tire? Not sure.
Cathy Lawdanski says
So important – both my father and my husband are “let me handle it” and would never teach either me or my daugthers these basic things. So glad to have this reference!
Adelien Tan says
Well, it is not common that Asian women can handle the car things. For honest, I cannot do most points in this list, so this is an extremely important post for me to read. I will make is also a checklist for my learning agenda. Thank you for sharing at Family Fun Friday.
Jennifer Dodrill @ All-In-One-Mom says
Awesome tips! I’ve pinned this!
Lisa says
Good post with very good advice. Learn your cars signs and smells. Then if a “check engine” light comes on you won’t necessarily need to panic! Great stuff on your blog.
April J Harris says
Great post! It really is important to know how all these things work if you are going to drive a car. I do know how to do them all, although I’ve never actually changed a tire! Thank you for sharing with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Melissa @ My Darla Clementine says
These are great! I especially love “how to pop your hood.” It’s actually crazy how many of my friends don’t know how to do this! I’m pretty confident with most of these things, but I’ve only had to change one tire before, so I don’t feel very pro at it yet! Thanks for sharing on Simply Natural Saturdays!
Debbie says
Hi Morgan, MmmmMMmmmm I’ve changed a tyre before and I can pop the boot if I read how to in the manual, but as for everything else? I’m a let down. I admit I leave it all to my husband…. OoOOooooo I did put water in the squirty thing once, but that was a right palaver.
The cars do get serviced every year and if I hear something out of the ordinary or a red light comes on, I do tell the other half…. I’m a letdown aren’t I?
xx
Jen says
Wow what a fabulous post! I love this! Sometimes I just feel a little naive a about my car and tips like this are so helpful!
Thanks for linking up with the Happy Now!
Erin @ Stay at Home Yogi says
I feel for your dad – mine had two daughters! 😉 I really love this post because knowing more about my car and taking care of it better is high on my priority list! I have never changed a tire, but I should hurry up and learn how!
Rey Barbosa says
Great tips! The only thing I would add is every girl and guy should know a trustworthy auto body shop. Accidents happen and they happen to us all. Get to know your local auto body shop so you know where to do when it does!
Patty says
I don’t hate car stuff. Been working with my mechanic husband for 10 years. I can do all of the above and take the engine apart and rebuild it….it would take me five s longer and I would asking him questions but I could. But I don’t want to. I don’t want to make a career out of it. I do feel more confident I could deal with it if something happened bu he says to call him and stop and come to me. Even for simple tire change. Great post but you should add number 9: check water and add if needed! Don’t blow a head gasket