Let’s talk about five of the essential things every car owner should know.
There are tons of skills you come by naturally as you start driving. Some things you learn for your drivers license exam, some skills you pick up as you start driving. But there are a few things not everyone knows how to do that can make you a better car owner and help you feel more confident on the road.
These are some of the top skills you need to take time to learn once you own a car. Let’s take a closer look.
Essential Skills for Drivers and Car Owners
Take a peek at the list. Do you know how to do all of these things?
Most people will have learned at least some of these skills naturally, but taking time to really master them can help you drive safer and keep your car in great condition longer.
1. How to Check and Change a Tire
It’s important to get to know your tires, and recognize the right tire for your vehicle. But buying the right tires is only the beginning – tire maintenance and tire changing are super handy skills for every driver.
The same is true for recognizing, checking, and changing or replacing fluids like engine coolant, brake fluid, windshield washing fluid, transmission fluid, and engine oil. If you see a liquid coming out of your vehicle, being able to recognize what fluid it most likely is and whether or not it constitutes a safety hazard is key.
To get you started here are the essentials of changing a tire:
Find somewhere safe to park on a level, firm surface.
Turn on your hazard lights.
Gather your tools: spare tire, car jack, lug wrench, and your owner’s manual
Review any important information in the manual about tire changes for your specific vehicle
Loosen but do not remove the lug nuts (which may be under the hub cap)
Position the car jack at your vehicle’s jack points based on the instruction in the car owner’s manual (sometimes marked with a notch on the chassis)
Slowly raise the car with the jack
Finish loosening and remove the lug nuts, keeping them somewhere you can easily find them again where they can’t roll away
Remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare, lining the spare up with the wheel studs
Replace the lug nuts and gently start screwing them in by hand
Lower the car
Use your lug wrench to tighten the lug nuts
Put all your equipment back where you usually keep it
Check tire pressure for all tires (you may want to go to a garage to make sure everything’s good to go and your tire pressure is even)
Return to the road, driving slowly and carefully if you’re driving on a donut
Practicing changing your tire a few times at home can make it much less stressful if and when you need to change one on the road.
2. How to Deep Clean Your Car Yourself
While automatic car washes are handy and typically fairly affordable, deep cleaning and detailing your car can get expensive and time consuming.
Knowing how to keep your car clean and how to handle stains and wear and tear on the inside and outside can improve your driving experience. After all, according to AAA, American drivers spent an average of 60.2 minutes behind the wheel every day as of 2022. Making that space clean and comfortable can help that hour of driving feel less stressful.
Plus, deep cleaning your car yourself can save you money, and some people find it meditative!
Speaking of saving money…
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3. How to Read A Paper Map
Once a ubiquitous skill, knowing how to read a paper map is less and less common with the rise of GPS and digital map apps for the phone and in-car systems. However, it’s important that drivers of all ages master this skill and keep it sharp to be safe. You never know when you could lose service or battery power. Having a map in your glovebox and knowing how to read can help save headaches should you land in a tough spot. The last thing you want in the case of a breakdown is to add not knowing where you are to an already stressful situation.
And reading a map isn’t all – all drivers should have on hand and know how to read their vehicle’s manual. You never want to be stranded somewhere trying to guess the meaning of an alert you’ve never seen before!
While reading a map might not be absolutely essential when you’re staying close to home, it can come in handy if you want to plan a road trip – and even more so when you hit the road and venture into new areas further from home (and, depending on where you’re heading, further from robust network coverage!).
4. How to Drive in Bad Weather
Given shifting norms for how often we see major storms – and new types of storms hitting areas that once rarely saw, for example, snow storms or hurricanes – knowing how to drive, and when not to drive, in all kinds of weather is an absolute must.
Driving in winter storms or heavy rain can mean different risks and challenges than, say, very strong winds or a heatwave. Prepare for all possibilities by brushing up on your driving skills and keeping an emergency kit in your truck.
In general, when the weather is crazy and you’re on the road, slow down, leave extra space between you and the car in front of you, and remember that if you start to slide, the best thing to do is take your foot off the gas and gently steer the front of your car toward the direction you want it to go.
5. How To Recognize Warning Signs from An Old Car
Last but certainly not least, assuming you do everything right and your vehicle serves you well for over a decade, you’ll want to start keeping an eye out for signs of wear and tear that might mean a car is on its last legs.
There’s a rule of thumb called the 30/60/90 rule in auto maintenance that suggests you should take your car in for servicing and preventative maintenance every 30,000 miles. This is true regardless of how long the vehicle’s been on the road and whether or not it’s showing any of the major old car warning signs.
Preventative maintenance can help catch problems early and let you drive with confidence even after years with your vehicle. If everything’s looking good, you just need to keep an eye out for rusting, brake issues, bumping or bouncing, or a persistent check engine light.
And One More Thing Every Car Owner Needs to Know…
How to lower their car payment! Auto Approve can help you lower your vehicle payment in minutes.
Most people are overpaying on their auto loan
If you got your vehicle from a dealership, there’s a good chance you’re overpaying on your auto loan, thanks to dealer markups on rates.
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