Women's Car Care Clinic

This past week I was invited by a friend to attend this women's car care clinic. It is basically a small class for women to learn the basics of car maintenance, including changing a tire, probably the most important car-related skill a woman should know.

The clinic was held at a local Century GMC/Buick dealership in Tampa on West Hillsborough Ave. Before we get to the clinic, I have to tell you about this dealership. It has been family-owned for 40 years and this location is a new facility that just opened in 2007. It is really amazing. I have never seen such a clean and welcoming service area. They have wi-fi throughout the facility, a great looking cafe and seating area, a 14-seat movie theatre that shows movies three times a day, a gym, and flat screen TVs everywhere. Best of all they have a nail and hair salon. I mean where else can you go get your car serviced and while you wait watch a movie or get a pedicure? We got a tour of the dealership and it was really impressive. They boast tons of space for meetings and events. If you're involved with a group that ever needs some meeting space, give them a call.

The car care clinic was taught by Lori Johnson, president of Ladies, Start Your Engines. This is what she does for a living, travels teaching small groups of women how to take care of their cars to reduce the cost of ownership and extend the lives of their vehicles. The class was hands on and I really learned a lot of great tips. I am now totally comfortable with changing a tire if need be. If you work for a large company, you should really consider asking your management to hire Lori to come and educate all the female employees. She doesn't just go to dealers, anyone can hire her to teach the clinic.

In addition to changing a tire, we also learned how to check to see if our brake pads and rotors are worn out and need to be replaced. Lori showed us under the hood and we checked the oil and other fluids as well as fuses. Here is a major tip when buying a used car. One of the first things a dealer will do is change the oil. So, it is important to not only check to see if the oil is clean, but check the oil cap and inside the oil pan. If there is any crusty oil stuck inside or any discoloration in the oil, do not buy the car. This can be a sign of a bigger mechanical problem.

Ladies, I urge you all to check out her site and educate yourself. You want to be able to keep your car running as long as possible, right? And you certainly don't want to ever be taken advantage of by a dealer or mechanic.