What everybody should know about cars.

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: torpid
I just bought a used car. I don't recall seeing a jack among the tools, but I will check. I bought the car I traded in new and it had a pretty lame one. Anyway, if the used car i just got does have one, it's probably a craptastic jack that would only make my lower back problem worse.

You should make sure you have a jack & lug wrench. Even if you can't do it yourself due to your back problems, somebody may be willing to help you. But you gotta have the tools.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
1. a cross-style lug wrench....basically, a generic lug wrench that looks like a + sign.
2. a cheap tool kit......
3. a set of jumper cables.
4. a cheap hydraulic bottle jack
5. a spare pair of wiper blades

I highly recommend 1-4 although I never actually thought of getting a spare wiper blade. I actually do carry a set but it's purely due to the fact that I'm just too damn lazy to swap out the old ones.

The cross-style lug wrench is awesome compared to the el-crappo factory one. The same goes with that lame jack they give you. Jumpers are a must.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: HN
in case the guy across the street is reading this:
There is FREE AIR at the gas station to pump your tires. you DO NOT need to use the LITTLE PLASTIC FOOT PUMP that comes with your child's inflatable pool toy. I hope you enjoy walking around with that ONE LARGE LEG.

The air around here usually costs 75 cents at the gas stations.

Heh, yeah I would say it depends on where you are. CA has a law that if you're a customer (aka buying gas) that they also must provide you with air and so they'll give you a token to use in the machine. At least that's what the little sign on the air pump says.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: torpid
For me, #1 is a lot harder than the rest. I don't have the tools, know-how, or lower back resilience to change a tire.

Are you kidding? It's about as technically challenging as boiling water and the tools you'll need come with your car...:roll:

As for your lower back, you can't lift 30lbs three feet?

 

[mb]

In no particular rank/order:

1. Proper use of signals
2. How to park
3. How to merge
4. Which lane to use on a # lane internstate and safe travel speed
5. Keep windows clean for optimal visibility (that layer of film/dirt on the outside AND inside of your window can get dangerous when the sun is at a certain angle or at night with oncoming traffic)
6. Tires. Proper inflation and how to change a spare. Recognition of tires that need replacement.
7. Traffic signs
8. Windsheild wiper blade replacement so you can actually see out the car when it rains
9. Proper mirror AND seat adjustment
10. When to recognize that your car needs to be fixed and not driven till it won't even run
11. Everything else I forgot that contributes to safety

I wouldn't say people need to know how to work on a car (other than the few things above). That's what mechanics/dealerships are for. I honestly don't care if someone does or doesn't know how to change their own oil or brakes or rotate their tires, as long as they get it done. At the very least, people just need to learn how to drive and properly maintain their car for optimal safety (like example 5).

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: torpid
For me, #1 is a lot harder than the rest. I don't have the tools, know-how, or lower back resilience to change a tire.

Are you kidding? It's about as technically challenging as boiling water and the tools you'll need come with your car...:roll:

As for your lower back, you can't lift 30lbs three feet?

See above about tools. My car also has some sort of wheel lock that I haven't investigated. Even if I had, there's the matter of doing things in the right order (see this thread for examples) to prevent any potential damage. Everything else mentioned is listed in the car manual, except sounds, obviously. I'd say that makes it harder than the rest since I can't just open to a page in the manual for the solution.

It's not that I am physically unable to lug a tire out of the trunk and lug the flat one into the trunk, lean forward, crank a crappy jack for a while, etc. It's that I would have sciatic pain for a week or two if I did. Apparently you live in some fantasy world where no one has back problems or where everyone enjoys having sciatic pain for two weeks. This world of yours is also a world where filling something with water and hitting a button is the same amount of work as changing a tire, though. I guess it's safe to say we don't live in the same world.

 

[thoro86]

Wow, lotsa information here... thanks all!

 

[badmouse]

Originally posted by: torpid

See above about tools. My car also has some sort of wheel lock that I haven't investigated. Even if I had, there's the matter of doing things in the right order (see this thread for examples) to prevent any potential damage. Everything else mentioned is listed in the car manual, except sounds, obviously. I'd say that makes it harder than the rest since I can't just open to a page in the manual for the solution.

Oh yes! Make sure you know how to deal with wheel locks! I know several people who've had a simple problem turn into a timeconsuming nuisance because they didn't have a clue about their wheel locks.