Allen Brown
If there’s one thing that people are losing these days, it’s basic automotive skills. Most people under thirty years old don’t even know how to drive a manual. The level of complacency in someone always being there to do a job for them is astounding. Well, the reality is, there’s isn’t always going to be someone to help. And depending on the situation, the rules of supply and demand may come into play. One’s car is probably the most important determining factor of how much one can get done in a day. If you have to zip across freeways and side streets to complete an objective (like getting to work) then you best believe that knowing at least the bare minimum of how your car works will do wonders.
Read on to know more about the importance of having an automotive skills.
Changing the oil
Even if you don’t know anything about cars, there’s a good chance you know what makes it go. It’s the engine. And if there’s anything that makes the engine last longer it’s the oil. The instructors over at usmechanicedu.com know the importance of a good oil change. And in their experience, most people don’t even look. So being able to check and change your oil is an absolute sure way to be on top of one of the primary components of your vehicle. This works mainly as a preventive measure, keeping sure that you get the most out of your engine until the very end. The basic steps to changing your oil are:
- Drain the oil by removing the oil drain plug.
- Collect it in a pan.
- Unscrew the oil filter and empty it.
- Put the filter and the drain plug back.
- Remove the oil filler hole cap.
- Pour fresh oil.
- Properly dispose of your old oil.
Changing a tire
The second most important basic skill to have is knowing how to change a tire. We’ve all had a flat tire. We all know what it’s like to hear the thuds and feel the off-balance slump of flat rubber. And when it happens, there’s nothing more embarrassing than not knowing what to do. It’s fine if you’re in a city. But if you’re out in a more rural area and you’ve got no concept of what to do next? That’s definitely a rough time. Your basic steps are:
- Loosen the lug nuts.
- Lift the car with the jack.
- Remove said lug nuts.
- Remove the tire.
- Place the spare tire where the flat was.
- Wrench on the lug nuts in a star pattern.
- Lower the vehicle.
- Tighten the lug nuts.
Changing a battery
Aside from the oil and the tire, the third most important component is probably your battery. Now, having a spare battery is a good idea, although not very many people have that on hand. But in the event that the battery dies, it’s a good idea to know how to throw one on. If it’s night time and you’ve suddenly lost power, it’s very likely that there's a place open to selling a car battery. The likelihood of there being a garage open to install it is a lot less. Just as long as your car is off and you can match positive and negative, you should be fine. Having the ability to take that battery, pop the hood, and know how to put it in, saves one a whole lot of energy, money, and heartache, especially while on a road trip.
Basic automotive skills are a lost skill. The youth today are looking more and more to technology to save them at every turn. If this is you, it’s a good idea to start learning basic automotive skills regardless. There will be times where equipment fails. There will be times with no signal. And at that point, who will you turn to? Your shoes, if you don’t wise up.