Braving a breakdown: How and why to arm young drivers with car care basics
Posted by Angi, Marketing Manager
Teen driving safety is often a hot topic this time of year, with graduation parties, last hurrahs with friends, and college preparations in the air. While safety and making smart choices are two key topics, there’s another important matter that hit home recently when I stopped for gas 7 hours into a 9-hour trip.
As I got out of my car, I noticed that the older Ford Taurus beside me was emitting more plumes of smoke than a July 4th barbecue. The driver was a college student, and he seemed more surprised than me to see the smoke rolling out from beneath his hood. When I saw him fumble repeatedly with the hood latch, I offered some assistance and then used the handy flashlight app on my cell phone to confirm what my nose suspected—he had a coolant leak. There was a fresh—and growing—puddle under the car, but it wasn’t beneath the radiator or the overflow tank, which both seemed dry.
Schedule a Car Care 101 appointment today for your young driver. During the 90-minute session, an ASE-Certified Master Technicians will thoroughly inspect their car for safety, maintenance and, of course, potential breakdowns. We’ll also equip your son or daughter with the know-how to check all their fluids, jump start a dead battery, and change a flat tire. For $125, this is the lowest cost investment you can make in your child’s education all year.
I hated to tell him that I suspected a bad water pump, which could leave him stranded with little warning. It was 10 p.m., he was at least 250 miles from home, and he was traveling along a dark, winding highway with many miles between exits. Despite all that, he was determined to keep going, so I gave him a crash course in what I hoped would get him as far as possible: Add more antifreeze now. (The overflow tank was nearly empty.) Stop every 30 miles or so to check the antifreeze, at least at first. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge. If it goes up, you’ll need to stop somewhere for the night. And good luck…
Are your young drivers armed with knowledge to handle a roadside breakdown?
While I enjoy helping motorists in need, there was more worry than reward in this situation. The odds seemed stacked against him making it home without a breakdown, and the unfortunate young man had no automotive knowledge to guide him. This spurred flashbacks to my college days and the thousands of miles I drove late at night in my ailing Plymouth. I had never before realized how lucky I was to have never broken down at 3 a.m. on some desolate highway. (Cell phones were just arriving on the scene and were fairly expensive.)
It also made me further realize the importance of basic automotive knowledge for our teen drivers and college students. Many high schools today are hard-pressed just to offer driver’s ed, let alone basic tasks like changing a flat tire and checking the engine oil level. We get by telling ourselves the car isn’t likely to break down or that, if it does, we can dial for help on our cell phones.
But stop and think for a moment about the route your young driver takes to college or on weekend trips. Imagine it in the middle of the night or on a frigid winter day. There are many stretches of highway between Chicagoland and Southern Illinois and Purdue and the University of Wisconsin where your college freshman could have a flat tire or other malfunction and not be within cell phone range – or have a dead cell battery.
In a case like that, it would be extremely helpful for them to have at least a basic understanding of what’s going on under the hood. It can help them maintain a level head instead of panicking, and they can respond more wisely to the situation if they’re better informed. For example, they might know that a failing water pump means they need to call it quits and pull over for the night. If you grew up tinkering with your muscle car and know your way around, please, educate your 16-year-old or recent grad or college senior on the basics.
If you’re not car savvy, we can help. Contact us today to schedule a brand new Car Care 101 appointment. During the 90-minute session, one of our ASE-Certified Master Technicians will thoroughly inspect your young driver’s car for safety concerns, maintenance needs and, of course, potential breakdowns. At the same time, we’ll give your son or daughter an underhood and undercar tour and will show them how to check all their fluids, jumpstart a dead battery, and change a flat tire. We’ll also answer questions they have and will address popular automotive myths. For $125, this is the lowest cost investment you can make in your child’s education all year.