Helping Your Teen Know their Vehicle
Congratulations your teen has passed their driving course. You might be feeling excited, nervous…scared — or a jumbled feeling of all three. Don’t worry, this is totally normal. In addition to you accompanying your teen on the road as they hone their skills, help your new driver become familiar with his/her car:
- Pumping gas
What type of fuel to select at the pump
Where the gas cap is located
How/where to pay
Safe practices at the pump
Setting a good rule of thumb on when to refuel
- Keeping track of maintenance schedules
Discuss vehicle stats like the make, model and where the VIN is located
Have him/her read (at least skim) the vehicle’s owner manual
Discuss the type of oil the vehicle uses
Mileage and preferred location for an oil change
How to check the vehicle oil level
Adding windshield washer fluid
Discuss or share relevant smartphone app
- Learning how to check tire pressure and adding air when needed
Where on the vehicle the recommended tire pressure and tire size is located
How to check the pressure
How to inflate tires to the recommended tire pressure
- Jump-starting the car
Location of jumper cables – the use of jumper cables is not for a vehicle that has an electronic ignition system or an alternatively fueled vehicle
Where the vehicle’s battery is located and how to access it
Practice where to place the cables and safety guidelines
- Knowing where the jack, lug wrench, and spare tire are and how to use them
Recommend a local tire dealer or service garage for assistance
The size and location of the spare tire and how to remove it
Discuss a safe place to pull off the road and where the hazard lights are located
Why this is so helpful
Educating your teen about their car means they hopefully won’t be that person who runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere because he/she drove around with a nearly-empty tank, the one whose tire blew out because he/she forgot to check the pressure, or ignored vehicle warning lights.
