Dear Parents of Kids That Drive

"Cajun Ginger" (CajunGinger) 01/30/2015 at 17:52 • Filed to: None

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I just found out few minutes ago that my 18 year old didn't even know how to open the hood of a car when I asked him to check the oil level. This has since been remedied.

Just a gentle reminder to make sure your kids, both sons and daughters, know how to open a hood, check fluid levels, how to jump start a car, how to check tire pressure and add air.

I had made sure the car he drives has jumper cables, etc and that he knew where they were. It never occurred to me he did not know how to open the hood of a car.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 17:56

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Did you slap him with the dipstick?

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 17:57

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Really? I never had issues knowing how to open the hood. But my problem happens every time I need to open it, it's either frozen shut or too scorching hot to open.

for Michigan > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 17:58

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My dad made me help him with oil changes, brake pads (and even a rotor once), starters, and other routine maintenance sort of stuff growing up. It's something I've appreciated immensely since becoming a car owner.

That and the internet. The internet is invaluable to a do-it-yourself-er.

E. Julius > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:04

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Add "change a flat" to that list. Even if you have AAA or something (I do), I'd much rather not wait for them if I get a flat ten minutes from home (happened to me once).

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:06

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HOW?! I'm 17 and I change my own oil and such!

Then again... maybe it's out of necessity since I drive a 4 year old VW nearing 85k miles :/

Grindintosecond > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:07

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A story from one of my cousins that was lucky enough to attend a somewhat upper class high school. A girl with a new mustang. Puts gas in, drives. Engine seizes. Why? she drove it forever and never had an oil change or anything done. Drive. Gas. Drive....

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:08

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When I first got the GP one of the turn signals burnt out. My Mom was dangerously close to taking it to a shop to get it fixed and I was just like "wut?"

Cajun Ginger > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/30/2015 at 18:08

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I did sigh.

It was kind of like this

Svend > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:09

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I had a neighbour last year come across to me and say "Sven can you open the bonnet on my van. I want to top up the windscreen wash and I can't find the lever anywhere".

He was 25 year old and had been driving this Ford Transit Connect work van for two years.

He also drove a Ford Focus which opened the same way.

Cajun Ginger > Grindintosecond 01/30/2015 at 18:10

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I see those cars at work if they manage to sell them before the engine seizes.

Cajun Ginger > Svend 01/30/2015 at 18:13

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hehe. Because of my job I actually know how to open that hood.

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:13

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Really? I knew how to open a hood before I was a teenager! Now, finding the release latches hidden in the grilles of different cars, that can be a pain. I've watched brakes get done, tires, and spark plugs. I even replaced the Throttle Position Sensor on my last car myself, in pouring rain no less. Basic maintenance is simple. Make sure that you instill gearhead genes in your kid. I'm already starting with my daughter, and she's not even 3.

Never too early or too late to be a Jalop.

Ronin > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:14

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It should also be noted that checking tire pressure needs to be done with a digital gauge, not those inaccurate analog ones.

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:22

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I knew how to change the oil in a car by 12. I was able to do an entire drive-train swap by 20. most stuff takes less than an hour to learn as far as basic maintenance goes, but most people don't want to take the time to learn now.

Axial > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:38

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Learning how to check fluids and change tires isn't part of the Driver's Ed. curriculum over there?

ttyymmnn > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:39

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Not surprised, when so many people view their car as an appliance. Before my sons drive, they'll know how to check and fill fluids, practice changing a tire so he can do it himself, learn where the bulbs are and how to access them. All that sort of stuff. He's going to have to pass a test before he's on his own. My dad didn't teach me a thing, because he couldn't do those things himself. I learned everything from my older brother.

ttyymmnn > Svend 01/30/2015 at 18:41

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That's crazy. Of course, had I not been able to find a latch, I would have consulted the manual.

Cajun Ginger > Axial 01/30/2015 at 18:42

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HA! No. I taught myself most of what I know about cars.

I did have a physics teacher at my all girls high school that insisted we all knew how to change a tire. As an assignment.

Cajun Ginger > ttyymmnn 01/30/2015 at 18:43

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I taught myself.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:48

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My wife might as well think there is witchcraft going on under the hood. She for sure doesn't know how to open the bonnet and if I showed her she would forget by the time she needed to actually do it. No kids, but they will know if I have offspring.

Axial > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:50

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Basic car maintenance is a requirement for Driver's Ed. through public high-schools schools where I am. Or, it was when I took it 6 years ago. I guess that makes it even worse when people don't know how to do some of this stuff: it means it wasn't important enough to them to remember.

Your physics teacher sounds awesome.

Svend > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 18:51

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It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't know anything about their car though.

Svend > ttyymmnn 01/30/2015 at 18:59

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The stuff I get asked regarding peoples cars would turn you against humanity.

Cajun Ginger > Svend 01/30/2015 at 19:02

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people do bad things to innocent cars.

PushToStart > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 19:05

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lol, opening the hood of an unfamiliar car is always such a journey. there's nothing quite like digging around in tight spaces filled with dead bug carcasses looking for a small metal tab, hahaha

Svend > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 19:07

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So true.

Ferrero1911 > Cajun Ginger 01/30/2015 at 22:44

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I've found that it's actually pretty common for parents to assume their sons know how to do car things. Before I learned to drive (I'm a woman) my dad made sure I knew how to check the oil, jump a car, change a tire etc. I thought everyone's parents did that (and definitely agree with you that they should). But as I've gotten older I've met more men than women that don't know how to do these things. Since then I've taught 2 boyfriends how to use jumper cables and walked some college friends through changing a tire on the side of the road in rural NH in the snow when the boys didn't know how (like they didn't even know where the spare was in the truck). It was way better than waiting for AAA in a snow storm!