Check your oil

At the beginning of this winter season, I decided it’d be a great idea to visit my best friends that live two hours away attending university. That day, we decided to visit a nearby town to explore around. All was well until we ate, got back into my car, and turned it on. CLANK.

An awful metallic noise was coming from the engine of my car. I thought that maybe I was parked on top of a metal grate, and the vibrations from my car were making the noise. I drove my car to another parking space, but to no avail. That ear-piercing noise was still there, I was two hours away from my dad who is a walking encyclopedia for cars, and full of panic. Where’s the noise coming from? Am I in danger? Will I make it back home?

I thought calling my dad would help my situation, but he laughed and told me to “figure it out.” After some internet investigation I came to the conclusion that my car needed more oil. Thankfully, we were at a shopping center that included a Target. I bought the right kind of oil, filled it to where it needed to be, and the noise subsided.

I will say that looking for the solution on my own has taught me more than having the answer handed to me, and I definitely needed that mini wake-up call. Moral of the story is: check the oil in your car once winter begins, and before long drives, even if you aren’t a car guy.