Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care

by Michael E. Gray

If you own a car or are in the market for one, Auto Upkeep is the book for you! From choosing an insurance policy to performing basic maintenance and repair, Auto Upkeep presents the information you need in an easy-to-follow format with detailed pictures and drawings. An accompanying CD provides review questions and hands-on activities to help you apply concepts from the text.

About the Author
Mike has always been interested in the automobile. He started in the automotive field at the age of twelve in his family's service station. Since then he has worked in automotive parts supply stores, towing companies, and service facilities. Mike and his wife Linda also owned and operated an automotive service and towing company. For the first three years after obtaining his undergraduate degree in technology education from St. Cloud State University, he implemented and taught a basic high school automotive program. As a curriculum specialist, Mike co-authored ten integrated mathematics, science, and technology books designed for team teaching at the middle school level. After receiving his Master's Degree from Illinois State University, he returned to teaching. Currently a middle school teacher, Mike teaches an introductory technology education course. He also continues to be a curriculum specialist consultant in the field of technology education.

Genres: Nonfiction

106 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Edward Grigoryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic, as the name implies. Does a fine job introducing all of the automotive systems basic function and operation, as well as some of the easier maintenance and repair that can be done by a DIYer. Good stepping stone to breeze through for more advanced study. Supplemented with Eric the Car Guy's and Chris Fix's Youtube channels, as well as some random automotive engineering lectures on Youtube when I want to go deeper has given me a pretty solid appreciation and understanding of how cars work and how to diagnose and carry out intermediate level repairs confidently. For extra advanced reading, I consult the Principles of Automotive Vehicles (TM-9-8000), a technical manual put out by the Department of the Army for army engineers. That work can be found online in pdf format for free and is worth consulting for the beautifully detailed hand drawn schematics alone.

[Knoxx · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is okay if one buys it for a specific purpose. It is more of a basic explanation about how things work than about how to maintain them, keep them working, and fix them. For a simple explanation of how the parts of a car work together and what it does, the book is okay. What really annoyed me were the references to climate change and--in a book about Auto Upkeep--why do they need to promote evoluton? That's right; in a book about automobiles, they talk about "sea plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago." Not only do they promote evolution as fact, but they also ignore other alternative scientific explanations such as much pressure in a short time--as in a global flood. Could the authors not have simply stuck to Auto Upkeep without injecting a theory of evolution? I would not expect a biologist to insert car care tips in his or her biology book, and I do not expect or want a mechanic to inject evolutionary theory as fact in a car care book. That was enough to ruin the entire book for me--along with the many references to climate change, environmentally friendly advice, telling us how much oil the US uses in comparison to the rest of the world in relation to our population, etc. If the authors wanted to write a book about auto upkeep, they should have done so.

[Arminzerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to automotive care and maintenance. Even if you aren’t motivated or confident enough in your own skills to do your own repairs, it will give you a basic grounding in your car’s various systems (which will help the layperson understand their repairs person), how they work, how often they should be serviced, and how much parts and labor might be expected to cost. Diagrams, photos, and colorfully labeled boxes (tech tips, service, web links, trouble guides, and more) help organize the information in this well, and clearly written text. Activities for students are also included on the authors’ website: www.autoupkeep.com.

In-depth repairs are not discussed - you will want to consult your car's service manual (or a database) for more detailed information and diagrams that pertain to your specific vehicle (year, model, make).

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book. It was the textbook in a class I took - AUTO 1040: Automotive for Non-Majors. That's who the audience for this is: people who don't know much about cars, but want to learn something. The chapters are brief, and contain plenty of pictures to demonstrate what's being talked about. The little boxes for servicing & trouble guides I found especially helpful - and they are all listed alphabetically in the back, too.

[Ian McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I'd like to start by saying that this has been one of the most helpful books I've read in quite some time. As a new car owner, I knew little to nothing about cars, how they work, or how to maintain them. this book gave me a great understanding of the basic concepts involved in car ownership and car maintenance/ repair.

From changing the oil to putting air in your tires, this book cover all of the day to day needs that one would find themselves needing on car adventures. It also provides great insight into how the car works, how to go about fixing the cars, how to regularly check on them, and how to go about repairing them. I initially got this book when I noticed my tire pressure was low on all four tires. At the time, I was incredibly nervous and had a slight feeling that I had done something wrong to damage my vehicle. But, after reading the book , I realized that tire pressure is just another part of car repairs that are totally normal. from the book, I gathered that I lose air pressure from driving on brick roads. As I take them often, the uneven path gradually pushes air from out of the tires over time. So, after a few months, the tire pressure naturally gets lower and needs to be filled.

The book also showed me the process to refilling my tires. I started by purchasing a tire pressure gage, to regularly monitor my tire pressure throughout ownership of my vehicle. Then , the book referred me to my cars owners manual to figure out which tire pressure suits my vehicle. After researching my car, I went up to the local WaWa and filled my tires up like a champ! it's funny , filling my tires was something really small and not very difficult, but just doing it myself gave me a great amount of satisfaction.

All in all, it's a great book for those looking for a bit of basic information on their car. it gives solid information on the mechanics, upkeep, and repair. After reading this book, I certainly feel a lot safer in my car, and definitely more in control of whatever situations I may run into.

[Jacob Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to the basics of owning a car. Explains clearly how most of the car works and how to maintain those aspects. I would recommend this to anyone who is new to owning a car or wants to learn more about their vehicle in one sitting.

[Justine Thomas]

it kinda sux.it has good info, but it doesnt explain things enough and leaves alot of important things out. but its good for the general idea