Car Care 101: Essential Vehicle Maintenance Skills (Ages 13+) - NEW

Youth Enrichment (grades K-12) / Special Interests & Life Skills -

Fall 2025

Ready to take the wheel of your car knowledge? This hands-on class is perfect for anyone ages 13 and up who want to understand the fundamentals of vehicle maintenance. Whether you’re preparing to get your driver’s license, are a new driver, or just want to feel more confident around a car, this course will teach you essential skills every driver should know.

Participants will learn how to:

Perform tire checks and basic maintenance, including checking pressure and tread depth
Check and top off essential fluids (oil, coolant, windshield washer fluid, brake fluid)
Test and maintain a car battery Replace windshield wipers and check air and cabin filters
Inspect serpentine belts and hoses
Test all lights including headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and running lights
Understand warning lights on the dashboard and what they mean
Perform basic interior and exterior cleaning for vehicle upkeep

Taught by a 916 Career and Technical Center instructor, this class will allow you to gain the confidence to handle basic car care and spot issues before they become costly problems through demonstrations and hands-on interactive instruction.

John Witthauer

John is a automotive instructor for Northeast Metro 916 Career and Tech Automotive Technology Program in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He began his journey with Automotive by receiving his AAS degree in Automotive Technology from Dunwoody College of Technology and studying computer science at the University of North Dakota. John started his automotive career with 30 years of experience as an ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician working for service stations and repair shops. He has worked as an Automotive Instructor and Career Specialist at Goodwill Easter Seals Automotive Training Program and as a Automotive Technology Instructor at Dakota County Technical College. In addition to being ASE Master Certified and ASE L1 Advanced Certified, he also earned the title of National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation’s On-Site Evaluation Team Leader (ETL).

Within this role, he has partnered with the Adult Basic Education program (ABE) and dedicated his skills to the creation and development of the Maintenance and Light Repair (MLR) program. John also substitute teaches for General Motors (ASEP) Program, as well as the Customized Training and Continuing Education Program. John has written a Basic Automotive Service Systems textbook that was published in 2019.

September 2025