Flares are very useful when you are trying to not get hit by a truck on a dark road at night, j/s.
When we moved to Alabama from Long Island in 1978, dad brought the tire chains. Our second winter we had an ice storm, so he put them on the Pontiac. We became the eighth wonder of the world, Josh. The snow and ice were only about an inch thick but it might as well have been a blizzard. We drove past people struggling to get their cars unstuck, past families building their first snowman ever, past the unhappy walkers. All of them watched us, stunned, some pointing, others gawking, many jealous. "What sorcery is this," their eyes said.
Ha ha I grew up in the deep south. They would literally cancel school on a snow prediction because nobody could cope with the weather. I saw real snow (defined as, enough to look out the window and see white without huge patches of green or brown in the yard) maybe two times. Then I moved to New England. LMAO.
I went to college in the South for a while. (Some people leave their hearts in San Francisco: I left a large chunk of my liver in Athens, Georgia). Watching southerners try to navigate on roads with a dusting of snow is truly a "bless your heart" moment for Yankees.
While I support everything you say wholeheartedly, I have to say that I've been disappointed more than once when I attempted to refer to the manual to do a basic task (like check an oil level or (gasp) replace the battery.
Not only was the process often ridiculous (the places where they hide the dipstick to make it inaccessible must be chosen on purpose), but half the time the manual would say something along the lines of "don't do this yourself - just bring it to the dealer". How very helpful.
I'm gen-x, and FAR from any kind of automotive or mechanical expert. But those car basics do come in handy. I also have a motorcycle that still uses a carburetor. Now there's a device that rewards some basic knowledge! Doing simple maintenance on it is sometimes messy, but rewarding in a way that almost nothing on a modern car is (in my experience).
I would add, as a gen-X woman who has years of experience hauling horses all over the Western United States, that everyone should know how to change a tire, especially if you do any long distance driving. Make sure you have the equipment necessary in your car and relatively accessible. And don't forget when you check your tire pressure to check the pressure in your spare tire as well!
Also, if you haul a trailer, you should make sure your electrical connection (for trailer brakes and lights) works every time you hook it up. Check your tire pressure when the tires are cold (if they get hot from traveling they will read much higher pressure than they actually are) and the tightness of your lug nuts before every trip. Make sure you are familiar with load distribution (particularly when hauling a heavier load). And get one of those easy-up jacks for your trailer (assuming you have a double axel trailer), they are so much easier to use that traditional jacks when you have to change a trailer tire. In addition to the jack and your lug nut wrench, carry a crow bar. It might come in handy if you have a blowout and need to pry the tire fender off your trailer.
I once drove a car rental agent into a spasm of fury because I refused to accept the 15-person van I had engaged to ferry a bunch of hikers all over rural Arizona until they replaced the spare tire and jack that were nowhere to be found. According to them if I had a flat I was supposed to call the office in Phoenix and wait for someone to come help us.
I've heard that rental car companies are now not supplying their cars with spare tires and jacks, because they're worried about liability (if you change the tire and get hit or something).
I bought my oldest daughter a Jeep Wrangler as her high school graduation present and I wouldn't let her take it out of the driveway until she demonstrated she could change the tire. It's actually a good thing we did a dry run, because neither one of us could budge the lug nuts without using a three-foot length of steel pipe as a breaker bar. The last time I saw the Jeep was about eight years later -- she was underneath it changing the brake pads before posting it for sale -- and the pipe was still in the baggage compartment.
An entirely unfair joke, in which everyone will recognize a grain of truth: “What’s the definition of a Ford mechanic? An alcoholic with an impact wrench.”
Excellent summary! In addition to Heather's advice to know how to change a tire, I would add an occasional check of the battery terminals for signs of corrosion -- in my experience a main cause of start failures.
I learned all of this in driver ed class - not my parents - in the 80's. One hour per week for one semester - part classroom, part on-the-road with the instructor and a partner. Was shocked when my 2000's kids didn't have anything of the sort. No driver ed, wood shop, auto shop, home ec, bookkeeping, yet schools are getting more and more $$$$. Why?
My Gen Z nephew also had NO instruction in class about driving so in his mid-teens my Dad, me, and my sister and her husband chipped in to send him to AAA driving school. (Because they stress safety and everyone that teaches is a long-time employee of AAA. ) Some driving schools are fly-by-night and can get shut down at any time and I don't know how thorough their instructor background checks are (if any). We had some people try to sign up in my nephew's class at AAA because the driving school they had their teens in just shut down overnight and they were out money and instruction!
Keep them stupid, helpless and dependent - Keep them controllable and obedient.
I had the same type DE class along with shop class, auto shop, small engine repair and and all the rest. Looking back I loved that they were using planet killing, four door, all steel ,climate meat-grinders for the training cars - with the complimentary football coach telling you - " check your mirrors!!". If you could parallel park one of those ocean liners, then you could park anything, anywhere, at anytime.
Very useful primer for the perplexed. One suggestion I have is for an item every motorist should keep in their vehicle’s glove box — *drum roll* — gloves! A pair of inexpensive cloth work gloves, the kind with rubber palms, or thin leather gloves, or a pack of decent nitrile (the blue ones medics use, or the black ones used by cops and grease monkeys) disposable gloves, will save your day when you’re on your way to a job interview, critical sales call, hot date, swanky soirée , or some other important meeting, and find yourself having to change a tire. You will arrive at your destination with clean hands. Keep a reflective safety vest in there too, and not only will other drivers be able to see (and presumably avoid hitting) you as you change your tire, it will protect your clothes as well.
I'm 63 in So. California and at least when I was in high school they had free Driver's Ed classes with on- the-road and classroom instruction. They went over all kinds of information about what to have in car, what to do in emergency, safety, and the basics of how a car works. We had to change a tire at home and have a parent sign off that we did it. I also learned from my Dad and listening to car talk shows on the radio. Now many new cars are beyond trying to fix at home. Most don't even have spare tires or dipsticks for oil! I'm keeping my old cars as long as possible. I keep a 3-cell mag light (they come in other colors besides just black) in the car and check the batteries now and then. Handy at night and for self protection. I always check my fluids, replace my own air filter and wiper blades. In my 1984 car, a long time ago, if the needle was moving up on the radiator gauge (worst in summer) I immediately turned off the A/C, put the heater on high, opened the windows, and got off the freeway and into a gas station. We were taught that turning on the heater released more heat from the engine. Then I waited for engine to cool, found a hose was cracked, tore off the end of the hose and re-attached and clamp it with the screwdriver I had. I had my work clothes on and some guys were watching me. I felt like saying, "Why don't you offer to help instead of watch?" Also NEVER rinse off your windshield with water in high temperatures! One summer I decided to rinse off my windshield, it was hot, the windshield was old and hot and the water from the hose was colder than the temperature of the windshield. Immediately a big crack went down the middle of the windshield - what an idiot I was! That cost me at the time about $450 to get the windshield repaired. Always keep a cooler bag with snacks and water in your car, even for local trips as you never know how long it will take for the tow service to arrive. And keep an old pair of tennis shoes, umbrella, hat, sweatshirt and other things you might need if you breakdown in different types of weather. Many years ago I won a ski pass and rented skis and chains and drove up the mountain by myself. (I'm not used to any type of driving in snow.) It started to snow, I almost bailed, but with frozen hands, I went to a turnout and figured out how to attach the chains and did it right! While other families were sitting in cars while guys were trying to figure it out. (Read car manual some take cables, not chains.) I was half way up and one of the links broke. Thankfully the rental kit had extra links and I was able to attach it and fix it. I would never want to do it again though!
Jul 5, 2023·edited Jul 5, 2023Liked by Josh Slocum
Great post! I actually asked the mechanics at my last service how I could learn about cars. They said they all learned as kids from family/friends. Sadly, as a millennial, I don't know anyone who knows about cars. There is definitely a gap in the market for classes of some kind.
Very useful post, Josh! I recommend every car have a small emergency battery jumper—you may never use it, but if you need it, you’ll be glad you have it. When you get it, charge it fully at home first. The new ones hold a charge for months.
Question for you: my 2022 Toyota Corolla recommends full synthetic oil, but my husband (not a mechanic) says synthetic blend is just as good. What do you think?
I bought kitty litter before last winter from your tip in the Discord. Haven't had to use it, but I'm thankful for it. I was wondering what the tire pressure emergency light was about while reading. I'm still driving a 1999 vehicle around. Great article. Thanks!
Yep.
Intentional and SO frustrating. I buy older cars because I want to be able to fix and understand them and I hate all the computerized control crap.
I’d add to the radiator section to NOT put cold or garden-hose-temperature water into a hot engine unless the engine is running...
Flares are very useful when you are trying to not get hit by a truck on a dark road at night, j/s.
When we moved to Alabama from Long Island in 1978, dad brought the tire chains. Our second winter we had an ice storm, so he put them on the Pontiac. We became the eighth wonder of the world, Josh. The snow and ice were only about an inch thick but it might as well have been a blizzard. We drove past people struggling to get their cars unstuck, past families building their first snowman ever, past the unhappy walkers. All of them watched us, stunned, some pointing, others gawking, many jealous. "What sorcery is this," their eyes said.
And you were like, "This is Parisienne sorcery BEYOTCH"
Dad said it in French
Ha ha I grew up in the deep south. They would literally cancel school on a snow prediction because nobody could cope with the weather. I saw real snow (defined as, enough to look out the window and see white without huge patches of green or brown in the yard) maybe two times. Then I moved to New England. LMAO.
I’m currently in GA. Can confirm. Snow here makes people a little crazy. I’ve never understood why they need all the milk and bread.
I went to college in the South for a while. (Some people leave their hearts in San Francisco: I left a large chunk of my liver in Athens, Georgia). Watching southerners try to navigate on roads with a dusting of snow is truly a "bless your heart" moment for Yankees.
Somehow even the Californians are better at it, lol
Everything about this post is excellent. Thank-you.
Never a bad thing to review what is needed. Sending this to my kiddos. THANKS!
While I support everything you say wholeheartedly, I have to say that I've been disappointed more than once when I attempted to refer to the manual to do a basic task (like check an oil level or (gasp) replace the battery.
Not only was the process often ridiculous (the places where they hide the dipstick to make it inaccessible must be chosen on purpose), but half the time the manual would say something along the lines of "don't do this yourself - just bring it to the dealer". How very helpful.
I'm gen-x, and FAR from any kind of automotive or mechanical expert. But those car basics do come in handy. I also have a motorcycle that still uses a carburetor. Now there's a device that rewards some basic knowledge! Doing simple maintenance on it is sometimes messy, but rewarding in a way that almost nothing on a modern car is (in my experience).
I would add, as a gen-X woman who has years of experience hauling horses all over the Western United States, that everyone should know how to change a tire, especially if you do any long distance driving. Make sure you have the equipment necessary in your car and relatively accessible. And don't forget when you check your tire pressure to check the pressure in your spare tire as well!
Also, if you haul a trailer, you should make sure your electrical connection (for trailer brakes and lights) works every time you hook it up. Check your tire pressure when the tires are cold (if they get hot from traveling they will read much higher pressure than they actually are) and the tightness of your lug nuts before every trip. Make sure you are familiar with load distribution (particularly when hauling a heavier load). And get one of those easy-up jacks for your trailer (assuming you have a double axel trailer), they are so much easier to use that traditional jacks when you have to change a trailer tire. In addition to the jack and your lug nut wrench, carry a crow bar. It might come in handy if you have a blowout and need to pry the tire fender off your trailer.
I once drove a car rental agent into a spasm of fury because I refused to accept the 15-person van I had engaged to ferry a bunch of hikers all over rural Arizona until they replaced the spare tire and jack that were nowhere to be found. According to them if I had a flat I was supposed to call the office in Phoenix and wait for someone to come help us.
Ha, yes, wait a few hours in 110 degree heat for them to come help you. That would go well!
I've heard that rental car companies are now not supplying their cars with spare tires and jacks, because they're worried about liability (if you change the tire and get hit or something).
I bought my oldest daughter a Jeep Wrangler as her high school graduation present and I wouldn't let her take it out of the driveway until she demonstrated she could change the tire. It's actually a good thing we did a dry run, because neither one of us could budge the lug nuts without using a three-foot length of steel pipe as a breaker bar. The last time I saw the Jeep was about eight years later -- she was underneath it changing the brake pads before posting it for sale -- and the pipe was still in the baggage compartment.
Yes, those machines can get the lug nuts so insanely tight it's almost impossible to loosen them!
An entirely unfair joke, in which everyone will recognize a grain of truth: “What’s the definition of a Ford mechanic? An alcoholic with an impact wrench.”
Excellent summary! In addition to Heather's advice to know how to change a tire, I would add an occasional check of the battery terminals for signs of corrosion -- in my experience a main cause of start failures.
I learned all of this in driver ed class - not my parents - in the 80's. One hour per week for one semester - part classroom, part on-the-road with the instructor and a partner. Was shocked when my 2000's kids didn't have anything of the sort. No driver ed, wood shop, auto shop, home ec, bookkeeping, yet schools are getting more and more $$$$. Why?
My Gen Z nephew also had NO instruction in class about driving so in his mid-teens my Dad, me, and my sister and her husband chipped in to send him to AAA driving school. (Because they stress safety and everyone that teaches is a long-time employee of AAA. ) Some driving schools are fly-by-night and can get shut down at any time and I don't know how thorough their instructor background checks are (if any). We had some people try to sign up in my nephew's class at AAA because the driving school they had their teens in just shut down overnight and they were out money and instruction!
The answer to that question is:
Keep them stupid, helpless and dependent - Keep them controllable and obedient.
I had the same type DE class along with shop class, auto shop, small engine repair and and all the rest. Looking back I loved that they were using planet killing, four door, all steel ,climate meat-grinders for the training cars - with the complimentary football coach telling you - " check your mirrors!!". If you could parallel park one of those ocean liners, then you could park anything, anywhere, at anytime.
Yes!! I had the asst Football coach!! During the driver training portion he always instructed me to detour to the drive-thrus!!! Good times!!
Very useful primer for the perplexed. One suggestion I have is for an item every motorist should keep in their vehicle’s glove box — *drum roll* — gloves! A pair of inexpensive cloth work gloves, the kind with rubber palms, or thin leather gloves, or a pack of decent nitrile (the blue ones medics use, or the black ones used by cops and grease monkeys) disposable gloves, will save your day when you’re on your way to a job interview, critical sales call, hot date, swanky soirée , or some other important meeting, and find yourself having to change a tire. You will arrive at your destination with clean hands. Keep a reflective safety vest in there too, and not only will other drivers be able to see (and presumably avoid hitting) you as you change your tire, it will protect your clothes as well.
I'm 63 in So. California and at least when I was in high school they had free Driver's Ed classes with on- the-road and classroom instruction. They went over all kinds of information about what to have in car, what to do in emergency, safety, and the basics of how a car works. We had to change a tire at home and have a parent sign off that we did it. I also learned from my Dad and listening to car talk shows on the radio. Now many new cars are beyond trying to fix at home. Most don't even have spare tires or dipsticks for oil! I'm keeping my old cars as long as possible. I keep a 3-cell mag light (they come in other colors besides just black) in the car and check the batteries now and then. Handy at night and for self protection. I always check my fluids, replace my own air filter and wiper blades. In my 1984 car, a long time ago, if the needle was moving up on the radiator gauge (worst in summer) I immediately turned off the A/C, put the heater on high, opened the windows, and got off the freeway and into a gas station. We were taught that turning on the heater released more heat from the engine. Then I waited for engine to cool, found a hose was cracked, tore off the end of the hose and re-attached and clamp it with the screwdriver I had. I had my work clothes on and some guys were watching me. I felt like saying, "Why don't you offer to help instead of watch?" Also NEVER rinse off your windshield with water in high temperatures! One summer I decided to rinse off my windshield, it was hot, the windshield was old and hot and the water from the hose was colder than the temperature of the windshield. Immediately a big crack went down the middle of the windshield - what an idiot I was! That cost me at the time about $450 to get the windshield repaired. Always keep a cooler bag with snacks and water in your car, even for local trips as you never know how long it will take for the tow service to arrive. And keep an old pair of tennis shoes, umbrella, hat, sweatshirt and other things you might need if you breakdown in different types of weather. Many years ago I won a ski pass and rented skis and chains and drove up the mountain by myself. (I'm not used to any type of driving in snow.) It started to snow, I almost bailed, but with frozen hands, I went to a turnout and figured out how to attach the chains and did it right! While other families were sitting in cars while guys were trying to figure it out. (Read car manual some take cables, not chains.) I was half way up and one of the links broke. Thankfully the rental kit had extra links and I was able to attach it and fix it. I would never want to do it again though!
Thank you! For the help and for the laugh
Great post! I actually asked the mechanics at my last service how I could learn about cars. They said they all learned as kids from family/friends. Sadly, as a millennial, I don't know anyone who knows about cars. There is definitely a gap in the market for classes of some kind.
Also, what do you do with the cat litter?
Think about your tires spinning on snow or ice and then think about traction.
Thanks, Dad!
You could so a whole series of these on various topics.
Very useful post, Josh! I recommend every car have a small emergency battery jumper—you may never use it, but if you need it, you’ll be glad you have it. When you get it, charge it fully at home first. The new ones hold a charge for months.
Question for you: my 2022 Toyota Corolla recommends full synthetic oil, but my husband (not a mechanic) says synthetic blend is just as good. What do you think?
I think your husband is probably right.
But I do buy the synthetic, though it's costly, as oil changes aren't that frequent, and I plan to run this Toyota to 300,000 miles if I can.
I bought kitty litter before last winter from your tip in the Discord. Haven't had to use it, but I'm thankful for it. I was wondering what the tire pressure emergency light was about while reading. I'm still driving a 1999 vehicle around. Great article. Thanks!