Musings from the Radical Wrencher....

Saturday I was teaching a class and we were going over fluid levels and how to check them. After we talked about everything, one of the women said "this is what they charge $40 for?". She was referring to some of the ads that have people come to their shops to check and top off fluids.

I guess I don't really think about it because I have always taken care of my own vehicle, but she made a great point. She realized that after I showed them everything, it was a less daunting task than they had thought. I think that there is merit in offering a service like this to people who don't have time or interest in checking it themselves, but in today's economy, a little knowledge can save you some money.

I always encourage the women to get under their hood and familiarize themselves with where everything is located on their vehicle. I tell them that if it explains how to check it or replace it in the owner's manual, then it's something they can do.

Obviously there are some jobs best left to a trained technician, but the simple every day walk-around maintenance items can often be done by the owner of the vehicle. It's also an opportunity to catch things before they become serious problems by simply knowing what you're looking at.

It was great knowing that I was able to de-mystify some of the automotive jargon for this group of women. By giving them confidence to explore their vehicle on their own and know how easy it can be to maintain it, they can now be educated consumers and that their automobile may not be so mysterious after all!

Lori