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Once upon a time, long, long ago in a land not far away a fair maiden could drive her car into a gas station and a smiling man in a uniform would run out and ask: “Fill ‘er up?” In those days they were called “service stations” because your car was serviced. They added gas, checked the tire pressure, and added oil if needed. All you paid for was the gas and the oil. Ah, those were the days! For many of today’s fair maidens, this is a fairy tale with no personal recollection of it ever happening. There is some basic automobile information that every woman needs to know, especially if she doesn’t have her own personal knight in shining armor to take care of her vehicle. I had been driving a pretty blue sports car for about a year when I first started dating my husband. Knight that he is, he offered to check out my car’s need for service. He quickly came to me and asked how long had it been since I changed the oil. “Change the oil?” I asked. I had never changed the oil; I just kept adding more when necessary. I had driven about 25,000 miles without changing the oil, and it was sludge when he drained it. Now I know to get the oil changed regularly. One easy way to do it is by holidays. I drive 15,000 a year and change the oil every 5,000 miles, so I do it around Easter, Labor Day, and Christmas. Inside your glove box is probably one of the most important accessories for your car: the owner’s manual. Become familiar with it, for it will tell you the essentials needed for keeping your car running and also explain all of the lights and gauges. One section, usually entitled Maintenance Intervals, will tell you what needs to be done at 40,000 miles, 50,000 miles, etc. Many of these aren’t all that hard to do, such as change the air filter, and the local service station can take care of it. The manual will tell you how much air to put in the tires, what type of oil or antifreeze to use, and provide you with a multitude of other useful tips and tidbits. The owner’s manual is a great place to keep a log of when the oil change or other maintenance was done. Know how to check your tire pressure and add air if necessary. Learn where your spare tire and jack are located and learn how to change a flat tire. Sure, you may have a roadside assistance policy but tires can go flat in areas where there is no cell phone service. That guy who stops may be a kind man who wants to help, or he could be a serial murderer or a registered sex offender. At least know how to change a tire if necessary. Keep a portable battery charger in your car in case your battery dies. You won’t need another car to give your battery a jumpstart, and these chargers are safer to use. Brakes have a built in mechanism to let you know its time to check them. There is a little pin that will make a squeak when the pads are almost worn out. Don’t ignore this too long, for when the pads get completely worn out, metal grinds against metal and the cost to straighten it all out is double. Find a quality mechanic before you need one. Don’t wait until your car needs a repair that isn’t covered by the warranty to try and find a reliable auto repair shop that is good and trustworthy. Check with friends, family, and neighbors for recommendations to ensure peace of mind when you do need a repair. Until then, keep up on your maintenance and you’ll be a happy motorist.
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