Teach Your Grad These Car Care Basics

When it comes to life skills, we know most dads want to teach valuable lessons that will help their kids in the ups and downs of life.  Graduation season and Father’s Day are the perfect opportunity to touch on car care basics and highlight what to teach your graduate before they head off to college. 

Looking to spend some quality time with your graduate this summer? Teach some car care skills that will help them maintain their vehicle and save them some money. You’ll impart valuable life lessons, and you’ll chalk up some quality time that involves working on a project together. You may have to pry them away from their smart phone. Your kid may noy be the most enthusiastic learner right away. However, giving them the basics – and admitting where you are learning together – will create a lifelong sense of self-sufficiency and independence that cannot be bought. There is nothing like the sense of accomplishment and confidence that comes from being able to do things yourself. 

Here are some basic car care maintenance steps we think are great to hand off to your new grad. 

Changing a tire. Every driver should learn how to change a tire soon after learning to drive. Every driver will at some point have a flat in an area where they may not be able to get help. AAA is great if you can afford the extra expense or if you are in a populated area, but cell phone coverage doesn’t extend everywhere. Teach your kid the proper way to change a tire and how to do it safely. Don’t leave them stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere when they inevitably have a flat when headed home to Thanksgiving. 

Changing your own oil. Impart the value of doing basic car care yourself to your graduate. Changing your own oil is an easy, low stakes way to save some money and do things yourself, a valuable life lesson. Even if you and your graduate ultimately prefer to pay someone else to do it, don’t let this basic task be a mystery. Educate your kids so they know what services they actually need when they’re paying someone else to work on their car.

Checking tire pressure and fluids. Again, we’re not talking about being the best mechanic in the world here. Teach your kids the basics of how to check fluid levels, check and maintain proper tire pressure and refill the washer fluid. 

Check your tire tread levels. Grab a penny and show your kid how to check the tread level on their car. Better still, purchase a tread depth gauge for a more accurate reading. Even more important, teach your kid what to do with that information so they will know when they actually need to spring for new tires.

Jump starting a vehicle. Your graduate will get stranded somewhere and need a jump. If they don’t, a friend will. Make sure they know the basics of how to hook up their jumper cables. (And make sure they have jumper cables in the trunk in the first place.) The sense of pride and accomplishment they will feel when they can help a roommate who got stuck is gold.

Changing your wiper blades. This is such an easy win. Teach your kid how to change their own wiper blades so they’re not standing next to their car in the auto repair shop parking lot looking desperately around for someone to do it for them. This is a good time to also teach your graduate that you get what you pay for. Spring for the higher end wiper blades from a brand like Bosch or Trico. They will last longer and do a better job overall.

Changing headlights. Changing headlight bulbs takes less than 30 minutes but is critical for safety. Make sure your kid knows how to do this simple task.

Cleaning your car. Impart the satisfaction of driving a clean vehicle by keeping your car clean and involving your kid in the basics of taking care of their stuff. Don't do it for them. Take them along to help you when you visit the car wash. Spend a Saturday morning waxing the car in the driveway just for the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Work on the basics side by side with your kids starting when they’re young. They’ll thank you for that valuable time spent together. 

If all else fails, be the dad who they know they can call and ask for advice when they’re stuck. If your kid doesn’t know whether they actually need new tires or an engine filter, at least make sure they know to tell the auto repair tech six important words: “I need to call my dad.”

Happy Father’s Day and Happy Graduation to all our Snap Clean customers!