Car Care Kits for Younger Drivers - What You Need

Is there a teen driving in your household? Don't hand over the keys just yet. Before your child gets behind the wheel, it's important to make sure that the vehicle they are driving is outfitted with a proper car care kit.

Napa Auto Parts recommends that parents assemble a "Car Care Package" for young drivers - whether they are making the long drive to an out-of-state college or simply traveling to and from high school every day. Planning ahead will help prevent breakdowns that could leave young drivers stranded along the roadside.

"No parent wants to think of his or her child broken down along a busy highway," said Jeff Walker, 2005 NAPA Technician of the Year and owner of Walker's Automotive Services in Pleasantville, N.J. "A car care package is inexpensive and contains items that will help young people perform necessary preventive maintenance and simple repairs to keep their vehicles moving."

A basic car repair kit should contain the following:

• Extra oil

• Jumper Cables

• Tire pressure gauge
  

• Antifreeze
  

• Windshield wiper fluid
  

• Mechanics wire (to wire up exhaust system or sagging bumper)
  

• Flashlight with extra batteries
  

• Assortment of tools, including a lug wrench, hammer, standard and Phillips screwdrivers, adjustable wrench
  

• Duct tape (to tape a mirror in place or temporarily cover a hole in a hose)
  

• Extra money (for car wash or to pay a towing company that requires cash)

NAPA advises parents to have vehicles periodically checked by a certified automotive technician to confirm they are road ready. The technician should inspect fluid levels, belts and hoses, tire pressure, filters, windshield wipers, brakes, lights and the battery.

"Parents may also want to develop a 'cheat sheet' indicating when to add oil, how much air to keep in the tires and how to use jumper cables," said Walker. "They will also want to teach their children how to check oil and antifreeze levels, as well as air pressure, and steps to change a flat tire."

Young drivers should also learn to use the tools in their car care package. They should know how to use a hammer to remove a tire rim that might be slightly rusted when changing a flat tire.

Parents may want to sign young drivers up for roadside assistance programs or obtain a NAPA credit card. NAPA AutoCare Centers offer the best consumer warranty in the industry, with 12 months or 12,000 miles coverage on qualifying repairs. This coverage increases to 24 months or 24,000 miles when a NAPA Visa or NAPA AutoCare EasyPay Credit Card is used for payment. For more information, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

(Source: NAPA Auto Care)