Girls auto clinic glove box guide

Pop quiz: check your auto care IQ

Introduction

Part I. Get to know your vehicle

Changing your vehicular relationship status

Must-know facts about your car

Get to know your dash

Your primary care technician

High maintenance

DIY #1: Under the hood

DIY #2: Check and add windshield washer fluid

Part II. Everything you need to know about how cars work

Anatomy of a modern car

The "three E's": engines, exhaust, emissions

DIY #3: How to check and add oil

DIY #4: How to check and add coolant

Motion electric: the electrical systems and computers inside your car

Transmission: an orderly transfer of power

Brakes: the most important system in your car

DIY #5: How to check brake fluid and power steering fluid

Keep 'em rolling: tires and wheels

DIY #6: How to check air pressure and tire tread

DIY #7: How to change a tire

Steering: navigating your chariot

Suspension: giving you that smooth ride

Heating and air conditioning: keeping it cozy

Gas: the joys and pains

Part III. Common roadside problems (and a mini buyer's guide)

Buy, sell, ditch: how to avoid a clunker (or tell when your car has become one) and buy a car you can afford

What to do in an emergency

DIY #8: How to jump-start a car.