Day 11

Today's Auto Lesson

As I was dropping Charlotte off for her preschool class at 12:30, another mom asked if anyone had jumper cables. So, of course I said "I do. I've jumped lots of cars." Out we went into the rain. I happened to be parked right next to her car and after pointing my front end toward her hood, I began looking for a latch or button to open my hood. I had to get out the manual. Lesson #1, LEARN WHERE YOUR HOOD LATCH IS! 

It didn't take long to find the latch with my fingers under the hood, enabling me to lift the hood. No problem there. THEN I looked at the engine....for the first time! Oh my, where is the battery??? I could see the red plastic cover showing the positive post but still....where is the battery? And where is the negative post!! Out came the manual and after looking at the picture of the engine compartment it appeared that the negative post was this little "thing" sticking up on the left. But there was no negative symbol there to prove it to me, so I decided we should find someone with a normal battery and hookup. Lesson #2 GET FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND KNOW HOW TO USE THE JUMPER CABLES THAT YOU MUST HAVE IN YOUR TRUNK.

Shauna's sister-in-law, Kim, and friend Brea, were both driving European made cars and Kim said European cars were not straightforward engine compartment-wise. On they drove. We found someone with a Honda SUV and after the mom who owned it opened her door and searched around for the latch to open the hood (she had never opened her hood either,) we discovered the battery was actually visible! On with the cables and VOILA......Mom #1 had a car that was now running.

Lesson #3, WHEN YOU GET A NEW CAR OR ONE NEW TO YOU GET TO KNOW IT! How do you fill the windshield washer fluid. Does it need antifreeze? Where in the world is the maintenance information in my manual?? Oh, the car tells me what it needs and when it needs it. We've had our BMW for over a year and we haven't taken it in for a tune up. What is that about?? Can I trust my car's brain?? Where is your spare tire or do you even have one? Our new BMW doesn't have one! It has something called "run flat tires." I guess it will go until I make it to a gas station. What if I were out in the desert?? I think I better go learn what to do if I get a flat tire, although I don't plan on heading out to the desert anytime soon. But you never know.....

The battery is actually in the trunk. Who knew??