You may remember I posted about a local auto maintenance workshop a little while ago. Well, I went to it tonight and it was very informative.
The all-women's session was free and run by the folks at Otto Cadillac and AC Delco.
Some quick tips that I learned:
~for every 5 mph you go over 60mph you spend an extra 29-cents per gallon
~for best fuel efficiency and car care keep the gas tank filled at half a tank
~you use more gas while using the A/C and no extra gas with the heater
~check the tires and oil as often as possible
~change the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles depending on how hard you run the car
~ tire rotations every 7,500 miles
~it does matter where you purchase your gas (check toptierfuel.com for reliable gas stops)
~amber lit lights on your dashboard are important but red ones are urgent, flashing lights=bad

We went over some basic to expert terminology for cars and looked at everything that could be found on the dashboard, or instrument tool board. This included the Check Engine Light, or Service Engine Soon (SES) light. Otto employees also told us about their "pit stop" offer for free inspection of tires and fluid levels, with top offs.

The workshop at Otto Cadillac on Central Avenue lasted from about 6:30pm until around 9pm, with a short break and refreshments from the Century House. The spread was great with grilled veggie dishes, cheese, caviar and crackers, and lots of desserts including chocolate for dipping Rice Krispie treats, pretzels, marshmallows, and strawberries.

On top of this, they also gave out quite a few goodies like windshield scrapers, an umbrella, a small first aid kit, and $25 service gift cards for the site. So, I know where I'll be getting my next oil change.

A similar workshop will be offered in the fall as a follow up. I suggested doing a couple more hands-on things like teaching people to change tires and their oil, but overall it was a good use of time and I learned a lot.