Car Basics for Learners

5 things to know about cars for Learners

You don’t need to know everything about your vehicle, but you should have some knowledge. To help you feel more confident as a car owner and rider, here are five things you should be familiar with about your ride:

1.Know your vehicle’s year, make, and model:

The firstly you should know about your car is the year it was manufactured, the make of the car, and the specific model. This seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at the amount of people who don’t know this important information. They may be mistaken about the year, or the car make and model, which can lead to big trouble. Oils, parts, and accessories to repair and maintain your car are all based on its year, make, and model, so it’s critical to know this important information. Cars’ design, construction, and models can change significantly from year to year.

2.Get familiar with the vehicle identification number:

Your vehicle identification number is your car’s biometrics. It’s a 17-digit code that identifies your car’s manufacture date, place, make model, engine size, and other important information. The vin stays with the car throughout its life. You need to know where to find this code on the car body, but you don’t need to memorize it. The easiest way to find it is to stand outside of the vehicle on the driver’s side and look for it at the corner of the dashboard where it meets the windshield. Your vin is useful when talking to mechanics and insurance companies, which use it when issuing insurance policies. You can use the vin to look up information if you want to purchase a car or buy parts for your car.

3. Keep up with the maintenance schedule:

A good way to keep your car running well and flowless is to stick to your car’s specific maintenance schedule. Your schedule will tell you things like when to change your oil when to check your fluids and when to rotate your tires. Each car has its maintenance schedule that should be followed to maintain good and long-lasting performance and health of your car. Your maintenance schedule should be in records. Also strictly follow the recommendations for checking and replacing those parts or fluids in your car to keep it healthy.

4. Tire pressure is important:

Proper tire pressure might be the most ignored but important maintenance concern on our cars. A lot of us ignores the warning light when it comes on or put off checking the tires because we don’t want to take the sometime. However, not addressing low tire pressure can decrease the life of our tires and require us to buy new ones sooner than we otherwise would have to. Tires are expensive, but some can last you over 50,000 miles if you take care of them correctly and nicely. On the flip side, make sure to never overfill your tires as it can lead to blast of tires.

5.Don’t ignore dashboard warning lights:

While we may experience anxiety and get stressed when dashboard lights such as the check engine light come on, they are a window into our car’s health. Dashboard lights vary among car manufacturers, so check your owner’s manual to find out what they actually mean. However, manuals may not express how important or insignificant certain lights are. It can be helpful to separate dashboard lights into three categories:

• • Red: Get help now! These are sometimes related to safety of passenger.  

• • Yellow: Check this as early as possible.

• • Green or blue: For informational purposes. No action is needed.

Understanding these car basics for learners is your first step to feeling in control of your car, talking to a mechanic confidently, and making better choices for your car’s maintenance.