After holidays and celebrations, many people decide to start the new year off with new habits. January often brings a welcome attitude to change and a positive outlook. For some this means deciding to exercise more or changing eating habits. Others may resolve to spend their time differently or set overall goals for the year.
Resolutions can be hard to keep, but as a mechanic you can encourage car owners to improve habits and knowledge. Car maintenance may not be the most obvious resolution, but when you tell clients about vehicle care, you build a good relationship. This means that when big repairs are needed, customers will be confident bringing their cars to you. Here are a few ideas of car resolutions to recommend.
1. Use Your Auto Mechanic College Education to Encourage Good Habits
There are many ways drivers can make sure their vehicles last as long as possible. After auto mechanic college you’ll have an idea of all the little habits that can wear down vehicle components and lead to bigger problems or decreases in value. Here are three habits you can encourage car owners to try:
- Use the parking brake: Even if parked on flat ground, you can reduce stress on your transmission by engaging the parking brake before shifting into park.
- Keep the car clean: Water spots, sap, bugs and other things can damage paint and lead to expensive re-painting jobs.
- Slow down over potholes: If you can’t avoid them, then roll over them gently. Even small bumps can cause problems for suspension, steering, or alignment.
2. Learn How to Jump-Start
Car owners will appreciate an automotive mechanic who can explain how to jump-start a vehicle. After all, this is a good skill to know how to do without the help of a professional. These are the steps drivers need to know when they resolve to learn how to jump-start a vehicle:
- Face the dead battery car engine-to-engine with a working battery car.
- Connect the red cable to the positive terminal on the dead battery then to the positive terminal on the working battery.
- Connect the black cable to the negative terminal of the working battery then ground it to a clean metal component under the hood of the dead battery car.
- Start the working car and let the dead battery charge for a few minutes.
- Start the car that needed the charge then disconnect the cables in the opposite order they were connected.
- The car should run for at least 15 minutes to let the alternator charge the battery more.
3. Regular Check-Ups
The last resolution is probably something you will repeat from January to December every year, but why not take advantage of the season of resolutions to remind car owners of the timelines for preventative maintenance.
Starting with fluid changes, remind car owners to check levels and pay attention to the engine lights. If they notice the engine oil needs to be changed, remind them to get their brake fluid checked too. Good maintenance habits also include rotating the tires and checking alignment regularly. Put another way: encourage your clients to resolve to visit the auto shop before lots of little things add up to bigger costly repairs.
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