Question for the Masses - Who can?????

TANNER'S MOM wrote: Do automotive things?

Like pump gas, change windshield wipers, check fluids, change oil, add brade fluid, change flat tire?


I was reading the gas post and I saw were alot of people said they didn't learn to do these things until they were driving already.

I was raised by my father and I am very mechanical. I do all the things listed above. That doesn't mean I want to do most of them! But my father thought it was important that I knew how to take care of my vehicle. Most of this I knew by the time I was 12. I spent alot of my time in a garage fixing up old cars.

I do tell my husband the reason I married him and have sons is I won't ever have to pump gas or mow grass though!!!!!

Now it was a good thing cause I have owned and driven every POS in arkansas. So my Dad was a smart man.

I think if boys can cook then girls can change a flat and my girls know how too.

Anyone else??

MommyToAshley replied: I can pump gas... but that's it on your list.

Good for you Mel. I think it's great that you know how to do those things and I wish I did. As you said, not that I would do them, but it would be good to know how to do them if I had to!

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: I pump my own gas. I am sure I could do the other things, just never had to do them.

Freckled Momma replied: I can pump gas, change the windshield wipers, check all the fluids, change a tire...I am sure I could probably change any fluids out if I had too...lol I also know how to jump start a car, bang around on a clutch to get it to work right...I've driven a few POS myself...

My dad taught me all that, too!

MyLuvBugs replied: Hey Mel! I'm right there with ya girl! My daddy said that there was NOTHING that I couldn't do, and that I wasn't going to be one of those "sissy girls" (his words not mine) So, I can change flats, oil, wipers, batteries, etc. I even know about changing brake pads (that was my DH's fault lol ) But it's all VERY helpful when your proving a male shovanistic (sp?) pig a thing or two. But that's another story......

I do wish though that I had learned more of the girly things earlier in life though too.

A&A'smommy replied: ITA its a good thing for girls to know how to do I on the other hand have NO clue how to do any of those things EXCEPT pump gas... Jeremiah knows how to do a few of those things but he would rather pay someone to do them (except put windshield fluid in the car he doesn't mind doing that) I think it would be a good thing for me to learn to do because If I EVER got stranded with a flat tire I would be waiting for a while for someone to come and help me (hopefully a family member)

PrairieMom replied: I can add fluids, ( and check them) I can also change a tire. I even fix toilets, I refuse to be a wimpy woman that had to wait for their hubby to come home to get things taken care of. That being said, i have still never run the snow blower, and never mowed the lawn until last summer!

MyLuvBugs replied:
ITA!!! If I had to wait for my husband to do some of the stuff around this house....it would NEVER get done. lol

TANNER'S MOM replied: I too can do the brake pads..and bleed the air out .

I think for some reason it was also a bonding experience..

But I grew up in a time before cell phones..when cars broke down you knew how to fix it or you walked. Which in those days might have been safer.. but who knoew.

Kaitlin'smom replied: Lets see I can pump gas, change wiper blades, check fluids, add fluids, change flat tire. I that thats about all. I will also teach this to kait. as well as many other things, she needs to learn to be self servent.

C&K*s Mommie replied: I can check and add fluids, no guarentees on the accuracy of those, but I can do it. I can pump the gas, although I hate to do it.

2003 was my first time ever mowing the lawn, but I had seen it done so many times I felt like a pro the first time. Except for when I did not know that you need to prime the gas in the tank, and that although there is alot of gas in there, it still needs to be almost full in order for it to run properly.

jem0622 replied: I know a lot. I got ripped off on a repair once. I said that would not happen again! I have changed a radiator, hoses, battery, alternator, tires, brakes, oil change/tune up stuff, pumped gas. I once swapped out a bad headlight lamp while preggo w/ my oldest DS!

coasterqueen replied: I can pump gas, check fluid levels, change windshield wipers but that's it.

Now if you were talking about building houses/garages, things like that and sweating pipes (plumbing) I'd be your gal.

Everyone was raised with parents who did different things so you tend to inherit trades they did, ya know.

kit_kats_mom replied: I can do most anything mechanical. I could also probably jump start my car but frankly, I get nervous working with electricity (It's magic as far as I'm concerned ) & avoid it when possible. Things always seem to turn squirrely on me if math is involved. So even though I enjoy working with power tools, I don't get much of a chance.

jcc64 replied: I am a mechanical loser, although I can change tires and add various fluids. Still don't know how to jump a car, which I really should.
And I've never mowed the lawn, ever. Almost did it last summer, but then common sense got the better of me. Do I really want/need another job around here?

gr33n3y3z replied: yes I can do those things also along with changing the oil filter and spark plugs but do I choose to do it nope I just sit and watch Ed and Mike do it

luvmykids replied: I can't do brakes but I can do the rest of the stuff on your list and am good around the house too. DH is a contractor but won't do squat around the house, so I give it a shot myself. The only thing I've had trouble with was changing the direction my fridge doors opened; I had a fridge on top/freezer on bottom model and the door was too heavy/awkward so he had to finish it.

TANNER'S MOM replied:
I don't like power tools either.. or chainsaws..though I have used both.
We used to have wood as our sole heat. Seeing as I don't have enough lead in my butt to split wood..you cut. And let me tell you that sucked!!!!

Oh I can do household repairs too. I can buck hay and pull a trailer. I will not promise to back a trailer correctly..but I can get it there..if u get the heck outa the way when I am in reverse!

kimberley replied: i can change a tire but dont thats what men or CAA are for

i know how to check my fluids, pump air, keep a hot rad cool w/o coolant , change fuses/bulbs, change wipers etc

i learned from men & mechanics when i started driving.

TANNER'S MOM replied:
Jumping the car is easy... Red is hot , black is ground. You put the red wire on the Plus sign ..and the black on one the Negative.. to both cars..wait a few minutes and turn over..


They have jumper cables now that are No spark for those afraid of the spark.
But the spark doesn't really get ya!

MommyToAshley replied:
I think that is what has stopped me from learning these things... "do I really need another job around here?." It's nice to have some things that only the hubby does.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Well I can pump gas and I've checked fluids before and I may have even changed my oil once. Not sure. I've put new wiper fluid in, but haven't actually changed the wipers. I know nothing about brakes and don't really want too. And I've never had a flat tire...isn't that what AAA is for anyway?? lol

As an art major, I had to take several interesting classes as prereqs like scultping which required the use of a lot of power tools! I hated it and was AWFUL at it! I even had to weld metal at one time in my life...all for the purpose of making art of course...but let's just say it wasn't my thing! I never did complete my metal dustpan in 7th grade either!

coasterqueen replied: Oh and I LOVE power tools and am the only one in the house who mows our 3.5 acres of land. DH will do it if it's absolutely necessary.

TANNER'S MOM replied: I like to mow.. especially if I can ride. Push mow is ok..I hate to weed eat..

Rae,
I hate welding. It scares me. Dh is a welder and that spark scares me cause Dad used to say DONT make eye contact when we to the garage.. I had visions of my eye balls being burnt out!

BAC'sMom replied: I can pump gas, check fluid levels, change windshield wipers that's about it with the car I am not very mechanical. I would rather do home improvement jobs.
I love to mow and use the weedeater. I can even use a few power saws.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I can pump gas and check and add fluids. Thas about it. Dh keeps telling me that I need to learn to change a tire and he's right - I just don't really want to. I spent a lot of time watching my dad working on the cars and lawn mowers and stuff like that, but he never really had me help him, other than to hand him stuff. I kind of wish he had.

Oh and I've never used a push mower - I'm scared to. mowing the lawn was my job when I was a kid but we had a rider. I know there probably isn't anything to a push mower but I'm afraid of new and different things.
I might have given it a try last summer, but Dh didn't want me to because ours doesn't have a shield thingy and our lawn is always full of acorns and twigs - and he says it hurts.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I can!

luvbug00 replied: I can pump gas and ........pump gas that's all I always forget to put the cap on the oil thing so I'm not allowed to change it ( my dad )

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: My dad made me learn to do all those things before he ever let me sit in the driver seat.

CantWait replied: I can pump gas, and I can add washer fluid...not without spilling it though. I have never checked the oil, or replaced other fluids. I can't change a flat either

Lawn mowers, I prefer not to, I'm scared I'm going to drop the cord and run over it, although I have used a whipper snipper, what the difference is, I don't know

luvmykids replied:
We have many family stories about me learning to back up the trailer!

My3LilMonkeys replied: I can pump gas, check/add fluids, change a tire, change oil, jumpstart. Having had lots of POS cars I can also self diagnose many different problems but I can't fix them.

I have been mowing lawns since I was 8. I can also weedwhack if necessary but prefer not to.

As for home improvement projects, I can help but usually need some direction.

mom21kid2dogs replied: I'm pretty good at most things automotive thanks to a few junky cars in my youth!!! I learned so I wouldn't be stranded in them. I can change tires in both my truck & car (but am happy to call AAA if it's pouring rain, sleet or snow), add all fluids, change the oil and brake fluid, etc. I remember in Driver's Ed the instructor refused to teach the girls how to change tires. I complained to the principal and the next week we were taught.

MyLuvBugs replied:
Yep. I grew up in a SMALL country town of 300 people. And for that same reason, dad thought I needed to know how to fix my own car.

holley79 replied: I was raised up on a racing garage. I knew how to change oil and all that good stuff before I was 13 also. You weren't allowed to drive a car in our family unless you knew how to check all the fluids, air and change a tire. I have had some serious POS also so it's a good thing I knew how to do these things. I use to deliver parts then went to work for a local garage when I was 18 and 19. While I was in college I worked for a very large crane company here.

I think it's important for all family members to know how to take care of a vehicle and I also think that it's important for all family members to know how to take care of "domestic" responsibilites around the house. I change the spark plugs on DH's Jeep and he cooks dinner.

TeagansMom609 replied: Im such a tomboy when it comes to cars. I used to have a Mitsubishi Eclipse when I was younger and went through a "I wanna race import cars phase", so I basically tore apart my engine and rebuilt it with custom parts. I love going out to the garage, turning on the radio, and just messing with stuff. To this dayif my DH and one of his friends are talking about cars, he will say I dont know, my wife would, ask her, she knows more than I do. LOL.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
What kind of lawn mower do you have?

Insanemomof3 replied: I can pump gas (that is part of my job now at work) and I can check fluids. That is pretty much it. I have NEVER changed a flat tire....I would know how to, but I probably would not be able to jack up the car, no strength, or take off the lugnuts. If I could though, I KNOW I would not be able to tighten them properly.

MamaJAM replied: I always pump my own gas. I learned how to pump gas when I was 10 years old and have been doing it since.
I know how to check and add fluids (windshield fluid, oil, coolant) -- learned all of that because I had to. Our last van had a coolant leak - was constantly going hot -- I often had to pull over to add coolant or water...either that or be stranded in the middle of the city.
My father made sure I knew how to change a tire before he let me go for my license.
Everything else we leave to the 'professionals'.

I plan to make sure my kids all learn everything I listed above before I'll let them go for their license.


AS far as lawnmowers -- I was taught how to use the push mower when I was about 11/12...and that was my job from then on. We never had a riding mower...though when DH and I lived with his parents - FIL had one and taught me how to use it (I didn't like it though...and he enjoyed mowing the lawn...so I didn't really need to worry about it). We have a push mower...though both DH and I hate yardwork and our lawn gets really high before we get around to it....we both do it - just depends who cracks first about how bad it looks.

TANNER'S MOM replied:
Well this is how redneck we are...

When your lug nuts are put on by an impact you can't always get them loose. I have for years used what they call a CHEATER bar.. it's just a metal pipe..it gives you leverage and it is easy.

The other thing to do is.. jump up on the lug wrench and use your whole weight!

My2Beauties replied:
That is what I would have to do. LOL! Because I am probably not strong enough to get the darned things off. Brian has broke one of my lug wrenches before trying to pull one off! LOL!

I can pump gas of course, change fluids, change wiper blades, fix a flat (although I've only done it with help), and a few other little things, but that is about it. I can't fix brakes, although I do know how to bleed them, being I am the one in the car hitting the brake when they tell me to I've done that before. I do have AAA so if I did get a flat or something I would just call them rather than get out and fix it myself, I know I'm terrible aren't I?

Lawnmowers - never done it in my life, I wouldn't think it's so hard I've watched other people do it so much but I doubt that I'll be doing any of that once we buy a house, right now we have no yard, no grass, so DH weedeats by the fence and stuff, everything is concrete in our house right now Have I mentioned I can't wait to move!