Mama Kat Thursday: The Memorable Dad Lesson

The Mama Kat challenge I selected today was to share, "A memorable lesson I learned from my Dad that still sticks with me today."

An amusing picture of Bette Davis from
Pinterest

During the nearly 5 years I was in the Air Force, I never owned a car.
 Once I got out of service, returned home and was planning to go off to college in the fall, then I needed one. So I finally bought car.

Before I was going to go driving off to live on my own, though, my Dad wanted to make sure I knew all the basics of car care:

1)  How to Change a Tire.
 He made sure I knew where the jack and lug wrench were stored in the wheel well, how to properly place the jack plus block another wheel and how to use the lug wrench. (I had already purchased a 4-way lug wrench because I felt it would provide me better leverage for the task, should I ever be called upon to do change a flat.) 

2)  How to Check Fluids. 
He showed me where the oil dip stick was and how to check it.
And the transmission dip stick. (I had a manual transmission, but they have dip sticks, too!)  He pointed out the brake fluid & radiator fluid reservoirs, so I'd know where to add those fluids if they dropped below the "full" lines. Plus the importance of regular oil changes.

Since then, I've owned many cars and this little bit of know-how has always proven invaluable.  

3) How to Care For a Car Battery:

I'm talking here about the old-fashioned type car battery that actually had individual cells you had to check and keep filled with filtered water!  Also he showed me how to clean the heavy build-up of white corrosion build-up off the nodes with baking soda. 

Thankfully, batteries have come a long way since then & are much easier!

#4)  How to Use a Jumper Cable

I had bought a set of those, too, since my philosophy is no one should drive around without a set. Dad showed me what went where.

This is another tidbit that has proven invaluable, since car batteries to go out for various reasons and my Hubby is not a car guy, so he relies on my handiness in such matters to help him place the jumper cables properly.

(I admit, I've had to reference that how-to online for recent battery incidents, because my brain was rusty on the topic. It was 35 years ago that Dad showed me that stuff, after all!)

I have to rate that hour my Dad spent making sure I knew how to  care for car on my own as the most memorable and something that has paid off for a life time. 

You might wonder if I ever had a flat tire with that college car?
 I did. One time. I found it had a rear tire gone flat while parked.  I've only had 2 flat tires ever in my life thus far and both times the vehicles were parked.

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So what was the most memorable lesson your Dad taught you?

Thanks for Visiting!