New to cars, where do I start?
Posted by Lonely_Staff1262@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 11 comments
Hey folks. As the title says, I'm new to cars and I don't know much of anything about them. I recently came into possession of an older VW golf (2012) and after replacing a few things like fuel pump, battery, and tires, and after spending way too much at the mechanic just to figure out I'm supposed to plug it in when the temps get low, I'm looking to fill a few gaps in my car knowledge.
Obviously there's a lot to learn and after looking at some stuff online I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and wondering where to even start? Thankfully my brother was able to teach me how to replace the battery and change a tire but what else would you recommend a completely new driver learn in an effort to keep their car running as long as possible and maybe even have a little fun with it?
cormack_gv@reddit
How cold is it where you live? You shouldn't need to plug in above -20C.
Lonely_Staff1262@reddit (OP)
Average winter day here is around -20, and often dips below that lol
wxlverine@reddit
Does your car even have a block heater? Both my 2016 Golf GTI and now 2024 GTI don't have block heaters, only a bettery warmer/blanket. And -20°C is pretty average for winter where I am as well. I will say I have had absolutely no issues with either one of them starting on super cold days regardless.
Lonely_Staff1262@reddit (OP)
Never heard of a battery warmer/blanket before but good to know, thank you!
timtoolman420@reddit
Do you have a battery warmer you'd recommend?
cormack_gv@reddit
I lived in Winnipeg for a dozen years, and never used a battery warmer. Block heater, for sure. And sometimes an interior warmer, to keep the windows clear of frost.
Lonely_Staff1262@reddit (OP)
It does have a block heater. It belonged to a relative who lives on the east coast where they have warmer winters and they said it never had any issues starting but out here it was completely dead after a day or two sitting in the driveway. Thought it might be the starter but the shop looked it over twice and said there were no issues, just needed to warm it up.
cormack_gv@reddit
Then your car already has a block heater?
Lonely_Staff1262@reddit (OP)
I had to do a bit of googling just now to be sure that's what it is but now I can confidently say that yes, it does have a block heater.
antidavid@reddit
You start with basic maintenance. Oil changes tire rotation simple parts changes etc. from there you move on to what interests you the owner. Then circle back to maintenance when something else goes wrong etc.
The best piece of advice i can give someone who is new to cars is to realize that cars are a bunch of small individual systems that work together to give you a car. What I mean by this is the coolant is a system, the fuel is a system, the air intake is a system etc. it makes the whole idea of it less daunting.
Lonely_Staff1262@reddit (OP)
Definitely going to look into how to do my own oil changes, that's for sure. Probably a good idea to learn now before it needs to be done again.
Breaking it down into smaller systems definitely makes it sound less overwhelming. I'm sure there are plenty of resources online that can give me a good, basic breakdown of each system and it's function as a jumping off point. Thanks for the advice, very helpful!