"It's something you use just about every day," he told the students. He discussed tires, fluids, filters and more before fielding questions. Reed spoke with the students about the importance of keeping up on vehicle maintenance. I said, 'Absolutely.' I feel if we can teach it to them young it will help them down the road as far as saving them some money and some headaches." "I think (Armory executive director) Amy (Wojciechowski) came up with it, honestly. "I had spitballed the idea of doing a class teaching kids about the importance of credit and auto finance and stuff like that - stuff that you wouldn't learn in the classroom in school - and then this idea got tossed around," he said. Reed said the program was a few months in the making and came about when the Armory was named Parkdale Auto's Charity of the Month in October. "My goal is to teach you some things to look out for that will help you once you start driving, or now that you are driving, and help you save some money down the line and make your vehicle last longer." A lot of times, by the time that vehicle gets to me, it costs them a lot of money and they're not real happy," Reed told the 10 students in attendance. "I see a lot of people come into my shop that are grown adults that don't know the items that we're going to cover. Transmission and power steering fluid typically have dipsticks, whereas brake fluid and engine coolant levels can be checked at their respective reservoirs. It is also important that transmission fluid, brake fluid, engine coolant and power steering fluid are filled to the proper levels.With the engine turned off, pull out the dipstick, wipe away any visible oil, reinsert the dipstick all the way into the dipstick tube, remove the dipstick and verify the oil level is in the safe zone. A good rule of thumb is to check your oil level every other time you pump gas to ensure there is a proper amount.On most vehicles, this can be found on the oil cap located under the hood. Be sure to use the proper oil for the engine. Oil should be changed every 3,000-5,000 miles, depending on the type of oil used, to help the vehicle run as long as possible.The first two digits refer to the week the tire was manufactured and the last two refer to the year. One can determine the age of a tire by looking at the last four numbers of the Department of Transportation code on the sidewall. Tires are not designed to last longer than 10 years. The average quality tire should last 45,000 miles or more with proper maintenance.Many tire retailers offer free rotations throughout the life of the tire. Tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles to allow the tires to wear more evenly.Overinflation can lead to uneven tread wear and underinflation hurts gas mileage. Rather than inflating tires to the maximum PSI listed on the sidewall, look for the manufacturer recommended PSI in the door jamb. Proper inflation maximizes tire life and fuel economy.Parkdale Auto Sales & Service owner Tyler Reed offered these auto maintenance tips to students at the Armory Youth Project this week:
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