A Note From Audra
Hi, You are obviously the type of person who likes to be in control of their life. Whether you do your own repairs and maintenance and want to brush up, or you've never even peeked under your hood, I intend to leave you empowered.
You might be thinking, "Why do I need to know how my car works when I can pay my mechanic to figure it out?" You've got a point there, but how do you know when your mechanic is trying to upsell you on a repair that might be unnecessary?
How will you know when a shop double-charges on labor when two repairs overlap? I'm not trying to say mechanics are crooked, most are generally honest. But you have to keep in mind that your mechanic is running a business, and the more he sells the more money he makes. If you're at Saks (or Payless) and the salesperson tries to sell you an extra pair of socks to go with your new kicks, are they being dishonest? Of course not! But you know that you don't need any more socks, so you say no thanks and move on. The same thing happens at the repair shop. If you're automotive empowered, you'll be able to spot the upsell right away, and that's the day you saved some money and refused to be taken advantage of.
That's what automotive empowerment is all about. Repairing and maintaining your own car can be fun and rewarding. You'll save precious time and money every time you stick your head under the hood instead of dropping your car off at the shop.
Everybody has their own comfort level when it comes to do-it-yourself repairs. You may be comfortable replacing your shocks and struts, but somebody else may only want to check their fluids. But both these people are empowering themselves by learning about their car.
It's never too late to get acquainted with your engine. Look at it, listen to it, smell it. The next time something's wrong you'll know long before an unempowered driver, and you'll save some serious money.
Thank you so much I'm glad you came today.
Audra
Introduction
“There
is an expectation that even someone who has never opened the hood of
their car, has the basic knowledge of how to maintain the day-to-day
operation of their car.”
Gas
“Most
likely your car doesn’t need anything higher than 87 octane gas. If
your car needs something else, it will be labeled on the gas cap that
it requires ‘premium gas’. Premium gas is usually 91 octane or above,
of course very few gas stations have 91 octane, so you’ll need to use
93 octane.”
Tires
“Tires
are your connection to the road. If your tires are worn (or worse, worn
unevenly), your car’s ability to handle and stop will be affected. The
tread of your vehicle is built to help grip the road and force water
out from under your tires.”
Fluids
“Your
car has fluids for lubrication, cooling, braking and even to help you
clean your windows. Each fluid has a purpose and every one needs to be
maintained properly.”
“Engine
oil keeps your engine’s metal parts moving easily. Over time your oil
degrades and must be replaced. Your manufacturer defines the maximum
interval between oil changes.”
“Your
engine has coolant that helps keep your engine cool. Like engine oil,
coolant also degrades over time and becomes less effective. Your
manufacturer defines how often the coolant must be replaced.”
Why Cars Need Maintenance
“Your
vehicle consumes more than just gas as you drive around town. Whenever
you step on the brakes, your brake pads are slowly worn down. Metal
components rub against each other creating heat breaking down the
lubrication that keep things moving easily. Rubber components degrade
over time and exposure to the elements.”
“Maintenance
is the replacement of the parts and fluids in your car that degrade
over time. Ignoring maintenance pushes parts of your car beyond the
expectations of the manufacturer and ultimately lead to failure of
components, leaving you stranded.”
What Do I Really Need to Do (and how to extend the life of your car)
“Good
automotive maintenance can extend the life of your car, and make sure
that your car is always dependable and trustworthy. In this section
you’ll learn about typical maintenance for your vehicle, why you should
do it, and what it actually is.”
Brakes
Brief explanation of how brakes work
http://cars.cartalk.com/content/advice/brakes.html
http://www.familycar.com/brakes.htm
When
you depress your brake pedal, your car transmits the force from your
foot to its brakes through a fluid. Since the actual brakes require a
much greater force than you could apply with your leg, your car must
also multiply the force of your foot. It does this in two ways:
Mechanical advantage (leverage)
Hydraulic force multiplication