ee ee WOMEN AT the free Jim Pattison Toyota Women on Wheels car maintenance class learn that understanding their vehicle is not as difficult as they may have feared. Here, instructor Allyson Weir demonstrates the correct method of changing a tire. PARTS AND MACHINE SHOP SERVICES FOR ALL MAKES OF VEHICLES ¢ Auto Mainten sce Tape | * Do you know litic of notning about cuts? ® Do you feel you are mecnanically inept? ¢ Do you think pulbng gas in your car 1s allt takes. to keep UE aunning? ¢ Do you know a tot about cars Out are tired af answering your trends basic questions? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then invest a little to save ' 4 lot! By foliowing the simple procedures oullined im tts video you well bean tne basic cate and feeding of your automobile. Nove to bel your car hve tenger Save fuet and money, Cul ar pollution as well as how to fecocniZe and solve potentially lethal satety nazards Sf gs Available now at Central Auto Parts 10% OFF with this ad! ‘Open 6 Days Per Week Parts...................... 984-9577 Machine Sho - All Power Engines eeeeeee.. 985-7033 817 W. ist, North Van. ~~ NEWS photo Cindy ‘Goodman Women learn car maintenance Not according to Allyson Weir of Jim Pattison Toyota. Every month, Weir teaches ‘‘Women on Wheels,"’ a short car maintenance EVERYONE KNOWS that car mechanics are only of interest to men. Or are they? Towards completely repainting your car with our ‘Supreme’ paint service. *Excludes glass claims HOURS . Mon.-Fri. 8am-6pm Saturday 10am-2pm 945 West Ist St. North Vancouver (next to Beaver Lurnber) 984-4111 -$300°° Coupon Value Coupon value redeemable with lease/purchase of vehicle. *Broken Leae* NEW oa HONDA ACCORD EXR Automatic. Lease — $479.68 + rst. Purchase — $21,969 Payments based on 44 months OAC USED SHOWROOM AUTO LEASE & SALES “Setting the Standard in All Make Leasing & Sales” 755 Marine Drive, North Van. BMW 325 iS 5 speed, Black. Lease — Purchase — $25,995 Payments based on 48 months OAL. Valid until 6/90 WE OFFER: © Protection Package © 151 Point Car Check ® Mobile Service ® New Car Warranties © Used Car Warranties ¢ Financing Available © Trades Accepted 87 F q $664.54 + psn 987-2277 class that is popular with women of all ages. Some teenagers come just after earning their driver’s licence; many women want to learn some car basics after their sons, once responsible for all the house- hold autos, have left home; and last month Weir had an 83-year- old grandmother down on the floor changing tires. The class is free and open to anyone; you do not have to be a Jim Pattison customer. Although the dealership offers ‘‘Know Your Car" evenings for people who have bought cars there, Weir finds that many women return for her all-female class because they were embarrassed to ask ‘tdumb’’ ques- tions in front of a mixed group of people. This enioarrassment is one in- dication that the automotive world is still largely a male domain. When Weir, a former car racer and transport driver, started working at the dealership, she encountered a lot of patronizing attitudes when doing business on the telephone with men in the industry. “I put them in their place pretty fast,"' recalls Weir. Now the assis- tant sales manager, her goal is to be the first woman sales manager in the Jim Pattison Automotive Group. **That’s what I want to be, and [I’m going to be good at it,”’ she says confidently. Her enthusiasm is mirrored by many of the women who take her class. Many women come knowing only the location of the igni- tion and the radio, says Weir, but all are eager to learn simple maintenance tips for their car. After getting a brief under-the- hood anatomy lesson, the group discusses topics inciuding how to check your oil, when to change your air filter, what various NMuid levels should be and how to jump-start a car safely. Steps in changing a tire are then demonstrated, and most women are amazed to learn how easy it is. Weir encourages class participants to try all the techniques themselves, from checking the oil to jacking up the car. Class notes, diagrams and trou- ble signs to watch for are distributed for the women to take home with them. Women report learning a lot from the class, says Weir, and she often receives follow-up thank-you notes and even flowers. Two women who took the course just before em- barking on a long motor trip kept in touch by postcard from various points along their route. Women on Wheels is offered on the second Wednesday of each month. For more information, or to sign up, cali Jim Pattison Toyota at 985-0591.