Your teen is learning the ins and outs of driving at driver’s ed, but you might be surprised how little most driving instructors teach about car maintenance. Since car maintenance is an important part of safe driving, we thought we’d put together a list of the top car repair and maintenance “how-to's” your teen needs to know before heading out on the road.

1. How to fill up their gas tank.

This might sound like an easy, obvious task, but many kids aren’t really sure how to handle the specifics of filling up a gas tank. Make sure to show your teenager how to safely fill his or her car up with gas and how to pay properly both inside and at the pump.

2. How to replace windshield wiper fluid.

Another seemingly obvious tip, it’s critical that your teen knows where to get windshield wiper fluid and how to replace it when it’s gone. On snowy days, you can go through a half a gallon or more windshield wiper fluid, so for maximum visibility, make sure your teen knows where to find windshield wiper fluid in gas stations or auto parts stores and show him/her where to pour it under the hood.

3. How to check oil levels.

When experiencing car problems, an easy first diagnostic step is to make sure your car has enough oil. Show your teen how to open the car’s hood and find the dipstick (with the engine off, of course). Wipe any oil off the dipstick and insert it back into the tube. When you pull it back out, look to see if there’s oil on it and how high the oil line is. If there is little to no oil, there may be an oil leak that needs to be addressed at a repair shop. If you rub a little oil from the dipstick between your thumb and index finger and it leaves a dirty smudge, you probably just need an oil change.

Here’s a great article from “Auto Repair for Dummies” that explains in plain English how and why to check oil levels regularly.

4. How to use jumper cables.

Cold Minnesota winters are tough on car batteries, plus forgetful teenagers may be the most likely to accidentally leave lights on causing battery issues. For these reasons, knowing how to use jumper cables to jump-start dead batteries is key for teen drivers.

First, make sure your teen has jumper cables in his or her car at all times. Second, teach him or her how to connect them to another car safely. This video offers a quick and easy how-to you and your teen can watch together.

5. How to check tire pressure & add air.

Most cars now have tire pressure lights on the dashboard that will alert your teen when his or her tire pressure is low. Teach him or her to identify the proper tire pressure using the owner’s manual, and then how to use a tire gauge to identify which tire is low. Then, show them how to use a gas station air compressor to fill tires to the appropriate levels.

6. How to change a tire.

Most driver’s ed programs cover how to change a tire, but your teen may need to go over the specifics a few more times to be able to do it him or herself. First, make sure your teen knows how to check tires for signs of wear to avoid flat tires. Then, just in case, make sure he or she has all the necessary supplies to deal with a flat tire should one occur – a spare tire, wrench, and jack. The DMV also recommends keeping a flashlight, gloves, tarp to kneel on, and a rain poncho in the trunk of your car. Read their excellent “how-to” on changing tires here and be sure to share it with your teen driver.

Helping to make sure your teen has these car repair/maintenance basics down will help ensure they’re safe on the road. For your peace of mind, remember that rather than asking for help from strangers or sitting stranded on the road, teenagers today can use smart phones to call for help and to Google “how-to” articles when having car trouble. As long as phones are used only when cars are pulled over and turned off, they can serve as vital resources to keep teens safe when having car trouble.

Image by State Farm via flickr, licensed under CC by 2.0