Teach your daughters some car basics

[RECHRGD]

I have two daughters in their 30's.  One is fairly self sufficient and can do alot on her own.  The other (the princess) has no clue.  When they were growing up she would never pay much attention to me when trying to show her how to take care of a car.  She was a real looker and always had enough males hanging around to take care of her every want and need.  She is now divorced and doing the single mom thing.  I admire her for not just grabbing another guy to take care of her and trying to make it on her own.  But, I'm also sad that she seems so lacking in the basics of not only cars, but most things. 
Awhile ago I get this call (she lives 900 miles away).  She has a flat tire.  I ask her if the spare has air.  This car has a spare tire?  Yes.  Where is it?  Under the floor behind the back seat (Subaru Outback).  Oh, there it is, gee it's new!  Can you change it?  Silence.  Have you ever changed a tire before?  No.  OK call your insurance company because you have roadside assistance coverage.  OK.  You need to be sure that the spare is the same diameter as the other tires (snow tires) because the car is all wheel drive.  Oh.  Call the insurance co. and get back to me.   Later.....The insurance company is sending someone and a friend's husband just looked at the tire and he said it would be fine.  How does he know it's fine?  He a mechanic. (right, everybody that's changed a spark plug is a mechanic to her).  Well then why didn't he just change the tire for you?  Well, it's a really hot day and he didn't have his tools.  He doesn't need any tools.  You have a jack and lug wrench in the car.  I do?  Yes, it would have taken all of ten minutes for him to change the thing for you.  Oh.  Just be sure that when the tow truck gets there that he confirms the size of the tire.  Also don't let them tow the car unless they can get all four wheels off the ground.  OK.  Remember the regular tires you've got at home?  Be sure to have all four of those matching tires put on the car asap.  Call me when you are back on the road.  OK.

I'm still waiting for the call.

I guess I only have myself to blame for this.  Bob

[Magnumcharger]

You are not to blame.
Everybody makes their own choices in life, hers was to lean on men as a resource.
Maybe she'll start smartening up now? You can hope!

[68X426]

Don't be too tough on yourself. And it's never too late to learn (and teach). Maybe you spend a day or two with her teaching some survival skills, including car basics.  One adult to another, not just dad to kid.

The motivation now is that for her to remain truly independent, she better rapidly build a skill set, re: cars, finances, debt management, plumbing, heating, decision making. Your help and advice is even more valuable now. It's not too late.

[RECHRGD]

I would hope she might start paying attention to her old parents by now, but I'm not so sure.  Unlike her sister, she has never, even now, wanted to take any advice from us.  Money---yes, advice---no.  She puts more weight on what a new friend might advise than the wisdom of her parents years on the planet.  I expected that mindset in the teenage years, but Damn, she's 37 and just keeps making the same dumb mistakes over and over.      Bob

[Dans 68]

Good thread. My daughter is 9 and she will learn the basics...about everything. She plays soccer and baseball, take horse riding and piano lessons, and has a lot of pets. We are currently building her a treehouse. She does 1 to 2 hours of homework every night now that she is in the 4th grade. She will help with all oil changes, tune-ups, tire rotations, etc. I always take the time to explain why I'm doing something, even if I get the "rolled up eyes in her forehead" look .  It does take, but it takes a bit of time.    And just in case anyone thinks she is too good to be true, realize there are times when I just want to drop kick her over the house....

I love her dearly, and that is why I make her do what she does. She can be a Princess when she wants but can also pick off squirrels with the rifle....

Dad

[Silver R/T]

It's alright, I've ran into females that are not familiar with cars at all. Cars need care? What care? I get more disappointed when I run into guys who don't know a thing about a car. To me every guy should know basics, at least.

[vancamp]

I just recently got my 17 year old daughter a 98 ram made her changer her own oil,fan belt, etc i told her i didnt want her to be one of the helpless girls on the side of the road, we will see if it works.

[ZSmithersCharges]

Good thread. My daughter is 9 and she will learn the basics...about everything. She plays soccer and baseball, take horse riding and piano lessons, and has a lot of pets. We are currently building her a treehouse. She does 1 to 2 hours of homework every night now that she is in the 4th grade. She will help with all oil changes, tune-ups, tire rotations, etc. I always take the time to explain why I'm doing something, even if I get the "rolled up eyes in her forehead" look .  It does take, but it takes a bit of time.    And just in case anyone thinks she is too good to be true, realize there are times when I just want to drop kick her over the house....

I love her dearly, and that is why I make her do what she does. She can be a Princess when she wants but can also pick off squirrels with the rifle....

Dad

Don't just tell/show her how to do things make her do them on her own so she gets a feel for it and learns its ok to get dirty    I know shes only nine so the bolts may be hard for her to get out but loosen them up for her and let her finish.  Not like you need the advice but its just what my dad did with me when I was little and it really got me into it... because just watching to me is like watching someone play madden and not being able to play, it gets boring quick.

[69bronzeT5]

An old teacher of mine brought over his black '70 440 'Cuda one day and my sister (14) walked out and said "Is that a Camaro?" She only knows what Chargers and Dusters are pretty much.

Since she registered late for school at their new place, she had to take power mechanics. She isn't too happy

[Todd Wilson]

My daugher is almost 4 and seems very interested in the old iron.  I've already been thinking of stuff she will need to know about vehicles before she gets a drivers license. She needs to know the basics and how to do things. If she dont want to do those things later thats fine but at least she will know so she wont get took at the mechanic shop.


Todd

[bull]

Here we go. These are the kind of girls we're talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z2L5qtmyto

[68X426]

Sad because it is probably not an act.

[chargergirl]

Good thread. My daughter is 9 and she will learn the basics...about everything. She plays soccer and baseball, take horse riding and piano lessons, and has a lot of pets. We are currently building her a treehouse. She does 1 to 2 hours of homework every night now that she is in the 4th grade. She will help with all oil changes, tune-ups, tire rotations, etc. I always take the time to explain why I'm doing something, even if I get the "rolled up eyes in her forehead" look .  It does take, but it takes a bit of time.    And just in case anyone thinks she is too good to be true, realize there are times when I just want to drop kick her over the house....

I love her dearly, and that is why I make her do what she does. She can be a Princess when she wants but can also pick off squirrels with the rifle....

Dad

Thank Goodness about the drop kick! If they don't make you crazy once in a while now they will make you worry when they are older. The rolling of eyes works with boys and girls. The youngest boy, Sgt. in the Army is making sure his daughter will be able to do everything he does. It's also cool to be a girl...dress up, hair in curls etc. Just know what your doing. She will have the skills to take care of herself. He is on his way to taking her hunting, survival camping and yes she will maintain her own car...she's 5 now...small stuff first...learn to do the daily stuff...oil, trans fluid etc.

[beware the sleeper]

oh man, my sister is sputterin home, and shes sitting in the garage while i pop her hood, she broke down at a gas station.  so she is sittin there and a bunch of get er' dones are trying to act like they know what they are talking about I guess, and they tell her her tranny is blown.  so I am looking and shes like "MY TRANSY IS BUSTED MY TRANSY IS BUSTED!" well, the car was overheating......so i was like  mmhmm,  look and sure enough, her water pump gasket is blown, so I tell her, and she LOSES IT "GREAT, NOW ITS GONNA COST ME LIKE A GRAND, I HATE THIS CAR!", and is almost in tears, I let it go for a few minutes (what, she was a mean ass big sister), and then inform her that its gonna cost her about a buck fifty, she loses it even more thinking i mean 150$, I sit her down and explain i mean a dollar and fifty cents, then I go to auto zone and get it, replace it in like 5 minutes.  I tell you what.....funniest thing ever.

[ZSmithersCharges]

Sad because it is probably not an act.

Its not read the comments...  "we dont even know why its called a muscle car we just dont like the annoying engine sound"... I'm surprised engine is even in their vocabulary.

[bull]

Sad because it is probably not an act.

Its not read the comments...  "we dont even know why its called a muscle car we just dont like the annoying engine sound"... I'm surprised engine is even in their vocabulary.

Ironic how they talk about restoring/showing classic cars as being a waste of time but seem to think producing/uploading retarded videos about mocking people is a productive and worthwhile endeavor.

[Belgium R/T -68]

We have 4 daughters between 14 and 22 years old, my wife have some horses and dogs but the only thing the daughters like to do
is spending time chatting on the computer or cellphone when they doesn't watch TV or sleep. I just wonder where the world is coming too.
I see daily teenagers who doesn't have any hobbies what so ever or any interest to learn anything that will help them later on.

Last week the oldest one called from work and said her car didn't start, dead battery. She had forgot the lights on in the morning and when
I asked if she didn't hear the "alarm" when she opened the door she had no clue what I talked about.

Per

[FJ6N96]

So I am glad that I am not the only one that had this problem.

My 21 yo daughter drives my 2005 Mazda RX-8 and mentions to me that it doesn't feel right when she's driving on the highway.  Now this car is loaded and has tire pressure sensors and there's an idiot light that comes on when any of the tires are low.  She tells me it's been on for at least a week.  I smack my head and ask her why do you think they call them idiot lights for?  I give her a tire gauge and tell her to stop and put some air in all the tires.  I showed her where to find the amount of pressure required on the tire so now she knows all much PSI is needed in all the tires. 

Well the next day, she comes home from work and says, Dad the RX-8 handles so much better now, DUH. 

All I can say, I am glad that it wasn't the oil light!

I can't give to much of hard time, she has helped me with my two cars:
1971 Superbee and a 1970 Challenger R/T.

FY1443433