My Experience at a Ladies Car Care Course.

I have been driving since i was 16 years old. Its embarrassing to admit before i completed the ladies car care course, I didnt even know how to open the car bonnet!

When i was asked to come along to this course i was so excited that finally i would be able to know the basics I felt I should already have known.

The course went for 2 hours at Ashbury Service Center a family owned and operated business located in Sydney's inner west at Charles Street, Canterbury.

We got some history of the family owned operation. Nicole and Danny, brother and sister along with their father Manuel, have worked together for the last 6 years. They started as a team of three and now have a team of four technicians and full time receptionist. Ashbury Service Center were named the winner of the 2016 Local Business awards for the Automotive Services Category, and have also just been awarded as a Finalist in the 2017 Australian Small Business Champion Awards.


There were 7 Ladies who all had 7 different cars in this course. It meant we would learn each step on different cars, I thought this was great as you never know when you might change cars or borrow a friends or family members.

What did we learn:

MONTHLY BONNET CHECK
Taking 10 minutes each month and competing  these simple steps, it could potentially save lots of money and stress.

1. Engine Oil-  Make sure oil is adequately topped up. Having low oil affects the way the engine runs, but having too much oil is also quite dangerous and can be a costly exercise. We learnt how to check engine oil correctly and what to do if either's on the low or high.

2. Windscreen Washer Fluid- Ensuring the levels are always at a comfortable level. If it runs low you could be posing a serious visibility risk. We also learnt what and how to top it up with.

3. Coolant- How to check it is filled and how to spot that there is an issue. This is quite a delicate reservoir as the coolant actually cools the engine and prevents it from overheating.

4. Battery check- We were shown to have a look if around the terminals there was no corrosion. If it looks corroded we were shown a quick and easy trick of how to solve the issue ensuring a longer lasting battery life.

5. Get rid of potential Spiders-This was one we paid extra special attention!  By ensuring the bottom of the windscreen is clean with no leaves, twigs or dirt, this will help keep the spiders away. You could use a cloth, vacuum or your hands if comfortable.

We done all these steps with all 7 cars, each step became quicker and easier to do as we moved on.

We also ran through some safety aspects on how to sit and drive in a comfortable driving position whilst being safe. This includes the type of footwear to wear and more importantly, not to wear and how it can legally get you in hot water.

There are also steps of what to do in case of an emergency.Its a good idea to have a car safety kit, The Ashbury Service Center showed us a St johns Kit. I admit i don't have one in my car, but considering getting one its so important and you never know when you might need.

In the end we received a little certificate for completion of Ladies Car Care Course, A voucher for a e safety check ($39) which all cars need if they are older than 5 years old and a set of comprehensive course notes a few days later.

I went home happy, confident and proud, from walking in not knowing how to open a bonnet i walked out with so much more knowledge and skills.

Thanks Nicole, Danny and Manuel.



Ladies Car Care Courses are available at Ashbury Service Centre




Christina xx


** This course was kindly gifted for review, all opinions are my own.