Getting under the Hood

Car class for women works on the basics

by Sarah Morin 331-4363 | smorin@heraldt.com
April 19, 2007

Even if you don’t know how to change your brake pads or replace a transmission, there’s no reason anyone else has to know.

Talk like a professional and chances are you won’t be taken for a ride the next time you take yours in.

Here’s three little words to get started: locked torque converter.

Such as “No, Mr. Rip-off auto mechanic, I can’t afford to repair this and fix that given the fact that I think I have a locked torque converter.”

Other fun ones that should draw a reaction and could even save you some bucks: ball joint, muffler bearing. It’s all about the language, so steer it in your favor next time.

Dan Nelson, automotive technology instructor at Hoosier Hills Career Center, dispensed such helpful car-care tips earlier this month in a “Handy woman: Car Care for women” class offered by Ivy Tech.

By the end of the two and half hours, the group of six ladies weren’t ready to open up a repair shop — but walked away knowing how to check important fluids under the hood. And not to be afraid of getting a little grease on the hands when you check the oil.

Inside the shoe-box sized classroom with an American flag and a black and white checker racing flag at the front, Nelson told us he might not make master technicians out of us but rather wanted us to have a little more knowledge of what we’re paying for when we hand over our keys for someone to take a look.

So ladies, start your engines.

CAR CARE QUICKIES

Her are some handy tips to take with you the next time you hit the road.

• Mix up the octane grade occasionally. Sure, it costs more, but that 89 and 91 octane is better for the vehicle. It’s easier on the engine and is cleaner. If your car is “knocking,” you probably need a higher grade of gasoline.

You can top off a half tank of 87 octane with 89 or higher.

• Know your car’s true MPG (miles per gallon). Fill up a half-tank or so and when it’s close to empty divide the number of gallons used by miles driven.

• Don’t run on empty. It’s especially bad during the winter months. Inside the gas tank is an electric fuel pump that stays cool by the gasoline sloshing around over it. Without the gas, it could go out and that means a trip to the garage.

• Check your tire pressure. A tire gauge is pretty cheap and very easy to use. Simply place the silver pen-shaped device around the open tire valve. The bottom of the gauge will pop out a pressure read kind of like a thermometer within seconds. Most cars need to be between 30 and 35 psi (pressure per square inch).

UNDER THE HOOD

• Check the oil. Always with the car off, and in the morning is best. Remove the engine oil dipstick — it’s marked — and wipe it clean on a paper towel or cloth. Dip it back in and remove again. The tip will tell you if you need to add oil, up to one quart. Add the oil at a separate location on the engine. It’s capped and much larger, and will be marked OIL.

• Check your automatic transmission fluid while the car is running. This one’s easy because the dipstick is located in the same spot as the add fluid cap. Add up to a half quart or one pint, if you need it. A lady in the class recommends adding the fluid in a Dixie cup.