I am a bad mother. I have let my daughters down. I have failed in my motherly duties as life educator.

I don’t know how it happened – busy lives, different schedules, learning so many other things this was just one more we didn’t get around to …

But they are clueless when it comes to car maintenance.

I make sure the car they drive is serviced regularly and they drive responsibly but we just didn’t ever get around to sharing those tips and tricks you pick up after years of driving. The sorts of things I guess boys and their dads chat about as they polish the twin overhead cam foxtails on the Torana every weekend. Sorry about the stereotyping.

I only realised this when my older daughter rang me, very upset, on the side of the road with a car that kept stopping and smoke pouring from under the hood. Her radiator overheated because we hadn’t topped up the coolant. I hadn’t told her she might need to.

Her sister is also driving now so I thought I better do something about this gap in their knowledge. I am no expert on cars – it once took me fully 10 minutes looking at the engine of a Volvo to find the dipstick, but it was a Volvo engine in my defence. There are many books, websites (and probably even an app) written by experts and you should take their advice rather than mine – in fact, most of what I know comes from Car Maintenance for Dummies – but here is a top ten list of things every person who drives a car should know. Enjoy.

Never let your petrol get too low

Urban myth has it that when your car registers ‘empty’ it has 30 – 50kms before it is dry, but do you want to trust this when you are coming home late at night? Miss out on a magazine or a couple of lattes but don’t assume you can get home on fumes.

Keep your tyre pressure at the recommended level

You can find the correct level printed on a plate on the inside of the driver’s door. Some car gurus say you should have a bit more pressure in your tyres than this because car manufacturers give you the best comfort level. A bit harder is supposed to help safer braking, but this is your choice.

Worn tyres do not ride well or allow for safe braking

Buy the best you can afford of the ones recommended for your car. PS – your fuel consumption will be less if you keep your tyres at their optimum level. Air  is free at every service station and the newer set-ups are very easy to use, just type in your required air pressure and it will beep when it gets there. Easy.

Check the radiator regularly

This is the large, flattish rectangular thingy at the front of the engine, usually has a fan close by and a round flat screw lid on it (this is called the radiator cap). We all use coolant in radiators now but if you don’t have any and your car overheats, use water.

DO NOT open the radiator cap if your car overheats. Pull over, wait 15 – 20mins for it to cool down then remove the cap. How do you know it has overheated? Your temperature gauge goes from normal to hot and smoke starts coming out of your engine. So, pretty obvious (and a bit like me when someone disses Dr. Who!)

That fan dohickey near the radiator has a belt, called a fanbelt, and in the bad old days these used to wear unevenly and snap. Another reason the engine overheated. If you were caught in the bush without a spare fanbelt you could use a pair of tights instead, just to get to the next town. Seriously. Luckily you live in city (probably) and will have this checked during your regular car service.

Check the oil regularly too

Oil lubricates the moving parts of your engine and is vital for it to operate properly. Imagine putting makeup on skin that has not been moisturised, or cooking in a pan that has not been greased. Open the hood of your car, look around for something that looks like a hook or ring, pull it out, wipe it clean and pop it back in. Retract it again and look at how far up the gauge the oil reaches. Top up as necessary.

The owner’s manual for your car will recommend the best viscosity for your engine. Actually, just read the whole manual – it has other good stuff  in it besides how to set the clock and how to use your iPod with the sound system. Get the oil changed regularly too as the more impurities in the oil, the less efficiently the engine will run. This should be part of your regular servicing of your car.

Get regular servicing and you probably won’t have to worry about those last three points.

Finding a mechanic you can trust is just as important as a dentist or hairdresser, and one of the most difficult tasks if you move to another place. But do it. Ask around, get recommendations. Find someone you can talk to who will listen to you. A mechanic once told me that the smart ones listen when a woman says ‘there is a strange pinging sound’ because even though we may not have the right mech words but we are in tune with our cars.

They are providing you with a service, not doing you a favour, so expect a detailed report on your car, expect forewarning of anything needed next time (eg. ‘the tyres are ok but will need replacing soon’) and ask questions. If you think the brakes crunch a bit when you corner and they can’t find anything, take your mechanic for a drive and illustrate the problem. But do, do, do get regular services. It will save you money and it might prevent your mother getting more grey hairs.

Brakes are essential

Testing them should be part of every service. Learn how to brake correctly so that you don’t wear them out before their time (a bit like your parents). One way to do this in a manual car is to shift down through the gears to slow down – but only do that if you have plenty of time before you need to stop.

Check your lights regularly

If an indicator or brake light is blown it is a real danger in traffic and if a headlight is out your visibility will be compromised but you may not that know until you are on a dark road. Get a friend to help you check them. Shine your headlights on a blank wall or a closed garage door. Ask for them to be checked when your car is serviced.

Love your battery

Iit is the thing that sparks the engine into life and if it doesn’t, you are not going anywhere.

There are some great tips on how stuff works for extending the life of your car’s battery. Topping the battery up with distilled water is the most common task. Yes, a battery is full of acid but needs water as well. Check your manual. Cleaning the points, or terminals, (where the battery is connected to the engine) also helps, especially if you live in a humid climate. So, not in Canberra.

However, the easiest thing to do is save its power: don’t leave the headlights on when the engine is not running, don’t leave the door ajar as the interior light will come on, rev gently and run your engine for a moment or two before taking off in the cold. Batteries hate cold, so yes, Canberra.

Alternators

Every car needs one that works. There is a great article on how stuff works but, basically, it provides electrical power when the engine is running and recharges the battery that had been used to start the engine. So, pretty important then. The first you will know about any problems is if the ‘ALT’ or ‘GEN’ light is on. Don’t ignore it because it will not go away. Go to the garage, go directly to the garage.

So there you are – oh, and join a roadside assistance scheme but make sure it is a reputable one. The peace of mind that a phone number of someone who will come and help asap can give great peace of mind to you … and your parents.

I would also recommend you know how to change a tyre but you probably won’t be able to do it. The pneumatic spanners they use at the garage to put the wheel nuts on tighten them up so much it is almost physically impossible… I have stomped and stomped on the tyre wrench and not been able to budge it at all. So there is another good reason for having roadside assistance.

And if you have a friend who is a mechanic do not assume that they will just love to spend their weekend helping you (they probably will as you both have very nice friends) BUT – would you expect your friend who is a doctor / nurse to treat you for free? Know your car, love your car and it will reward you with many years of great service.

Roslyn now drives a secondhand sports car but drove a Mazda 121 for 15 years without incident. That car is still going strong, despite a recently dry radiator.

Do you agree with these tips? Do you have any tips to share?