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Pop The Hood And Take A PeekJul 25 '00 Write an essay on this topic.I was prompted to write this editorial by a comment I read wherein a female member stated that she had no idea how to tell if her tires were at the correct pressure. This started me thinking about certain bad ideas my mother put into my head about exactly what constitutes "men's work" and "woman's work." WHAT MOMMY TAUGHT ME Basically, Mommy taught me how to ruin the vehicle! In her rather short-sighted, princess-on-a-pedestal world view, her job stopped behind the wheel. Checking the oil, water, transmission fluid, tire pressure, wiper blades, washer fluid, etc, were not within her frame of reference. She was perfectly capable of driving a vehicle out of oil until the engine seized, leaving her lost and stranded on a remote back road in Jersey (reading maps was also not in her job description). Over the years, I learned that Mommy was dead wrong in her attitudes about many things and my vehicles have thanked me with long and devoted service. Just for instance, Mommy taught me to ride the clutch when stopped on a hill (Daddy taught me to use a clutch correctly). As a consequence, her vehicles got new clutches every 15k miles or so until Daddy got her an automatic. I, on the other hand, recently replaced the original factory-installed clutch in my F-150 pick-up after 104,000 miles of happy driving. WHAT DADDY TAUGHT ME Gals, if you are interested in saving money, wear and tear on your vehicle, and time spent stranded alongside the highway, you will commit the following simple procedures to memory. If you perform these little chores regularly, you will be far less likely to become intimately acquainted with the guy who installs new engines or transmissions. Check The Oil. Before you can check the oil, you have to open the hood (or bonnet), that large slab of steel that extends in front of the windshield. Look around by the steering wheel for a hood release lever. If you can't find it, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL, there will be a page or several, with pictures of all the pertinent levers, switches, buttons, etc., that operate your vehicle. The Owners Manual is usually to be found in the glove box, in a pristine, un-read, condition. Once you get the bonnet open, look for the oil dip stick. Again, refer to the manual if it does not immediately pop into view. Chances are that it will be on the driver's side of the engine block and will probably be marked with an icon. It will have a loop of steel at the top, for easy grasping. Grasp this loop firmly and pull the dip stick from its resting place. It will be fairly long, covered in oil, and possibly whippy. Be prepared with several paper towels in hand and wipe off the oil. Re-insert the dip stick and push it all the way home. Remove it again and look at how high the oil level is. All dipsticks are marked with easy-to-read calibrations. You will plainly be able to see if you need oil, have too much oil, or are just right. If you need oil, ADD some. Do it now, not later, especially not after you have completed a 300-mile trip. You should always keep a quart or two of oil in the trunk (refer to the owners manual for type or ask your mechanic what to use after he replaces your trashed engine). Oil is cheap, new engines are NOT. Engine oil now comes in nice plastic containers with screw tops. You no longer need a dangerous-looking and messy spout thingy to open the metal cans. Just un-screw the top, open the cap where the oil goes (will be marked, NOT where the dip stick lives) and pour in the oil. My vehicles are both 4WD and very tall, I am not. If this applies to you, get something to stand on so you don't spill oil on the engine or yourself. If you check your oil at least weekly between oil changes (changes? YES, see below) you should not be troubled with nasty surprises on dark and lonely roads. Changing The Oil. This is something that falls into the realm of routine maintenance. It should be done every 3 to 5 thousand miles. You can do this yourself, but, then you are stuck with lots of dirty oil and a used filter to dispose of. For around $25 you can hire a man to do it for you. Make friends with a local mechanic or tire shop. Wal-Mart does this cheaply, but you have to watch them like a hawk or your filter might fall off on the Interstate and all the oil run out. Be wary of strange shops and mechanics, it is not unheard of for a woman to be told she needs new oil seals and gaskets or even a valve job when such is not the case. Know the guy who works on your vehicle and make sure he knows you are not a total dunce about internal combustion. If you are told you need expensive repairs, GET A SECOND OPINION from someone you trust! Brake and Transmission Fluid. While you have the engine exposed checking the oil, check the brake fluid and transmission fluid as well. Again refer to the owners manual for location. The brake fluid will be in a corner near the back atop some cylindrical do-dads. The dip stick is usually attached to the lid where the fluid is added. Unscrew the top, check the level, add fluid if needed. Your owners manual will tell you what kind of fluid to buy. It comes in small cans. If you are losing a lot fluid from one week to the next and your brakes are feeling mushy, you might have a problem. Take your vehicle in for service and avoid a nasty wreck when the breaks fail altogether. Transmission fluid is like oil, and has a long dip stick. It is sometimes difficult to find and is usually low down on the engine block. Refer to the owners manual for location and type of fluid to buy (there are several). Faulty transmissions are tricky. There are some problems that cost thousands to fix and some that cost less than $60 and feel just the same when you are driving. If you are told you have a bad modulator valve, fix it at once. This should be a minor bill and will save you replacing the entire transmission for thousands. If someone tells you you need a new transmission and your vehicle seems fine, GET A SECOND OPINION! If you were towed to the shop then you probably do need the work, it happens. Tires And Tire Pressure. For a few dollars, you can buy a tire pressure gauge at an automotive supply shop. They are usually chrome-plated and have a ball on one end that you place over the valve stem to check the pressure. When the air flows through the pressure gauge, it makes a calibrated rod pop out the opposite end. Do not hold your hand over this part or you will not get a reading. Make a note of what the pressure is in all four tires. Refer to your manual for the correct pressure. Some tires have this printed on the sidewalls in raised letters. Sometimes it is on a sticker or plate inside the door frame. When you have new tires put on your vehicle, ask what the pressure should be. If your tires look low and the pressure gauge confirms this, go to a place where you can have air added. Once upon a time, when gas was only 30 cents a gallon, all gas stations had air hoses next to the pumps and uniformed attendants would perform this service for you (they also checked "under the hood" and pumped the gas). Nowadays, it is harder to find an airhose. Some convenience stores that sell gas also sell air. Put a quarter or two in the slot and add air to your tires. Check the pressure and keep this up until it is right - do all four tires. If you cultivate a relationship with your tire store (many of them do oil changes, front-end alignments, and other minor repairs) they will usually tell you to stop by regularly to have your tire pressure checked. Do this. The consequences of of running on low pressure are not good. You will wear the tread unevenly, could damage the rims, could damage the tires, and probably won't be happy with the vehicle's handling. With tires now selling for around $100/each, you want to get the most mileage out of each one. Correct tire pressure will help achieve this end. WHILE YOU ARE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP Some of these places are huge, self-service emporiums for the mechanically proficient. Others are counter service only. If you want the most help, go to someplace like Napa, CarQuest, or even Advance Auto. The employees are usually knowledgeable and helpful. they will guide you to the correct oil, fluids, and gauges. Sometimes they will even attach things like new wiper blades for free or install batteries. While you are browsing around, be sure to get some cans of Fix-A-Flat or similar product, a gallon of windshield washer fluid, and check out the portable air compressors that plug into the cigarette lighter. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FOR THE MODERN WOMAN It is much easier to have a man take care of all the little things that make vehicles happy, no question about it. You can marry someone to do this and hope he is not automotively challenged, you can "hire it done" or you can try to do lots of it yourself. Just the few simple tasks I have discussed could add years to your vehicle and thousands to your pocket. You decide, would you rather have that stunning black silk number that shows off your cleavage to such advantage or would you prefer replacing the engine when it seizes from lack of lubrication. I know where I am spending my money and it ain't on short blocks!  |
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