Merging Into Life: Your Essential Car Maintenance Checklist

SEASON 2: EPISODE 7
Episode Feedback

Basic car care every driver should know.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Most of us don’t think about car maintenance until something goes wrong, but what if a few simple checks could help you avoid disaster (or at least a blown tire)?

In this practical episode of Merging Into Life, host Zack Klapman of The Smoking Tire podcast is joined by mechanic, auto repair advocate and founder of Women Auto Know, Audra Fordin. Together, they discuss simple DIY car skills every driver should know, how to spot warning signs before they become emergencies and what to do if you find yourself stuck on the side of the road.

Whether you’re a first-time car owner or someone who hasn’t touched a tire gauge in years, this episode will help you feel more confident behind the wheel and better prepared for the unexpected.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Your car provides crucial feedback. Never ignore common car warning signs. Addressing these issues immediately can prevent costly repairs and maintain your vehicle safety.
Regularly inspect tire pressure, measure tire tread depth, and check for sidewall damage. For maximum tire longevity and safety, most experts recommend replacing tires after six years, regardless of visible tread wear.
Ensure your windshield wipers are not streaking, your wiper fluid is full, and all headlights and taillights are functioning correctly.
In the event of a flat tire or breakdown, remain calm. Safely pull over, turn on your hazard lights, and prioritize safety. If you need to exit the vehicle on a busy road, always exit on the passenger side away from traffic.
Be prepared for the unexpected with a well-stocked emergency car kit. Essential items for roadside preparedness include jumper cables, a bright flashlight, a portable phone charger, a tire inflator, a comprehensive first aid kit, gloves, water and a space or thermal blanket.
If your vehicle feels off such as a persistent weird sound or your car pulling to one side, get it inspected by a mechanic right away. Early issue detection is the best way to save money on repairs.

TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:01] Zack: Well, when I was a young high school man, I drove a bunch of old cars. I had repaired so many things. And I remember driving one day, the oil pressure gauge suddenly went to zero, and the engine got very loud. And I pulled over right away. I knew that that was a bad thing. And I called a mechanic friend of mine. I said, what does it mean when the oil pressure gage goes to zero? And he said, it means you get to rebuild your engine. So that was an educational summer spent with very, very greasy arms. I remember the engine was so heavy. When I took it out of the car, it almost tipped over the engine hoist. The thing that’s made to pick up an engine almost fell over. My approach to car maintenance has changed a lot in the last few years because I actually do it now. If something’s a little bit wrong with my car and it’s beyond my ability to fix, I will take it to a professional. I will just suck in my pride and accept that I’m gonna swipe this credit card, and it’s gonna sting. But it will keep the car going down the road. Every year, spend a little bit of money to maintain the essential parts of that car.

Hello, and welcome back to Merging into Life, the show where we help you navigate life’s unexpected turns, including the literal ones we face every day on the road. I’m Zach Klapman, your host for the Road Ready mini series where we cover everything you need to be confident on the road. Today, we’re diving into something we all rely on, but rarely think about until it’s too late: car safety and roadside emergencies. Because let’s be real, no one plans on a flat tire, a dead battery or getting stuck on the shoulder at midnight. But knowing what to do when it happens, that’s what keeps a bad day from becoming a disaster. We’re joined by Audra Fordin, mechanic, owner of Great Bear Auto Repair and Auto Body in Flushing, Queens, and founder of Women Auto Know and Drivers Auto Know. She’s here to break down what every driver needs to know to prevent accidents, handle roadside hiccups with confidence, and hit the road fully prepared. Audra, thank you so much for joining us.

[00:02:17] Audra: I’m so happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

[00:02:20] Zack: We’re gonna jump right into it. What are the most important parts of your car to check regularly that people tend to overlook?

[00:02:28] Audra: A lot of people usually think oil changes are the most important thing, and yes, they are. But the truth is your car talks to you in so many other ways. Cars give us so many warning signs that oftentimes we overlook, like tire pressure, tread wear, wiper blades, and fluids, brake fluid and coolant, those things don’t seem so urgent until suddenly they are.

[00:02:54] Zack: When those things go wrong, you suddenly have a very big problem, right? About 90% of driving decisions are based on what we can see. So how does that affect how we maintain things like the wipers, the windshield fluid?

[00:03:08] Audra: If you think about it, if you can’t see, you can’t drive safely. Wipers are like the eyelids on your car. If they’re streaking or cracked or they’re noisy, that is your car talking to you, telling you to replace them. And the windshield washer fluid, it isn’t just water. It’s formulated to cut grease and debris to keep your view clear. So like a $10 fix can prevent a crash potentially from happening. Thinking about like being able to see, it’s also like keeping your eyes on the road and putting your phone away.

[00:03:43] Zack: Absolutely, that is a growing problem everywhere. Another one I see in cities a lot is headlights. People drive with their daytime running lights on, but they’re not as bright as their headlights. So you’ll see folks driving down the road at night, their tail lights are off, their headlights are not on. They think they are, but it’s just like those marker lights. And I don’t know how we get this PSA out to everybody, but please make sure that your headlights are on or they’re in the auto setting on that stalk.

[00:04:10] Audra: Well, there you go. And that is a PSA. You know what’s also a big concern? Headlights are, they’re plastic and they oxidize from the sun, which limits the light that’s coming through. That’s also a major problem. If you see that you can’t see, well then either you need to polish your headlights or you need, like you said, turn your headlights on.

[00:04:32] Zack: I could talk about tire safety for a while, because there’s a bunch of different factors in it. So what should we be looking for in terms of wear, cracks, and then the birth date of a tire?

[00:04:42] Audra: Yeah, I’m always equating the car to the human body. I think it makes it really understandable. And the tires are your car’s first contact with the road. Like your shoes are your first contact with the roads. So think about it like your tires are, your shoes on your car. Now, if the tread is worn below 230 seconds, then you can’t repel the water, which means you’re gonna be like slipping and sliding. And that’s how hydroplaning happens. When it comes to the sidewall of the tire, if you see any cracks or bulges or tears, that’s how a blowout happens. So the sidewall is the weakest part of the tire. And anything that’s over six years old, it’s definitely time to replace them. Even if they look okay, that is the bench line. And the little four digit DOT code that’s on the sidewall, it tells you the week and the year that the tires are made. So when the tires age out, it’s just like your sneakers, they’re expensive, but you get a lot of miles out of them. So it’s well worth the investment in getting a good pair of shoes for your car.

[00:05:46] Zack: Yeah, and again, it goes back to prevention. I mean, if your tires are too worn, you could hydroplane like you said, and then you could slide into a car or a fixed object, and that’s gonna cost you way more money, possibly really hurt yourself or somebody else. The aging thing is something that has come about a lot and been talked about a a lot in the sports car community. My dad, I bought him new tires, and he said, why these have so much tread on them? Well, they were 10 years old. And he didn’t know that as the tires age, they get hard, they kind of get brittle, they basically lose their ability to mold to the ground and grip the ground. So driving on really hard tires can be like driving on ice, even if it’s just raining out.

[00:06:30] Audra: Exactly, it’s so important to pay attention to that. And sometimes people just don’t know, and you don’t know what you don’t know until somebody tells you.

[00:06:37] Zack: All right, potholes are everywhere, especially this time of year, especially in the Northeast. What kind of damage can a pothole cause that people might not notice right away? What should people look for, etc.?

[00:06:50] Audra: So potholes are like mini car crashes for your wheels. They can bend your rims, they can knock your alignment out and put bubbles in your tire. Those bubbles are really dangerous because if it pops, it causes a blowout. Now, a lot of people don’t notice it right away. So pay attention to the way that your car feels, right? If your car starts pulling to one side or if that steering wheel is vibrating or if you see a bulge, a bubble in the tire, that’s the potholes calling card and definitely to be looking out for it. So if you’re going to hit that pothole, you need to also be looking at what, what you hit, where you hit to make sure that you didn’t do any damage. Even if you don’t feel it, you might be able to see it and prevent an accident from happening.

[00:07:39] Zack: Sure, and if you can’t see it, but you feel something’s weird, you might have to pull over or get it inspected, because a really big pothole could damage a part of your suspension or knock an end link loose or something like that. Especially if you live in like the rust belt, and maybe those bolts or those parts are a little bit older worn. So listening to your car is important. I learned this when I drove a 65 Pontiac in high school because if the sound changed, there was a problem. So what kind of sounds should drivers be paying attention to and what can we learn?

[00:08:08] Audra: Like cars don’t make funny noises for fun, right? And listening is just important as looking. So if your brakes are squealing when you apply the brake, it could be a problem with your brake pads. If you hear a thumping, it could be a tire or a suspension issue. A whining, maybe a whining under the hood could be a belt, or like a water pump. My rule of thumb, because there are so many different noises. The most important thing is to pay attention to where it’s coming from. Even if you’re not mechanically inclined, you have to like listen. And if you tune in, you’ll get an idea. If it’s a new noise, if it’s different noise, if it’s the noise that’s getting louder, if it’s coming from the right front, if it is coming from back. Just the most important here is that you don’t ignore it because that is your car’s way of talking to you. It’s like saying, hello, pay attention to me before this gets very expensive or dangerous. And the danger, the danger is real. And it doesn’t show up right away, right? So you just, just being, being mindful really does make a difference for all of those red flags, those sounds that you’re listening to.

[00:09:20] Zack: So I’m sure you’ve had people come into the shop and bring cars in and we have to play that game like they’ve, they just heard a new language, and they’re saying, oh, the car’s making a sound. It’s kind of like a ba-dunk-a-dun-ka-dung-a j-j-j or something. What can people do to help explain the mechanics of what’s happening? I feel like they can say, I was accelerating or decelerating, or it’s only on left or right turns, but are there, is there criteria for those descriptions that would help mechanics understand what’s wrong?

[00:09:48] Audra: Oh my goodness, of course. The more information that you can give to your technician is really gonna just save you time. And so knowing where that sound is coming, coming into your senses, tune in to where you’re hearing it from really does make the difference. And now people don’t come in with like a clunk-a-dickity-dunk. It’s more like listen to this recording. So if you can record it, and then play it. If there’s any lights that are coming along with it on your dashboard, that’s really important to also notate. And it’s so helpful for us in the shop to be able to identify what the problem is. The more information, obviously, you can give us the better.

[00:10:31] Zack: So let’s talk about what to do if something bad actually happens on the road. So if your car breaks down or you get a flat on the highway, like let’s go through the basics. What’s the safe way to pull over? What are the common mistakes people make in those moments? Like how can people react and be safe?

[00:10:47] Audra: Okay, so if you break down or you get a flat, the first thing you need to do is stay calm. Panicking is not helpful at all. Don’t slam on the brakes. Specifically, if you get blowout while you’re driving, the last thing you’re gonna do is slam on the brakes. You’re going to stay calm. You’re going to ease off of the gas. And put on some indicators so that other drivers know that you’re in distress. If you need to pull to the right, then put your right directional on, and then when you get to the side of the road, put your hazards on right away. And if you’re on a road with traffic. Never, never get out of the car on the driver’s side where the traffic is. That is a huge mistake, and too many people do that. And it’s incredibly dangerous. If you need to get out the car, always exit on the passenger side away from the traffic.

[00:11:49] Zack: Speaking of being roadside ready, of course, the most valuable thing to have when you’re on the road is a AAA membership. Roadside assistance, big discounts on things you use every day, travel packages and so much more are yours when you are a AAA member. With levels to suit your lifestyle, AAA is there for you. Check out AAA.com for more information. I’ve seen folks, they stop there instead of pulling over, because they don’t wanna damage their car further. But it’s so much more dangerous to stop on an active highway in the middle of it than to pull off on the side of the road. Even if your tire is going flat, it’s done anyway. You’re not gonna hurt the tire more by just driving a hundred more feet, but getting off of the roadmap. It’s so scary.

[00:12:36] Audra: Yeah, even if you’re driving on the rim, just to get out of the way of moving traffic is really like the utmost of importance.

[00:12:46] Zack: Yeah, I see too many cars that are on the side of the road, and they don’t have any illumination on, except maybe like the inside the dome lights on, but the hazards aren’t on. Like you have electricity, so please turn those lights on. All right, everyone should learn how to change a flat tire before they have to. Great thing to practice at least once. Can you walk us through the basic steps and maybe share what tools people might forget that they need?

[00:13:09] Audra: Yeah, everyone should know how to change that flat tire, meaning do it in your driveway, right? Before you’re stuck on the side of the road in the cold trying to change the tire. And the best tips I can give you is to make sure that you’re on a hard level ground, right, not soft or muddy terrain. I had an experience one time I was changing the flat tire, and I forgot to take the tire out of the trunk. So the first thing I did was take out all of the tools and I loosened the lug nut. And then I jacked up the car with my tire iron and I realized that I had to bring the car back down. So there you go, that’s what you need. You need your tire iron, you need your jack and you need a spare tire. It’s really important also to remember to have air in your spare tire, right? It’s gotta be fully inflated. Nothing is more deflating than going to your spare tire to find out that you don’t even have a spare. When you are changing a flat tire, never put your body underneath the car. So that’s the time to have like a cue in your mind that you wanna take the spare tire, and actually put it underneath the car so that in the event that the car does drop, if the jack breaks or falls, it’s not gonna fall onto you. And when you’re putting the lug nuts back on, you do wanna do it in a star-shaped pattern so that they seat on evenly. That’s really important.

[00:14:43] Zack: Yeah, also something I have gotten wrong when I’ve changed tires is not cracking the lug nuts when the tire’s on the ground. Sometimes I have jacked the car up before that, and unless I have a friend with me who can hold the brake, if I start to turn the lug nut to the left, the wheel spins with me.

[00:15:01] Audra: They have something that you can use as an inflatable to fix your flat in the event that you are stuck.

[00:15:08] Zack: What do you think of that stuff?

[00:15:11] Audra: I think it’s wonderful. The last thing I wanna be doing is changing a flat tire. That’s not fun at all. There’s nothing fun about it. I think that a lot of cars these days also don’t have a jack in it. They only have that inflatable goop for you to put in. So knowing how to use that also makes a big difference.

[00:15:31] Zack: What is your advice to help people stay calm when things go wrong on the road? And you said they should just don’t freak out, but is there a way to settle oneself that you recommend?

[00:15:42] Audra: Breathe first, act second, because panic makes you forget your steps. Think of the three S’s. Think safety, then stability, and then the solution. Am I safe where I am? Is my car stable? And then what is the next step? I have to call for help. Am I changing a tire? Am I waiting it out? Just breathe through it, really, is so, so very important. Panic, panic when it’s all done and you go home.

[00:16:13] Zack: Is there anything that people forget to do in the aftermath of a problem, whether it’s a mechanical situation or an accident that could help them stay safer or make dealing with insurance or roadside assistance easier?

[00:16:25] Audra: Yeah, for sure. Documents, documents, documents. Write it down or take pictures, put notes in your phone. And I mean like everything. Your car, the road, the other vehicle, if there is one. Write down really what happened while it’s still fresh in your mind. And then if there’s another car involved. Don’t forget to grab the driver’s information, like not just their insurance, but their license and their registration, because those details will make dealing with the insurance company later just so much easier. Do it now while it’s fresh in your mind in the moment.

[00:17:03] Zack: All right, let’s talk about emergency kits a little bit. What should people keep in their car? Like are there some must haves you can think of, especially during winter, if people live in a place where that’s a big problem or just a place with an aggressive climate, we’ll call it.

[00:17:19] Audra: Must haves, jumper cables, a flashlight, a charger, a cell phone charger that’s not connected to your phone. Like if your car dies, you still need to have connectivity. You definitely need a first aid kit. And we’re talking a tire inflator or a can of the fix-a-flat, depending on the seasonal stuff. I don’t know how it is in LA, but here in New York, that winter time gets really cold. So having gloves, we have snow. So if you’re getting caught in the slush, maybe some kitty litter would help to get out for traction in the event that we’re slipping and sliding. Definitely an ice scraper in the winter, because the seasons are changing now.

[00:18:00] Zack: Water is one of, I think, the most important things someone should keep in their car, whether it’s a cold climate or hot climate, but especially out here, you could be driving through the desert, you’re headed to Vegas, you’re out just for a fun drive. And if you break down somewhere, you might be one to four hours before someone shows up. And dehydration could become a big problem, and it’ll cloud your thinking first aid kit for sure. And another one, especially if it’s cold or you’re in the desert. I think a space blanket is a great thing to have. It’s also a big thing if you come upon an accident. And someone is waiting for help to arrive, it can help prevent shock if that person got really injured or they’re freaked out. There’s just so many uses for something warm. And if you don’t have the room for like a bulky jacket, go with a space blanket. I’m also a really big fan of those lithium ion jump boxes. I had a battery that was going bad. And it was kind of like in the last couple of months where I wasn’t sure, is it the connection? Is it corrosion? The battery is just old. But if you live in a rural area or you don’t wanna flag down strangers to help you jump your car, it can just be a time saver. And a lot of times these lithium jump boxes also have ports where you can charge your phone. So it’s independent from your car’s battery. So it can do a bunch of different things.

[00:19:13] Audra: I totally agree. I’m gonna add one add to that, which is to make sure that that is charged up. Yeah, being stuck on the side of the road is no vacation.

[00:19:24] Zack: Are there any things you’d like to keep in your car or that could be like a creative hack that people might not know about?

[00:19:29] Audra: Some things I always keep in my car is duct tape and zip ties. I know it sounds funny, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve actually used these two things and they’ve gotten me or someone else out of a jam. Like I had zip ties help me secure a loose bumper. And another time I had duct tape holding my mirror together. And I can remember one time that I had a leaky radiator hose and I duct taped it up, and it got me to the shop.

[00:20:00] Zack: Wow.

[00:20:01] Audra: It works. It’s outstanding actually.

[00:20:04] Zack: I didn’t realize it was that heat resistant. That’s impressive.

[00:20:08] Audra: I’ve actually, I also used it to make a thermostat gasket. It was leaking, and duct tape, a lot of layers of duct tape. Duct tape’s fantastic.

[00:20:16] Zack: That’s awesome. I’ve changed enough thermostat gaskets on my old cars that I’m like, I know the shape of those things, the thickness. I’m very impressed.

[00:20:23] Audra: I’m ready to say desperate times call for desperate measures.

[00:20:25] Zack: You gotta do what you gotta do.

[00:20:25] Audra: And duct tape and twine too. Duct tape, twine and zip ties. They’re wonderful.

[00:20:32] Zack: Yeah, I mean, I see a lot of people that have their bumpers hanging off and it’s either causing drag or they’ll get on the highway, and their bumper will go from just flapping to gone. Now you have to buy a new bumper when you could have just had duct tape for four bucks, got yourself to a shop or got home, and just put the clip back on. We have one more question. So when someone does need help and they call AAA, what should they do in the meantime to keep themselves and their passengers safe while they wait?

[00:21:01] Audra: If you can, I’m gonna say that you should wait inside your car with your seat belts on, and your hazards flashing. Even though you’re sitting inside your car doesn’t mean that if somebody’s passing by that they wouldn’t hit you. So you having your seatbelts on if you’re standing there really is, I think it’s prudent, and it’s well worth it. It doesn’t cost you anything. Right, your hazards are on. If it’s not safe, get out on the passenger side of the car, and then wait behind the guard rail. Keep your hood open. So that it’s obvious to drivers passing by that your car is disabled. And then if you’re waiting for help, stay safe, stay safe. Most important is stay safe. You’re already in a bad position, so the most important thing is just to make sure that you’re okay. Keep your phone with you, and don’t drain it by like scrolling on TikTok. You wanna save the battery for updates from help. Yeah, save that for the call that matters. I think that that most important is just to be safe. I can’t say that enough.

[00:22:02] Zack: I think I’d add if you’re in a location that feels unsafe because of traffic and speeds, you can call the local highway patrol police department, and they might send an officer just to park behind you with the lights on. I’ve seen officers doing that here and I think that’s really great because they’re adding visibility to someone who, especially if they have a disabled electrical system in their car, they don’t have hazards on. That can be really dangerous.

[00:22:25] Audra: Yeah, I agree completely. They also do have in a lot of cars, it comes from the manufacturer through those triangles, the reflective triangles that are available. You could put that on your car. You could put it a few feet behind your car

[00:22:39] Zack: Audra, thank you so much. This was very informative, and I think helpful to lots and lots of people. Where can people find you? Is there anything you wanna mention, any organizations that you’re a part of that we should know about?

[00:22:48] Audra: Yeah, well, thank you so much. I am the founder of Women Auto Know. We are a not-for-profit, educating and empowering drivers about auto repair and Women Auto Know fuels the mission. Drivers Auto Know is where you can find our information at local auto shops across the country.

[00:23:11] Zack: Thanks again to Audra for coming on the show. From checking your tires to knowing how to pull over properly, these are tips that could truly be a lifesaver. If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend and we’ll see you next time on Merging Into Life. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and or its affiliates.