Free Car Seminar for Ladies
Ah, that thingy. Veteran mechanic Chris Burke talks to Shanda Bishop (2nd from left) and the rest of the ladies gathered for a shop session Saturday morning. The "ladies only" seminar at A-Line Pro Auto on Wolfedale Rd. gives the women insight into what to expect and things to look for when taking their vehicles in for repair. Steven Der-Garabedian
I love my car. I know everything there is to know about it: it’s a Toyota RAV4, it’s the cutest shade of pale blue, and it magically turns on when I put the key in the ignition. As far as how it turns on (something to do with that rectangular thingy under the hood, right?), how many cylinders it has (I think it’s six, or is that pistons?), and how to change the oil (charge it, baby), the inner workings of the second biggest investment of my life remained a mystery to me.
This is why I found the concept of A-Line Auto and Tire’s Free Car Seminar for Ladies intriguing. Helmed by owner/operator Peter Haacke, A-Line’s ongoing series of interactive seminars is open to anyone who wants to learn about the mechanics of an automobile.
“I have been doing the seminars a few times a year for three years now because I found women were feeling threatened when dealing with auto repair maintenance,” said Haacke at the start of the most recent seminar, held Saturday afternoon at 3191 Wolfedale Rd. According to Haacke, industry figures state that women influence more than 85 per cent of all vehicle purchases, and at least 65 per cent of the customers that come to his shop are women. He wanted women in his community to be armed with as much information as they could to make the businesses of maintaining their car less intimidating.
The seminar started with Haacke explaining the basics, or what he referred to as, “where the rubber meets the road stuff.” As we settled into our seats after enjoying coffee and donuts, the straight-talking Haacke warned his audience, when dealing with auto shops, to pay attention to the inspection form, sign off on all work orders yourself and feel free to ask for a tour of the shop.
“Any shop that forces you to buy things you’re not ready to buy is a hungry shop. You can always go somewhere else for a second opinion,” he said.
After learning about brakes, tires, alignment and engines, our tour moved into the garage where mechanic Chris Burke took over. Shanda Bishop allowed Burke to use her 2000 Pontiac Montana as a model, and the car was hoisted above our heads so the underbelly was visible. As we daintily side-stepped over the grease-covered floor, Burke immediately spotted two problems with Bishop’s car, one of them, the brakes.
“This is very serious,” he said, urging Bishop to get it taken care of as soon as possible. “They were not put on correctly and could cause a serious accident at any time.”
(Bishop had just taken her car into a shop last week.)
“You have to pay attention to your car,” Burke emphasized, noting how fluid levels, regularly checking under the hood and car maintenance are an absolute necessity.
I walked out of A-Line with a loot bag full of goodies (coupons, key chains, pens, licence plate frames), a lot of information and even more confidence.
I may not know how to put together an engine from scratch, but I now know to insist for the best quality parts, stay on top of maintaining my car and never be afraid to ask for a second opinion. Now, if they could only offer a seminar on improving my sense of direction...
