I’ve spent a lot of the last year driving back and forth across and up and down the United States in that awkward quarter-life crisis period toeing the, uh, thin line between “work” and “pleasure” in a precarious economy. You’d think that by the time I moved from rural California to Iowa by myself (with my bike strapped to the top of my car, in the span of three days), I would have figured out what to do in the case of car trouble — but I was too preoccupied with surviving lightning storms (I’m Californian; I don’t even know if you can take a shower during an electrical storm) and an accidental high from gasoline that spilled on the ground and into my wooden clogs when an Exxon pump failed to shut off automatically in Arizona (I should have known better than to patronize Exxon) to prepare for potential mechanical disasters. On my last road trip, however — this time with two female friends and a kid — en route to the woods outside of Seattle, my car began eating transmission fluid, and I began to suspect that my biannual oil change alone was maybe less than adequate preparation given how often I travel by car.
It’s kind of weird that car maintenance is still so heavily gendered — and let’s face it, relying on strange men for help with one’s car is annoying at best and downright terrifying at worst — so I consulted both my car’s manual and the internet to figure out not only how to deal with my transmission, but also what else I should watch out for while driving.
Bad Transmission
If your transmission eats shit, I come to understand, you’re kind of fucked. My car had already eaten the full quart of transmission fluid added during my oil change the weekend prior, and the mechanic had warned me that one of the bolts on my transmission pan was missing (no big). I felt by the shuddering of the Subaru changing gears on the 101 North, and when I arrived in Santa Cruz to pick up my friends, I popped the hood and commenced full freakout while they loaded up the car with a week’s worth of snacks, books, tents, sleeping gear, clothes, cooking ware, etc. for our communist-utopia camping experiment on a river in the woods outside of Seattle.
While I had made a morning detour to Auto Zone for transmission fluid, I realized I had NO IDEA where to pour the transmission fluid in. It turned out that the Subaru’s manual fully neglects to mention where the transmission fluid goes in. So the (male, argh! embarrassing) partner of the partnered one of us did some quick Googling. He busted out a long funnel and reasoned out why the same tube that houses the dipstick for the transmission fluid had to be the one to pour the fluid into. He held the funnel while I poured half a quart of Dexron III automatic transmission fluid in, and we were off.
My car’s transmission might have been sketchy, but at least we had no shortage of benevolent transmissions from my friend’s daughter — the most imaginative child I have ever met — to distract us. We spent the first six hours of the drive checking the transmission fluid every time we stopped to pee, playing “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love” (our self-devised addition to the game –“What would you do with your placenta?”), and joking that, as three women traveling with a kid, we were the ideal family form. This lasted us through our stops at the Black Bear Diner in Willows, California and Rock-n-Rogers Diner (because we are nerds who love milkshakes, french fries, and a bacon cheeseburger salad) in Salem, Oregon and all the way to our destination. On this trip I got really into the self-sufficiency I felt checking my fluid levels — in addition to peeing under pine trees, yelling “I LOVE OREGON!” and pulling over for emergency pastries at the Happy Donut near Myrtle Creek — without actually being, like, a dad.
Getting really into checking fluid levels
Transmission fluid should generally be checked once a month. Transmission fluid expands with temperature increases, so there are two different sets of markers on the dipstick to gauge fluid levels. For peak accuracy, my car’s manual and mechanic both recommend checking transmission fluid levels when the car is warm (between 154 and 176 degrees Fahrenheit is normal operating temperature for a 2003 Subaru Forester). If your car is cold, drive several miles to raise the car’s engine temperatures to normal operating temperature. Keep the car’s engine running with the car in Park on a level surface. Pop the hood. Sometimes there is kind of a confusing latch that you have to hit with your finger to release the hood.
Pull out the transmission fluid dipstick — on my car, the handle, unlike the one for the oil, is a hollow ring. Like the oil dipstick’s handle, it too is yellow. Wipe the dipstick on a clean rag or paper towel, then insert it back into the tube, pull it out, and wipe it again. Does the liquid reach the top of the top set of markers (two dots or notches on the dipstick)? Is it pinkish and clearish? If so, you’re in good shape. If the liquid is opaque or dirty-looking, you have something to worry about. (Do you have AAA?)
If liquid levels are below the markers on the dipstick (or so low that they’re not even showing up on the dipstick, as was the case when I stopped in Santa Cruz to pick up my friends), pour some transmission fluid in. Be careful not to overfill — a half-quart is a good amount to start with. If you end up having to check transmission fluid with your car cold, the transmission fluid should fall between the lower set of markers.
Note: These directions are for cars with an automatic transmission. Manual transmissions, from what I understand, are much more complicated. Should you have trouble with a manual transmission, get thee to a service technician!
My car’s manual recommends checking the engine oil at every fuel stop. (Who knew?!) Unlike checking transmission fluid, oil should be checked when the engine is cold; if the car’s been on, wait at least ten minutes for it to cool. Hopefully the car’s owner manual makes it clear where the oil dipstick is located. The handle is often yellow so it stands out. Again, use a clean rag or towel. Wipe the dipstick on it, then reinsert it and draw it out again, wiping it on the towel. Hopefully the oil is between the “high” and “low” marker spots on the dipstick. If it’s at the bottom (toward “low” or “add”), THROW SOME MO’. Add necessary oil to the oil container (usually has a picture of a little oil canister or is labeled “Oil”), separate from but close to the tube the dipstick sits in. Consult with your car’s manual to find out the required grade and viscosity. My 2003 Subaru Forester, for example, takes the API classification SL or SJ Energy Conserving type SAE 5W-30.
Oil turns dark pretty quickly, but should be clear when you rub it between your fingers. If it leaves dark stains, it’s time for an oil change!
You can gauge your coolant and windshield wiper fluid levels just by looking at the tanks. Other fluids, like differential gear oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and clutch fluid (for manual transmissions) are also very important but can be complicated to check yourself. This is another good reason to take your car in for service regularly.
Stay hydrated
Other things to carry if you’re going on a longish trip include engine oil, transmission fluid, and coolant, especially if your car has been at all wonky lately — not every gas station sells these things or will be open when you need them. Make sure you know what kind of oil and transmission fluid your car needs and get those. My mechanic told me that for coolant, you can use water in a pinch, so carrying an extra gallon is a good idea. But make sure you wait until the engine has cooled (I’d suggest at least half an hour, from an experience that I had driving up a hill in Utah in the summer once) to avoid the engine blasting you with hot steam when you go to pour it in. Transmission fluid is specific to the make and model of the car, so check the manual to see which type to carry with you.
I’m a big advocate of carrying extra fluids of all types — oil, transmission fluid, and water — along with my MagLite, a towel, and a swimsuit at all times in my car now. Oh, and bring a lot of drinking water for yourself, because singing along to Beyoncé and getting in spats when you’re hangry really takes it out of you.
A lot of car stuff, it turns out, is just common sense. Like, if the radiator is covered in leaves that have slipped under the hood of your car, dust them off. But some stuff — like the air filter, exhaust system, constant-velocity-joint boots (if applicable), and brakes — are important to pay attention to and may require an experienced set of eyes. Other things that may require practice to do yourself include putting on chains, checking air tire pressure, and checking your car’s battery.
Jump-starting a car, though, it turns out, is pretty straightforward: Bust out the jumper cables (hopefully you have them, or have a friend who does). Make sure the battery of the car jumping yours has at least as much voltage as yours. With both cars in Park or Neutral, the ignition off (!!!), and parking brakes on (for good measure), hook up one red clip to the positive terminal of your battery. Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car. Hook up one black clip to the negative terminal on the other car’s battery and attach the last black clip to the engine lifting bracket, an unpainted metal surface on your car that is not the battery. Start the helping car’s engine and run it at a medium speed (keeping still). Then start the engine of the car being jumped. Carefully disconnect the jumper cables in exact reverse order after you’ve successfully gotten the engine running.
If worst comes to worst, call AAA! When my friend’s car broke down in the desert in Utah, the tow-truck driver was a super nice local who even recommended an auto shop that ordered her a new radiator for her Hyundai (some Hyundais, it turns out, have plastic radiators that can melt in extreme heat, so that’s a thing to be wary of) over Memorial Day weekend. Never mind that we were trying to get out of Moab and be camping way out in the desert before the holiday weekend; instead we ended up getting a substantial amount of pool time and an intimate familiarity with red rock.
While driving across the country by myself is one of the most empowering things I have ever done. and attempting to sneak four people into a budget motel with unicorn light switches in Yreka, California for the price of two (the giveaway was that we moved the car to a parking spot closer to our room after checking in, so don’t do that) is one of my most treasured memories, being able to check my fluid levels and perform other basic car maintenance and look very competent while doing it really takes the feeling of freedom that comes with traveling to a whole new level. I’m now super stoked to learn more about my car’s guts, like its belts and fans. And make a trip to the Eastern Sierras, too.
Tags: car maintenance, car stuff, cars, I LOVE OREGON, maya weeks, road trips, travel
My Subaru (Zelda is her name) waves to your Subaru. 🙂
My car’s manual recommends checking the engine oil at every fuel stop.
Okay, but your car’s manual was clearly written by an absurdly optimistic overachiever…
Or by my uncle, who has both OCD and Aspergers. (My dad just bought his old car from him, and it was *immaculately* maintained).
I know firsthand that a lot of this information is wrong if you drive my make.
Oh man, my old car had manifold gasket/radiator troubles for TOO LONG. I learned to always have coolant and/or water in the car.
One time I made the mistake of taking the radiator cap off while the car was still very warm and it shot off and coolant gushed everywhere. I somehow avoided being sprayed by boiling coolant (THANK GOODNESS), but starting crying because I was so surprised by it. So really, wait the extra 10 or so minutes for your car to really cool down!
Yes, definitely on waiting till the radiator cools down before opening the cap. My ex-boyfriend had 3rd degree burns on his stomach from opening a radiator cap too soon, and he was even a car guy who should have known better.
I’ve tried my best to become familiar with my car’s various bits ever since I went to get an oil change and the technician told me I didn’t have a dipstick so he couldn’t do anything. I was alone and in nursing school 500 miles from home, so I ordered a new one from the manufacturer, and it was the exact same thing as the dipstick I already had. The technician had told me it went to the transmission fluid.
Basically, I’m saying men shouldn’t be allowed to work on cars.
Yay for women doing car maintenance!
It’s been a pet peeve of mine for many years now, that so many otherwise smart and resourceful women I know have a sort of willful helplessness when it comes to cars (e.g., always relying on a male relative or partner to handle it for them, never bothering to learn the basics for themselves). I know women with law degrees who don’t even know how to check their own oil. Basic maintenance is really not that hard, and there are basic repairs that practically anybody can do.
If you can’t afford expensive repairs right away, keeping to a regular maintenance schedule and learning a few tricks can stave things off for a good while. For instance, if you have transmission or power steering fluid leaks, one trick is to use a stop-leak like Trans-X. (You just add a bit at regular intervals). You can also recharge a leaky AC system pretty easily, using canned refrigerant with a hose attached.
I’m not particularly handy or technically-inclined, but I learned to do a lot of this stuff out of necessity over the years (due to being broke and driving old rust-buckets- usually late ’90s American cars).
If you have an older car, I also highly recommend buying a gadget that reads “check engine” codes (which is very easy to use and not that expensive).
ALL OF THIS EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THIS.
(I have terrified two entire service departments by self-diagnosing car issues: once a stuck brake caliper and once a worn-out wheel bearing. Both issues were in new-ish cars.The only reason this was possible is that I spent a solid ten years of my driving life listening for, listening to, and fixing minor issues in the ancient, leaky rustbuckets the came before the shiny cars. The #1 thing I would teach to anyone about car maintenance is to just pay attention to baselines. Cars make noises! Lots of them! Some are normal and it is good to know what normal sounds like so that when a not-normal noise happens, you can describe it! Same with smells, same with the “feel” of the vehicle–that’s what got the wheel bearing diagnosis.)
I completely agree.
And, generally, you’re less likely to be overcharged or taken advantage of by mechanics if you sound like you know what you’re talking about.
I wish I could say I had car savvy like that, but I was once on a road trip with my ex, and amazed him by correctly diagnosing his brake problem (confirmed when we pulled into a shop) via my terrifyingly accurate googling skills.
I’d add “check the tread on your tires” to the list. We’ve twice done 2,000 mile road trips where the tread looked great starting out and had totally disappeared by the end of the trip (including one trip where a band in the tire snapped on the interstate, by some miracle mere yards from an exit which had a tire shop immediately off the interstate). Treads are important!
In other slightly terrifying road trip lessons- buy a road atlas if you’re, say, driving through the less populated areas of New Mexico where there is no cell service and happen to have a phone that will entirely loose its maps at random, leaving you mapless and rapidly running low on gas. Road atlases don’t need batteries or cell/ satellite service- plus you can draw your route and make notes on them.
Also, if you’re driving an automatic over, say, the continental divide, make sure you know how to shift into lower gears.
Last item in car life experience- buy seriously long-ass jumper cables. 16 feet minimum if you have a short car, or longer if you have a truck or something- you never know when you’re going to need to jump the car that’s parked head-in into your one car garage. Also, it’s a lot more civilized to jump a car on the side of the road if you can just pull up behind the person that needs the jump.
Yes! And regular tire rotation.
Or buy a portable jump starter battery, if you can remember to periodically check its charge.
“Jump-starting a car, though, it turns out, is pretty straightforward”
* Unless you have a late ’90s GM car, where some geniuses put the battery under the windshield washer fluid tank , and put that under a bolted metal bar that you have to pry off.
I just had to jump-start my car recently and learned, in order, that
1) there is a mysterious rod with a + on it under the hood, but no sign of the battery
2) the owner’s manual says the battery is in the back, under the floor of the cargo compartment
3) you can’t get into the back when the battery is dead because all the locks are electronic and there’s no manual lock on the liftgate, for some fucking reason
4) wait, there is a footnote on the page of the owner’s manual describing where the battery is that directs you to page 78 and on page 78 are instructions for jump-starting the car using connector points under the hood, one of which is that mysterious + rod
5) my owner’s manual could really use a better index
That is No Good!
Full props to you for taking the time and effort to take care of your car! As the VW Idiot Book (my long-ago first step on the way to basic car maintenance) says, “Take care of your ass, for it bears you.”
I would add a couple of things:
Please do not ever add coolant (radiator fluid) directly into the radiator (i.e., by removing the radiator cap and burning the shit out of yourself badly enough to be hospitalized and permanently scarred), but into the coolant reservoir. You can find this by locating a tube coming out of the radiator and going to a plastic reservoir that has fill lines. Generally filling just the radiator won’t give you enough fluid anyway; use the reservoir.
It is a good idea to carry a bottle of brake fluid specific to your car (e.g., DOT 3 or DOT 4 type). If you keep it in your car for long periods, be sure it is a new, sealed bottle–once opened, brake fluid absorbs water from the air and gets ruined. It is cheap and easy to replace and very worth having on hand if your brake lines spring a sudden leak.
I am also a fan (gah, unintentional pun) of buying extra belts specific to your car (though when you check your fluids, check your belts for cracks or peeling and you hopefully won’t need them) and radiator hoses (you can also check these by squeezing them; if they feel squishy and bloated it might be time to get them replaced) before taking a long trip. Of course you need tools and expertise to replace these things, but if you have the parts on hand, all you need to find is a mechanic, rather than a mechanic and parts.
Finally, when jumping a battery, make damn sure the cars are not touching, and never, ever, touch both cars at once while the jumping is happening. It seems like a straightforward process but it is easy to fry your car and/or yourself!
Finally finally, if you ever have to put on a spare tire, loosen the lug nuts on the wheel before you jack it up. It will make everything much, much easier.
Sorry if all this seems self-evident–it is all knowledge that I had to gain the hard way, but hopefully y’all are smarter than I am!
“Take care of your ass, for it bears you.”
That’s good life advice that I should maybe take to heart and stop eating so much Nutella directly from the jar…
I’ve been dealing with some battery issues lately, and asking tons of questions at every step of the process (my dad is such a dad; he knows everything). There’s so much stuff that somebody who already knows might think is common sense, but it’s not if you don’t know it! And are many, many years removed from your high school science classes, which was the last time you studied electricity.
1. I live in Oregon, and I love it toooooo
2. I feel like I could write a similar article but about bicycles. Including “learn how chains are put together and come apart so you’re not stranded in rural Saskatchewan, where as it turns out, it’s illegal to pick up hitch hikers, so you’ll be waiting a while.”
just chiming in to say I know diddly about cars BUT I also love Oregon and have been to Myrtle Creek and Salem and Yreka, CA and we don’t get enough pitches about traveling to/through tiny western towns
I have a coworker now from Yreka! He’s actually an intern, but he knows more than I do, and he’s also well-informed about forestry and fires and what’s happening to the economy in the area.
I’ve done some long-ass drives this year and I brought a battery from Home Depot with me. It has a compressor for tires and it has built in jumper cables, no second car needed. I haven’t had to use it but it’s nice to know it’s there.
Also in Washington on long steep freeway hills often a sign will remind drivers to turn off air conditioning to avoid overheating the car. Cross into Oregon and there are no signs but regular turnouts with barrels of non-potable water. Very thoughtful but I would rather avoid it in the first place…sorry Oregon, you know I love you.
I wish I could say I had car savvy like that, but I was once on a road trip with my ex, and amazed him by correctly diagnosing his brake problem (confirmed when we pulled into a shop) via my terrifyingly accurate googling skills.
My first car started burning transmission fluid less than a week after I got it (it was fourteen years old at the time), and I actually fed it fluid for a couple of weeks because I was afraid I’d end up having to pay more for a new transmission than I did for the car. Turned out to be just a seal on the gearbox that needed replacing.
My first car started burning transmission fluid less than a week after I got it (it was fourteen years old at the time), and I actually fed it fluid for a couple of weeks because I was afraid I'd end up having to pay more for a new transmission than I did for the car. Turned out to be just a seal on the gearbox that needed replacing.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this in accessible way! I am Motivated to look under my hood and figure out some of this myself.
Or buy a portable jump starter battery, if you can remember to periodically check its charge.
I can totally relate to this story as well. I’ve done quite a lot of travel on my own and the craze started really young when I got inspired from my uncle who was a serviceman. The main requirement is to have a good enough car which is serviced and maintained. I, for instance, do the bulk of my travelling in my Toyota Corolla which I service once in 3 months from Service Plus in Etobicoke. I have traveled across the Canadian mainland and my next target is the states.