My kid didn't know how to use the washer fluid.

[Oldwolf]

The responsibility is with the parent to teach the child the critical items to check in a motor vehicle and how and what kind of fluids to add when needed.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

If your wife knows nothing about basic car maintenance, whose fault is that?

It's only partly her fault. Her father and husband should have taught her years ago. Is she willing to learn a few basics? Are you willing to teach her (and be patient and kind)? If so, limit it to one brief lesson per week so she does get bored or overwhelmed with too much info, and so neither of you get frustrated. Then do something fun afterwards to ensure it's a positive experience for both of you.

She has some of the same mental block I know some of us men have when the women try to teach us some things. LoL

We make it work though. At this stage in our marriage, every day can be an adventure... A fight blows up and then later it is like nothing even happened. No grudges.... I have several divorced buddies who are single now because they and their wives always had to have the last word. Well in those couples usually the lawyers end up having the last words. It is too bad.

We do have lots more fun than fights. No way we could be together @ 47 years married without having fun thrown into the mix. We both have the same very warped type sense of humor so that certainly helps a great deal.

 

[John Galt]

I have been trying to teach her stuff about cars, and she has seemed to be interested, but she may have been just pretending and/or just doing it to spend time with me.
Don't worry I wasn't overly mean to her. We both had a little laugh about it immediately afterwords. Then I introduced her to the owner's manual and told her she should read it (and even showed her the pages that explained how the wiper stalk worked). I'm pretty sure she completely ignored me, but who knows?

Sounds like she has a sense of humor about the whole thing. Tell her that on April 1st, and only on that date, that you will show her where the blinker fluid goes. See how long it takes her to figure it out.

 

[GRUMPYDUDE2]

People [kids] are all different.

One of my sons went to university and is now a teacher. Can't start a lawnmower.

My daughter wanted a car with a manual transmission and now she drives trains.

Sounds like you did good. I would be proud of both of them.

 

[2005jettatdi]

Right on.

No offense to the OP, but if she wasn't taught anything about car stuff before she's 18, that's on her dad. It's his responsibility to teach her basic car stuff (with kindness and patience). He should have started before she got her learner's permit.

At this point he's 3-4 years late getting started, but it's not too late. Get started, be kind, patient, and do 1 brief lesson per week. Try to make it fun, or do something fun after so it's a positive experience.

Why, where and how to check and add washer fluid is a good 1st lesson.

Why where and how to check and topoff motor oil would be a good 2nd lesson.

Why, where and how to check and topoff coolant would be a good 3rd lesson.

Why, where and how to check and adjust tire pressure would be a good 4th lesson.

That's about all the average woman needs to know, unless she wants to know more.

If she wants to know more, then why, where, and how to check and topoff PSF & ATF would be good final lessons.

Almost always, when someone says "No offense" the next thing is offensive.

I have two sons who are mechanical engineers. Both have drained the transmission instead of the motor oil doing their first oil change. It is easier to just laugh and tell them it is a lesson learned. However, I would yell too if anyone was about to add washer fluid to the engine oil.

 

[svtrit]

Almost always, when someone says "No offense" the next thing is offensive.

I have two sons who are mechanical engineers. Both have drained the transmission instead of the motor oil doing their first oil change. It is easier to just laugh and tell them it is a lesson learned. However, I would yell too if anyone was about to add washer fluid to the engine oil.

It's not always the dad for sure. You can try all you want to teach, but attention isn't always there. That's why school, as it is currently designed, is a failure for a large number of kids.

Kids have interests. Parents have the role of teacher, but the kids will do with the information what they choose. I am extremely confident that my wife will be taken care of in more ways that car maintenance when I pass because of the diverse interest of my kids.

My 1st and 2nd sons had no interest in cars, but do like saving money, so they learned how to work on cars. As they got older, they cared more, but they could not care at all when they first started driving. My 2nd son, however, just graduated medical school. I'm just a farmer.

My 4th son is an absolute genius book nerd who doesn't mind being with me working on cars, but it isn't going to be a passion. I expect he will be like my 2nd son, saving lives.

My 3rd son is a gear head and helps me keep up the fleet (he finished an oil change for me when I ended up in the hospital), and keep an eye on his sisters car. My 5th son seems to also be heading down the gearhead path.

 

[2005jettatdi]

It's not always the dad for sure. You can try all you want to teach, but attention isn't always there. That's why school, as it is currently designed, is a failure for a large number of kids.

Kids have interests. Parents have the role of teacher, but the kids will do with the information what they choose. I am extremely confident that my wife will be taken care of in more ways that car maintenance when I pass because of the diverse interest of my kids.

My 1st and 2nd sons had no interest in cars, but do like saving money, so they learned how to work on cars. As they got older, they cared more, but they could not care at all when they first started driving. My 2nd son, however, just graduated medical school. I'm just a farmer.

There is no such thing as "just a farmer."

 

[GRUMPYDUDE2]

There is no such thing as "just a farmer."

So true!

​

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Almost always, when someone says "No offense" the next thing is offensive.

I have two sons who are mechanical engineers. Both have drained the transmission instead of the motor oil doing their first oil change. It is easier to just laugh and tell them it is a lesson learned. However, I would yell too if anyone was about to add washer fluid to the engine oil.

Related on the yell, I had one of my employees teaching a newer person some equipment. New person went to turn a valve that could have injured both of them. He screamed "STOP" and she did. Later she went to HR and complained about his tone of voice, aggressiveness etc. HR rep that lets just say is not on the reality side of things escalated the whole thing higher.

I had to go with my boss to HR and BS before they finally understood the issue. I explained to HR rep that if I saw a ball flying at her head I would yell "DUCK", not in a polite tone "excuse me, when you have a chance, you might want to duck or move your head because there is a ball that will hit you in maybe 2 seconds and you may get hurt". She dismissed myself and my worker then told my boss that I'm very sarcastic and disrespectful. He told her that she was to liberal, wanting to appease the masses, no reality to life.

HR rep quit, the rest of us are still there un-injured.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Related on the yell, I had one of my employees teaching a newer person some equipment. New person went to turn a valve that could have injured both of them. He screamed "STOP" and she did. Later she went to HR and complained about his tone of voice, aggressiveness etc. HR rep that lets just say is not on the reality side of things escalated the whole thing higher.

I had to go with my boss to HR and BS before they finally understood the issue. I explained to HR rep that if I saw a ball flying at her head I would yell "DUCK", not in a polite tone "excuse me, when you have a chance, you might want to duck or move your head because there is a ball that will hit you in maybe 2 seconds and you may get hurt". She dismissed myself and my worker then told my boss that I'm very sarcastic and disrespectful. He told her that she was to liberal, wanting to appease the masses, no reality to life.

HR rep quit, the rest of us are still there un-injured.

OMG. I feel for you all. The place I retired from promoted someone to the HR position who was a walking accident waiting to happen, again and again..... The guy should have been fired many years before it even got to the insanity of that person being placed in charge of anything other than a cold glass of water. This guy's nickname was the "Million Dollar Man" due to the number of incredible incidents, screw ups, accidents and damages he cost the company. This is the type of work place far too many are subject to in this day and age.
So a real asset to the company like that one is now in charge of making decisions and handling the HR department. Man am I glad I got out of that place.

 

[lbhsbz]

It'll never change. I bought the wife a 2023 4runner last year to upgrade from her 2003. She constantly complains about features that it doesn't have or stuff it won't do or things that don't work (which is all has, does, and works), and my response is simply...."have you read the owners manual?"......followed by a "no".

Well, lovely wife....it's an inch and a half thick for a reason.....there's LOTS OF STUFF IN THERE THAT WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO WORK YOUR GODDAM CAR!!!!.

But, no....there's no time for that between daytime TV shows.

 

[GSCJR]

My twenty year old daughter asked me today, she has her final (hopefully) driver's test on Christmas Eve, on how to use the washer/wipers, low beams, high beams etc. We were practicing today and yesterday, she hasn't driven since August, she's been away at university. Most of her friends have cars, so she's usually the passenger princess and has probably only driven a half dozen times. Tomorrow we'll practice again, including parking.

It would just so have it, that the driver examiner today complained that it was way too hot upon entering the vehicle (24c AUTO, BTW) and a dirty windshield at the very start of the driver's test. You can imagine how stressed my daughter is at this point as he took it upon himself to adjust the climate control system. After my daughter used the washer/wiper system to appease the examiner, he balked about the windshield being dirty on the inside, not the outside . In the end, she was able to pass her test despite the badgering and the limited amount of driving experience due to being away at university. She's relieved that it's over and can now enjoy the Christmas break.