Teaching your kids car maintenance can be a fun activity that both parties will enjoy – allowing you to spend quality, productive time together whilst building their awareness of motoring issues.
After all, if your children learn how to carry out car maintenance tasks whilst they’re young, it will be second nature to them by the time they get a vehicle of their own.
But which jobs should you trust them with? To get you started, here are six easy car maintenance tasks your kids can get involved with…
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1.Clean and Wax
This is a great one to get started with. Keeping your vehicle looking its best is a key part of being a car owner as it can protect your paintwork and help maintain your car’s value. So teaching your kids how to clean and wax a car is sure to serve them well in the future – it’s also a fun activity to do together.
Show your child the correct way to shampoo, rinse, and wax the car, before moving to the inside of the vehicle.
2.Screenwash
Checking the screen wash levels and topping them up if necessary is a simple yet vital maintenance task. Show your children how to mix the screenwash to the correct proportions (if necessary) and then top up the reservoir in the car.
Make sure you supervise younger children throughout the process.
3.Tyre Pressure
Checking the pressure of your car’s tyres is an important maintenance task your kids will have no problem getting to grips with.
Teach them the following steps:
- Start by finding the valve on the wheel trim. Remove the valve’s cap by screwing it anti-clockwise, and place it somewhere safe where it won’t get lost.
- Next, attach the foot pump to the valve by pushing the adapter onto it and depressing the lever.
- Check the air pressure gauge.
- Use the foot pump to bring the pressure up to the correct level.
- Quickly remove the adapter from the valve.
- Replace the plastic cap on the valve.
As with any car maintenance tasks, it’s important that you supervise your child at all times when they’re checking the tyre pressure and ensure they only carry out the work in a safe environment away from traffic.
4.Light Bulbs
Light bulbs in your car will blow from time to time and will need replacing. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids how to perform a more technical maintenance task.
Whilst the method of replacing the light bulbs tends to vary from vehicle to vehicle, showing them how to change the bulbs in your car will put them in good stead for the future and boost their confidence.
5.Oil
This one can be adapted, depending on the age of your child.
When you’re sure your engine is fully cooled, show your child how to lift the bonnet of your car and secure it in place. Then, remove the oil dipstick and get them to clean it before putting it back in place and removing it once again.
Finally, show your child how to check the maximum and minimum oil levels using the indicators on the stick.
Topping up the oil is a job best reserved for the adults.
6.Wiper Blades
Keeping your wiper blades in good condition is a crucial aspect of maintaining your car to make sure visibility isn’t compromised by smears or marks on your windscreen
When the wiper blades show signs of wear, they need to be replaced. This doesn’t happen very often but because it’s a relatively simple process, it’s a great task to get your kids involved with. Again, make sure you supervise at all times to keep your kids (and your car) safe.
Whether your kids are giving you a helping hand or not, you can always rely on Holts to make car maintenance simple and effective. For a full range of our expert car care products, click here.