Maintain a vehicle

What can I use if I don’t have safety gloves, a flashlight, a tire pressure gauge, or an air pump?

If you don’t have safety gloves use rubber dish gloves, use your phone’s flashlight to shine under the car and into wheel wells, use the gas station’s pressure gauge or ask the supervising adult to borrow a tire pressure gauge, and use a manual foot pump or the service station air pump to inflate any low tire.

My tire pressure readings seem inconsistent and the dipstick looks greasy—what might be wrong and how do I fix it?

Park the car on level ground with cold tires and check valve caps if the tire pressure gauge gives varying readings, and always wait until the engine is cool and wipe the dipstick with a clean rag, reinsert it, then pull it out again to read the correct oil level.

How can I adapt this vehicle check for younger kids, older kids, and teens?

Have younger kids (4–7) do the walk-around to point out flat tires, dents, or puddles and take the photo and short note, 8–12-year-olds can use the flashlight to inspect wheel wells and help shake or vacuum the cabin air filter with adult help, and teens can measure tire pressure with the tire pressure gauge, assist inflating tires with the air pump, and check fluid reservoirs under adult supervision.

How can we extend or personalize the activity after completing the basic vehicle check?

Make a checklist and maintenance log to record tire pressure numbers, oil dipstick level readings, dates you topped up coolant or washer fluid, and post the photo and short note to DIY.org as a progress entry or add stickers to a 'car health' chart for milestones.