Are you a note taker, a list maker? I am and I bet most women are. But when it comes to our cars, many women don’t think about taking notes. If you were in school preparing for an exam, you would take notes. If you were at a work conference, you would take notes. Heck, I even take notes on how to use a new remote!
But what about more serious things, like illnesses? If you or your child were diagnosed with an illness, you would definitely take notes on how to treat that illness, right? Well your car relies on YOU to take care of it. It is your baby. And as your baby’s mamma, it is your job to take notes and keep accurate records. This is one of the most critical steps in breaking down the barriers of fear and anxiety that surround women and their cars.
Cars may seem like foreign objects because they are… until they aren’t anymore. Let me explain. When you get a new pet, or even have your first child, it is scary. Everything about that little precious life is intimidating. We worry we will break it, scar it, damage it or do something that could really mess it up. But we all overcome that fear because we HAVE to. We read books, talk to people and go to professionals for advice because we know our babies are helpless without us… they rely on us.
Your car is exactly the same. It wants you to understand its cries, know what it needs when it squeaks and to get really intimate with it, inside and out. The cure to automotive anxiety is understanding how your car works. Reading this blog is a great first step. Next, be a diligent parent and take notes every time you bring your car to the doctor, um, mechanic. Write down everything they do, ask questions and make sure you understand what the professional is doing to your baby. WAK Shops pledge to Show and Tell and provide Service, Not Sales. If your shop hasn’t pledged, encourage them to.
Keep accurate service records and use our Personal Maintenance Log between check-ups. Get yours when you join WAK for FREE! Remember, your car needs you to take care of it. Whether you plan on babying your baby and want to keep it running forever, or you plan on selling it to another loving owner, detailed records will help you get the most mileage and money out of your car.
Mechanically Yours,
Audra
Cars…what is it about them and women??? I’m having a problem now and really feel the men at the dealership think I’m crazy!!! My horn beeps randomly…you know…now and then for no reason. No one is in the car most times (though I was driving out in the country one time and the horn went off). The car is usually turned off. The car is usually sitting in the garage or somewhere else. So I took it in today and called later to see if they had any idea about the problem. (This is the second time it’s been in for the same thing). Last time, they took a few things apart and put them back together. That lasted about 3-4 weeks. Now today, the beeping is worse than ever. They said they can’t do anything unless they hear it beep. So…they took it for a drive and waited a while. No beeping. And where was it left at the dealership…outside in the lot!!! “Oh, we’ll hear it,” the repairman said!!! So, I brought it home and it has beeped 5 times since arriving in my drive. Anyone want a cheap car with a good horn??? I’ve had this car 8 years and it has been well taken care of. I will join WAK. Maybe there is a woman out there who might know what’s wrong with my car!!!
Oh Wishful Thinking,
I don’t think you’re crazy & I completely understand your frustration. We get those mysterious problems that come and go with no rhyme or reason too. When they come out of no where and then go away, I refer to them as gremlins, because there is no explanation other than the problem has rectified itself. In your situation, it does sounds a lot simpler. Same like the shop you went to, without experiencing the trouble (your beeping) it is very difficult to trace the source. Not knowing what kind of car you have, I can only speculate.
When it comes to horns, you have the horn pad, inside the steering wheel is a clock spring or the wiring. If the clock spring gets worn, it can cause erratic, unplanned beeps. If an animal has nibbled at the wires, can cause a short. There is also the possibility of a short circuit causing the horn to honk when the circuit is completed by coming into contact with something else. The next problem it could be is a broken switch that activates the horn (which is basically a short circuit in the switch).
All if these possible causes are not major to repair, once the cause has been determined. Keep us posted.
Mechanically Yours,
Audra
Wow, thanks for your ideas. I have written them all down and will approach my repairman with them. I’ll let you know.
Guess what!!! We had a bad storm here Friday with lightning and thunder. I was worried so unplugged my computer. Then I even turned off the serge protector to it because my car seemed to honk when the computer was on. So…do I need to tell you…the horn on my car hasn’t honked all weekend. No honk, no noise, no nothing!!! I went out and bought a new serge protector (actually needed an extra one) and turned the computer on with it attached. No honking yet. Not a single honk for almost 3 days!!! I must be having a senior moment but will keep you informed if that changes.
I love this article! I’m not mechanically savvy by any means so as soon as something doesn’t sound right or a light comes on that wasn’t, I will probably just take it straight tot eh auto body service. Like you said, my car is my baby! It really is scary at first but as soon as you get used to it and learn more about the car, things get so much easier. Living in Harrison, OH, the winters can get pretty brutal so I think that it’s important to have a good mechanic in your back pocket. Thanks for the tips!