Part of learning to drive is also learning how to care for a vehicle. Driving is an essential life skill for many but it’s difficult to do it independently without having a good foundation of how to look after the car you use. Not everyone is a natural mechanic, but everyone can learn to do the basic things that are required to keep a car running. And for everything else, some professionals can help. Whether you are an adult who wants to build your skills or you’re helping a young adult to build their skills and confidence, there are various ways to learn proper vehicle care.
Make Use of Manuals
The first place to turn for advice about how to care for a car is the car’s manual. This should provide specific instructions about how often the car should be serviced, what different lights mean, and more. If your manual is missing, it’s easy to get hold of it. You can find specific manuals like the 2022 Ford Escape owner manual online and easily order what you need. This is a common issue with used cars or older cars, but it can also be useful to have an extra copy of the manual, just in case.
Watch Videos
Videos can be one of the most useful resources for anyone learning to look after their car. They’re instructional and allow you to watch how to do something, which can be much easier to follow than trying to read instructions. You can find useful videos in lots of places, including on social media like YouTube and TikTok. If there’s something you want to learn, you can almost guarantee that someone will have made a video showing you how you can do it yourself.
Learn from Doing
Learning the theory of how to do things is one thing, but actually being able to practice is important too. Fewer high schools may have shop classes nowadays, but there are still ways to learn how to work with a car. You can seek out classes where you can learn a few things. Or you could ask someone you know if they would be willing to show you the ropes. Practice makes perfect when it comes to anything practical like caring for your car. And you could have plenty of opportunities to do easy things like changing your oil or topping up the pressure in your tires.
Create a Routine
A good car maintenance routine will make it easier to take care of your car. When you have a schedule to follow, remembering to do important tasks isn’t so difficult. Preventive maintenance is always best too, helping to prevent larger problems from developing. Check your user manual to help you create a good maintenance schedule. When should it be serviced? How often should you change your oil? What other recommendations does the manual provide?
Take the time to learn to care for a car to gain an important life skill that will help you long-term.
*This is a collaborative post
Image by Waqar Hassan from Pixabay
