Your teen is itching to get out on the road with their new driver’s license. This enthusiasm is warranted because of the hard work it took to earn this privilege.
However, you want your teen to know a bit more about car they’ll be driving before they hit the road. Look over these top six tips for teaching your teen about car maintenance. Due diligence can keep your teen safe on the road.
1. Start with the Dashboard
The dashboard is one of the most important areas to pay attention to in the car. Discuss the individual gauges’ functions along with what’s considered normal or abnormal readings. With the key in the ignition, illuminate the dashboard’s various indicators.
Talk about the significance of each indicator’s presence on the dashboard. If anything lights up during a road trip, your teen won’t wonder about the indicator’s meaning. They can react as necessary to the concern.
2. Go Over the Fluids
Open the hood, and point out all of the dipsticks found around the engine. All of them measure a level of fluid, including the transmission and engine oil. Discuss the importance of the fluid levels and how to top them off.
A good point to drive home is extremely low levels should be further investigated. Fluids will drop in level over time but in small amounts. A low level that suddenly appears might indicate a leak.
3. Swap out the Tire
Understanding how to change a tire can reduce hazards on the road. Perform the process for the teen. Point out key elements, such as loosening the lug nuts when the car isn’t jacked up. Complete the entire process, and then ask the teen to repeat the steps.
By swapping out the tire in a controlled environment, the teen can ask questions and correct any mistakes with your guidance. Depending on the teen’s success with the trial run, you may want to repeat this teaching session several times in the near future.
Changing a tire out on the road can help the teen stay out of trouble. He or she doesn’t have to sit and wait for help when hazards remain around the car otherwise.
4. Test the Battery and Tire Pressure
Show your teen how to test the battery. Discuss the safety surrounding the car battery, especially when probes are involved. The battery is the most common item to fail on the average car.
Pull out a tire-pressure gauge and show the teen how to check the air levels. Properly inflated tires will keep the teen safe on the road. Without this knowledge, driving around on unsafe tires can be the norm, which leads to possible hazards.
5. Find the Air Filters
Changing the car’s air filters should be part of your auto-maintenance sessions. Find the filters in the glove compartment and engine area. Discuss the filter’s features and when it should be replaced.
Dirty filters will impede the vehicle’s abilities, such as wearing down the engine and creating poor gas mileage. Getting the teen familiar with these elements gives them a sense of responsibility when it comes to the car’s care.
6. Demonstrate an Oil Change
With a solid understanding of the car’s essential parts, knowing how to change the oil is a vital skill. Ask the teen to follow your lead as you jack up the car and lay underneath the engine. Point out the various parts under the vehicle that are typically difficult to see otherwise.
Demonstrate the process of draining the oil, replacing the filter, and adding new oil to the engine. The teen may not be an expert after one demonstration, but the skill can be refined from that point forward.
As you teach your teen about auto maintenance, consider more advanced lessons in the future. Going over brake-disc replacements and similar projects are great ways to learn more about a car and respect its parts.
Driving will be much easier when you teach your teen car maintenance and they’ll ultimately drive better with more information in mind. Also, take into consideration these helpful habits to make sure teen driver is a safe one.
