I still remember the feeling of getting my first car, a little old Ford KA, I sat in it playing CD’s, pretending to be cruising down our winding country lanes with my window down and hair blowing in the wind. A fair few years have passed since then and I’ve learnt a lot of lessons along the way, one of the most important ones was taught to me by my dad, the day I passed my test. Before he’d let me leave the drive he took me outside to teach me the crucial maintenance routines of my car, the things that would keep me safe.
Firstly, we opened the bonnet together, a bundle of tubes, grease covered containers and lids. Despite going through the basics of what went on under the bonnet with my driving instructor this was a whole new car and so things were laid out a little differently. We filled up the windscreen washer fluid, checked the oil and coolant levels as well as having a look at the main parts of the engine. Next, we had a quick flick through the handbook to help me get familiar with the various warning lights and symbols that would appear to tell me something was wrong.
Finally, we looked at the wheels. My dad taught me how to jack the car up, remove the wheel and change it for the spare tyre that lay hidden in the boot. We went through the whole process together, from beginning to end, before changing the spare back to the original. We then checked the tyre pressures using a nifty little gadget and compared them to the recommended ones on my petrol cap. So far so good. Lastly, we talked tread, and when you should change a tyre. Your tyres are designed to save you from slippery situations as well as helping you with steering and control, therefore it is absolutely vital that they’re in good nick otherwise all the work that you put in under the bonnet may as well be null and void. We checked tread depth, looked for bald patches and any abnormal wear and tear. A helpful hint here is to make sure to check the entire tyre, which often means rolling the car foreword slightly at intervals in order to get a good view of the wheel in its entirety. Writing this post today I checked the tyres on my car and found one to be getting seriously low, if you want to reserve car tyres easily then go to Point S*, type in your car registration, select the tyres you want, enter your postcode to find your nearest fitter and choose your preferred time and date, and you’re back on the road.
At the time these lessons with my dad seemed like an overly laborious process, but during the past five years as a driver, they served me tenfold. I’ve changed my own tyre in the Heathrow multi-storey carpark having come back from a holiday and found it flat. I’ve been able to maintain my engine, keep my car in a safe condition and smash the stereotype that women don’t know a thing about their vehicles. Although it’s important to be able to deal with a car crisis situation, it’s best to take preventative measures to stop them from happening. Stay safe on the roads and care for your car. Time for me to take these two for a walk in the sunshine.
Do you have any car care routines that you follow? Let me know in the comments!
*This post was kindly sponsored by Point S but all memories and opinions are my own.
Hello! I stumbled upon your blog and I followed you on Bloglovin! 🙂 Anyway, nice car you got there. I wish I have one but I’m still learning how to drive. lol
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Thank you sweetie! xx
This is such a great post as it’s something so handy to know but I’ve never seen it covered on a blogpost before! Great read 🙂 xx
Tash | natashatodd.co.uk
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Thank you Natasha! I’m so glad that you’ve found it helpful 😀 x
Nice read! ever since I can remember it was always my mom and I traveling in the car. So many stories to tell!!
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Thank you for stopping by! xx
I don’t have a car but i think your opinions and your advice would be very helpful! And i really like your car! Helene // Beautiful Is My Attire
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Thanks Helene! 😀 xx
Your daddy did well by you. My father in law taught me how to drive, change my oil and change a tire. The rest I leave up to my hubby!
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Thanks Marlene! They give us a good start point by teaching us the basics! xx
You go girl! I wish I had those skills…
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Thank you Caroline! 😀 xx
I’m gonna make the hubs read it!Thanks.
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Thanks for reading Hena! x
It’s awesome that you know how to care for your car on your own. I still need to learn how to change a flat and change my oil. 🙂
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It’s such a useful thing to learn! x
Nice car.nice blog…lines are just awsme
That is so great for you! And your dogs are super cute as well!
You are adorbs! Too cute! Love the car, the dogs and you!
xox Christie
http://icanstyleu.com/blog/
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Aww thank you Christie! xx
Dang, you know more about cars than I do!! i should learn to change my own oil too.
God, I wish I had my own car. Great post as always, Sophia! xx
E. / http://www.brooklynisburning.co
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Thanks Emma! xx
This is a great read! Keep it up❤
I think it’s so important to know the car your driving and like you said not just what brand it is but was goes in the engine, the tires etc. You never know when you like actually need the informations and then you might be able to even help yourself ;).
Lea, xx
nice car like the color and the changing your oil!! very good, i know a lot of people don’t know how to. my grandpa taught me to change my tire when i was 15.
This is awesome to know. Unfortunately I had to scrap my car due to engine damage but I never really had a structured car routine. I always had my mechanic do it but what I found it was that my mechanic were not doing a thorough job, and then just sending me on my way. Now I’m going to have to get a another car but this time I’m going to make my OWN routine and know exactly what’s going on with my car instead of leaving it entirely up to a mechanic.
impressive. i have a habit of turning up my stereo instead of looking for the problem. lol. i can change my tire but i prefer calling triple a.
Great post! For the road traveller I think it’s very important that you have a car routine. Nice to know there are articles out there of individuals explaining how they care for their cars!!!
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Thank you Sirena! x
This is such a different post to see floating around in the blogging world and I love it! So important for everyone to know. p.s. your pooches are adorable!
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Aww Thank you Lisa! xx
Great post! My Dad has shown me little things here and there, but it sure would be helpful to get out in the driveway with him for a good lesson on car maintenance. Thanks for the great post and getting me thinking!
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No problem Ashlyn! It’s great to learn a bit of their wisdom 😀 xx
Cute car and cute pics. The font was a little small but I’m old so…
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Thanks for the feedback Johnatha! x
What a great blog! I love your photos and hearing about how your dad taught you so much about how to take great care of your car.
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Thanks Steve! 😀
Cars can be really difficult! But yeah it’s really important to get to know them. I thankful too that my dad takes time to teach me things like that.
xx, Melissa
https://elephantontheroad.com
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It’s such a useful bank of info to have! xx
Love the tips! My dad was a mechanic and taught me some similar things that have save me thousands in the long run just by doing basic maintenance.
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Oh gosh yes! I forgot to mention how much it’s saved me 😀 xx
I have a red car too!! How cute are your dogs?!!! Great advice in this post. My dad always made sure I knew what to do as well.
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Aww thank you, I’ll tell them that they have admirers! 😀 xx
Thank you so much for sharing as I will take tips from this when I get a car as hopefully going to be learning to drive soon
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Yay!! Good luck for when you decide to learn 😀 xx
The picture of the dogs in the car is too cute. It’s good to be knowledgeable when it comes to looking after your car, so many people aren’t and they end up getting ripped off when they need it repaired. Great post and photos!
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Thank you, Tasmin! Yes it’s definitely saved me a few bob over the years 😀 xx
Great post! So many people have no idea on how to check anything in their car. If you’re driving in the middle of nowhere that could cause serious problems.
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Exactly! x
It’s really great that you know to do all these things. My husband is a mechanic so he is super strict on us keeping up on our cars. I’m sure he wishes I did as much to my own car as you do so that he wouldn’t have to do all the work! (;
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Oooh, that must be so useful having a mechanic in the family! xx
I’ve always wanted to know just how to change a flat tire! It’s a great thing to be able to fend for yourself!! Great reminder to make those basic maintenance things a priority!
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Thanks Bethany! xx
The only thing I know about cars is how to drive one, lol! It’s so great that you know how to care for it.
My ex-husband used to always make our three daughters work on the car with him and at first, it used to irritate me, but after reading this, I kind of understand now. My Dad never taught me to change a flat tire or anything even remotely related to becoming independent, so this is a story that pulls on my heart strings a little. I love the way you tell it. It’s a very important topic for all women 🙂
~Laurali Star
http://www.lauralistarxo.com
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Thank you Laurali! x It has been so helpful for me in the long run x
I try and care for my car as best I can especially since it’s my main source of transportation. I always check the tread on my tires and make sure they’re not too low; for some reason it’s been raining a lot here in Atlanta, GA and I would hate to hydroplane. I get my dad worked on cars for most of my life and taught me the value in taking care of your vehicle as if it were a child lol, and he also said no one will buy you another if you ruin it so yeah lol. This post serves as a great reminder for those who are a bit bad at car maintenance.
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Thanks, Daisha! It was the same for me, no one is buying you a new one. haha x
I am so glad I found your blog and was even more impressed after reading this post. You go girl!!! Keep smashing those stereotypes. My dad was a big gear head and also taught me the basics of keeping my car in a safe condition. My routine every morning to circle my car once to just check the tires. Thank you for sharing this. Have a great day.
Xx
Nikki
http://www.nikkilivinglife.com
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Thank you Nikki! xx
Good for you! My dad showed me the same things. It’s so important for young women to know how to maintain their own wheels, especially when they’re on their own!
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Definitely Jenn! xx
You gonna laugh so much but I’m forwarding this post to my boyfriend right now haha! Bless we’re not particularly technical people so we like NEVER check anything. I can’t even remember the last time we put in oil oops! x
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HAHA please do! xx Thanks Tereza