Empowering Your Student: Car Maintenance
// By JACEY CRAWFORD ’21
If your student plans on bringing a car with them to campus, they should know that their vehicle is bound to need maintenance at some point. While your student may not have aspirations of being a car mechanic, there are certain basic car maintenance tasks that every vehicle owner should know how to complete. Below are some of the skills your student should master before they fly from your nest to ours.
Changing a tire – Knowing how to change a tire is vital for any vehicle operator. Make sure your student knows all the steps of changing a tire and feels comfortable doing so; your student should know where to locate the spare tire stored in their car — and you’ll want to make sure they have one. You’ll also want to ensure that your student knows how to check their tire pressure and does so regularly in order to catch any problems early and avoid unnecessary damage. Here’s a helpful video.
Checking oil – While most newer cars have an automated system for displaying oil life, those systems typically measure the length of time or mileage that the oil has been in the car instead of the true oil level. So, no matter the year of your student’s car, they should know how to manually check the oil level. Here’s an article that can help. You may also want to teach your student how to change their own oil, if you’re ambitious like that.
Jump-starting a car – At AU, our Police/Security Department is happy to offer vehicle jump-starting services. However, your student should still know how to jump start their vehicle on their own in the event of a breakdown off campus. Here’s a helpful article you may want to share with your student. Additionally, your student should have reliable jumper cables in their car at all times.
Finding a go-to place for car maintenance – Whether it’s the dreaded “check engine” light or needing a new battery, car emergencies happen. Before your student moves to campus, they should know which of the numerous mechanics in Anderson they’ll go to for car troubles. Encourage them to do some research and look for reviews and ratings, as well as proximity to campus.
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.