English phrases for car owners

 

If you own an automobile, there are lots of things that you have to do to keep it running and in good shape. This article will teach you how to talk about those responsibilities in English.

Financial responsibilities

Most car owners have car payments that they have to make. You make car payments until you've payed off your car loan, or until your car's lease is up.

If you live in a big city and own a car, you may have to pay for a space in a parking garage.

Some cities have automotive taxes that you have to pay as well.

Another expense is car insurance. At minimum, you need to have liability insurance, which will pay for any damage that you accidentally cause to other cars or people when you're driving.

At the gas station

Electric vehicles are becoming popular, but most cars still run on gasoline. Every so often, you have to stop at a gas station to get gas.

Some gas stations are full-service, meaning that an attendant will pump the gas for you.

If you go to a self-service station, here's what you have to do to pump your own gas:

  1. Pull up to the pump

  2. Take the cap off of the gas tank

  3. Pick your payment method and choose which grade of gas (Regular, Super)

  4. Put the handle in your gas tank and squeeze it to start pumping

  5. After you've filled up the tank, replace the cap and put the handle back on the pump

Regular maintenance

Here are some things that you should do to keep a car working well:

Take your car in for scheduled maintenance. The mechanics will do things like check your brakes, rotate your tires, replace your fluids, and anything else that might need to be done.

Get an oil change every few months.

Check the air pressure in your tires.

Get a yearly inspection.

Unexpected accidents

Owning a car means dealing with problems that come up from time to time.

For example, you might get a flat. If that happens when you're on the road, you might need to change the tire yourself and replace it with a spare tire.

Sometimes a car's engine dies unexpectedly. If that happens, you'll need to get your car towed to a mechanic and have them fix it.

If you get into an accident, you'll have a lot to deal with. If the accident is small, you can get body work done to fix the dents and scratches. If it's a big accident, the car might be totaled, in which case all you can do is sell it to a junk yard as scrap metal.

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