Teaching Your Kids About Car Care and Car Repair

Article overview

This article explores the importance of teaching car care to children as a life skill. It covers:

• The benefits of car maintenance education, including fostering responsibility, financial awareness and safety.
• Provides a breakdown of age-appropriate car care tasks, essential tools every young driver should have and emergency preparedness tips.
• Emphasizes the role of parents in guiding and ensuring safety during these lessons.
• Creates lasting memories while equipping their children with practical skills for adulthood.

As a parent, you want to see your child succeed. You want them to grow into responsible, capable adults who treat themselves and each other with respect. They learn some of the basics at school, but they pick up habits and discipline from being around you.

One of the best things you can teach is the value of taking care of the things that belong to them. This is especially true when it comes to car care. Not only will imparting this knowledge save them time and money, but it will also create memories between you and your child that will last a lifetime. So where do 

The benefits of teaching car care early

Teaching your kids important life skills like car care maintenance is crucial for a variety of reasons. By teaching car maintenance to children of all ages, they learn responsibility, independence and confidence, laying a strong foundation for adulthood. Other aspects of life that learning about car care can provide to kids include:

• Problem-solving skills: Caring for a vehicle teaches critical thinking and adapting to various life situations that they may encounter throughout their lives.
• Financial awareness: Maintaining a car will help a child understand how to manage finances and how to save money while being resourceful.
• Curiosity in STEM: The skills necessary to maintain a car can spark a child's interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
• Enhances safety awareness: It’s important for kids to understand the safety of the cars that they ride in and eventually drive. This also prepares them to be safer drivers and passengers later in life.
• Prepares them for emergencies: Knowing how to handle car issues can reduce stress for kids later in life when they encounter emergency situations like a breakdown on the side of the road. These skills will also make them more resourceful in other areas of their lives.
• Create lasting memories: An important part of teaching car care is the memories that will last for both the parents and the children. Spending quality time together will strengthen family bonds and be something to reflect on later in life.

Where to start: Basic car maintenance skills

You’ve heard the question before. Typically, it comes immediately after you’ve asked your child to do something. It’s the proverbial WHY.

For you, teaching car care is about setting your child up for success. For them, it’s about gaining a basic understanding of how the vehicle works and why it’s important to take care of it.

Explaining the “why” behind car maintenance helps them see the value in these tasks and makes the lessons stick. Here are some common “why” questions and their answers:

• Why does the oil need to be changed?
  Over time, oil breaks down and loses its ability to protect the engine. If it’s not changed regularly, it can lead to serious engine damage.
• Why do wiper blades need to be replaced?
  Wiper blades wear out and stop clearing the windshield effectively. Driving in rain or snow without clear visibility is dangerous.
• Why is tire pressure important?
  Tires that are overinflated or underinflated are at risk of a blowout, which can be both dangerous and costly.
• Why do I need to know what dashboard lights mean?
  Dashboard indicator lights warn you about potential problems with your vehicle. Ignoring them can lead to safety risks, major damage and expensive repairs.

By answering these “why” questions, you show your child that car care isn’t just a chore—it’s about keeping their vehicle safe, reliable and long-lasting.

Age-appropriate car care tasks

You can start before your child is in kindergarten. Will they be changing tires? No. Start them with something small and progress with them as they get older.

Below is a breakdown of skill sets that are appropriate for various age ranges, although you will be the best judge of your child’s aptitude.

• Pre-K: When you get home after a drive, hand them a hose and let them spray the car down. They get to play in the water and the car gets rinsed. You can also show them how to vacuum the floors and mats.
• Elementary school age: Let them hang out with you when you’re working on the family vehicle. If you need a tool, let them get it. Through repetition, they will learn the names of each tool, what it does and even how to clean it. As they progress into their tweens, you can introduce wiper blade and air filter replacements and teach them about tire pressure.
• Teenage years: By this time, they have a strong foundation of the basics and can be more hands-on. Tasks like changing the oil, pumping gas (if legal in your state) and rotating tires are great skills to start implementing at this age. If their interest blossoms beyond basic car care, then it’s also worthwhile to let them try their hand at fluid replacement and tinkering with bolted parts.

Essential skills for every level

Below is a list of basic skills that will benefit your child as you teach them car care and some simple step-by-step processes to accompany them.

How to check your oil

Oil is essential for your engine to function properly. It keeps parts lubricated and prevents overheating.

• Step 1: Park on a flat, level surface.
• Step 2: Make sure the engine is off and cool.
• Step 3: Open the hood, locate the dipstick and pull it out.
• Step 4: Wipe it with a rag, reinsert it.
• Step 5: Pull it out again to read the level.
• Step 6: If the oil is low, dark or gritty, it’s time for a change.

How to check your tire pressure

Proper tire pressure improves fuel efficiency, longevity and safety. It’s important to check this once a month and before a long trip.

• Step 1: Grab a tire pressure gauge.
• Step 2: Locate the manufacturer’s pounds-per-square-inch (PSI) recommendation. This will be found on the sticker in your door frame or in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
• Step 3: Make sure the tires are cold.
• Step 4: Unscrew the valve stem cap, press the gauge firmly against the valve stem and read the measurement.
•  Step 5: If your tires are lower than your vehicle’s recommendation, grab a compressor and add air in small bursts being careful not to overinflate.

When to fill up your tank

Waiting until your gas gauge reads “E” is not good for your vehicle and could leave you stranded. It is best to fill your tank when you have at least a quarter tank left. If you run low on gas, sediment from the tank could find its way into your fuel system, clogging filters and injectors.

• Step 1: Teach them how to read a gas gauge. Not just for fuel, but also how the indicator needle can show what side of the vehicle the gas tank is on.
• Step 2: When it hits a quarter tank, bring your child with you for a fill up.
• Step 3: Check the laws in your state to determine if minors can pump gas. If so, take them through the process. If not, have them watch.
• Step 4: Show them how you pay, whether inside or at the pump.
• Step 5: Lift nozzle and select fuel grade appropriate for your vehicle.
• Step 6: Pump until full.

How to change your tire

Knowing this essential skill will help your child help themselves if they end up stuck on the side of the road because of a blowout.

• Step 1: Pull over to a safe, level location.
• Step 2: Engage the parking brake.
• Step 3: Press the button with the red triangle to turn on your hazard lights.
• Step 4: Locate and retrieve your jack and lug wrench.
• Step 5: Locate and retrieve your spare tire or donut.
• Step 6: Slightly loosen the lug nuts on the affected tire.
• Step 7: Position the jack under the frame or any other manufacturer recommended lift point.
• Step 8: Raise your tire off the ground, remove the lug nuts and take off the tire.
• Step 9: Mount the spare and hand-tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern.
• Step 10: Lower the tire until it touches the ground, then fully tighten the nuts.
• Step 11: Check the tire pressure on the spare, and drive with caution until a true replacement is purchased.

Tools every young driver should have

Part of the fun of teaching car care to children is that, over time, you can help them build out a basic set of tools that they can use once they are old enough to own a car. Whether the tools are new or a family memento, building a car tool kit should include tools that can handle common maintenance tasks and emergencies.

A tire pressure gauge is important for checking tire pressure regularly. Teaching the proper inflation improves fuel efficiency, extends your car’s tire life and ensures safety.

A portable air compressor is important to have on hand. If the tire pressure is low, it allows drivers to inflate tires on the go, preventing potential blowouts or damage caused by underinflated tires.

Another must-have for your child’s tool kit is a set of jumper cables or a portable jump starter. Dead batteries can happen unexpectedly, and jumper cables allow drivers to restart their car with the help of another vehicle.

A basic tool kit with items like a wrench, screwdriver and pliers is also invaluable for small repairs, such as tightening loose bolts or replacing a battery terminal.

Lastly, a flashlight (preferably a rechargeable or battery-powered one) is crucial for visibility during nighttime breakdowns or repairs.

These tools prepare kids to understand how to be ready for unexpected situations and can also build their confidence and independence on the road.

Emergency preparedness: What to do when things go wrong

Teaching your child how to manage car emergencies is just as important as teaching them basic maintenance. Breakdowns or accidents can happen to anyone and knowing how to act calmly and safely can make all the difference.

Start off by explaining the first steps they should take in any emergency: Stay calm, pull over to a safe location and turn on the hazard lights. Explain to them why having the car’s hazard lights on can alert other drivers that there’s an issue and help keep everyone safe on the roadside.

Next, teach them how to assess the situation and decide whether to call for help. If they’re dealing with a flat tire or a dead battery, they may be able to handle it themselves if they’ve learned the proper skills.

For more serious problems, make sure they know how to reach roadside assistance or emergency services. Remind them to stay inside the vehicle if it’s safe or, if they must get out, to stand well away from traffic.

Having an emergency car kit is also essential. Equip their car with items like a flashlight, jumper cables, a tire repair kit, a first-aid kit, bottled water and a blanket. These tools can help them stay safe and comfortable while waiting for help to arrive.

By preparing your child for the unexpected, you’re giving them the confidence and knowledge to handle emergencies responsibly and safely.

Safety first: Tips for parents

When you’re teaching your child about car care or car repair, it is important to stress safety. When working on the vehicle, a level location in a well-lit area is essential. It is important for you to be present as they try their hand at any of the skills mentioned above, especially if they are using tools, near moving parts, or suspending tires from the ground. All it takes is one wrong move and they could wind up pinned under several thousand pounds of metal.

When working on a vehicle, encourage them to engage the emergency brake and place wheel chocks behind the tires. Make sure the engine is off unless the specific task requires it to be on. If the engine needs to be on and you’re working in a garage, make sure they know to keep the garage door open. Communicate the importance of keeping loose clothing, fingers and hair away from fans and belts.