A new car can be quite a distraction. The more familiar your teenager is with the car itself, the more focused, responsible and secure that teen will be while driving. Here are four lessons to teach your teenager about that new car.
Read the Owner’s Manual
It’s a good idea to keep the owner’s manual in the glove compartment. If your son or daughter never looks at it, though, its presence there has limited value. Reading the manual makes the teen familiar with car’s basic driving and operating functions. Once he or she has read it, your teenage driver will find it easier to go back and check on maintenance or troubleshoot a warning light.
Keep up the Maintenance Schedule
A new car comes with scheduled regular checkup intervals. Make sure the teen is aware of them. Teach your son or daughter how to check all the fluids, including oil, brake fluid, coolant and windshield fluid. Show your teenager how to check the air filter. Shop together for the correct fluids for the new car. Teenagers can be proud of a car they contribute to keeping up themselves. And if you ingrain these habits early, you could save them a bundle in future expenses.
Keep the Tires in Good Condition
A new driver needs to know how to check the air pressure and how to fill the tire to the proper pressure level. Give your teenager frequent feedback about how the tires look. Over time, he or she will learn to know by looking if a tire is soft and needs air. Your teenager will know how to monitor the wear on the treads. Uneven wear is a signal to bring the car in for servicing at tire repair and replacement shops like Speedy Brake and Apollo Muffler in Calgary. Worn tires are a safety hazard and need to be replaced. Teach your teen to seek help at the first sign of a problem. Especially with tires, small problems become large ones quickly.
Don’t Let the Fuel Gauge Get Low
Running almost out of gas before refilling the tank is a bad habit instilled by a misguided sense of thrift. It’s not good for the fuel system to run low. Fuel-injected engines can be damaged by running them on fumes. Get your teen in the habit of keeping the gas tank half full. It’s not just for their safety and wellbeing. It’s also for the good of the car.
Teenagers with a good sense of responsibility for their new cars mature into safe drivers. Teach them well, and let them know how proud of them you are.