I raised 3 girls, and they did not even get to go solo in car till they knew basic mechanics! now I am not talking overhauling or anything!
But you need to understand how an engine works, know where the spark plugs, are, where the wires to plugs are, where fuel filter is. And of course how to check and top off all the liquids under hood! See where the belts are, and be able to remember, so if you have problems you know how many and where they are! If you car has any gages on it, learn where "normal" is -- by the way check gages regularly, if you have them they give you information on things going wrong many times before they have progressed to point of damaging engine! Many vehicles no longer have gages -- they have "idiot lights", -- (which generally inform the idiot (driving) that something has been ruined already by time they come on!
There is no limit to what you can learn - if you so desire, -- but knowing how to put on belts, change oil tires fuel filters, and check spark plugs, check fluids and understand how everything correlates to other things is really great for anyone to know. Don't kid yourself, there ar lots of guys who think a "dipstick" is a dumb hillbilly! Some do not even know how to open the hood! And they think it takes a bunch of strong guys to "jump a battery"!
Now if you learn these things you may save yourself a lot of money, - much les than to say you may also save your life when you are stranded along the road! Or possibly save somebody else stranded!
Now if you really want to be "car smart" go to Auto Zone or other places and buy a Haynes Auto Repair manual for your make and model of car! This is best of best manuals, - tells you how to do everything except overhaul transmission! Has good illustrations so you can identify parts and locations, - plus gives you step by step information! Even if you do not do the job, you will understand how it is done, and not let anybody take advantage of a "dumb female"-- which obviously you aren't! -- This will cost you around $20 or a little less, - on first time out, it will save you probbly that much getting garage work done!
Last tip, -- from an old pilot!! If you go to the airport and watch the pilots on airplanes (most obvious on small private ones), - you will see each pilot do a "walk around and preflight check"! Now this airplane might be a rental plane and already have been flown by half a dozen pilots, -- still every one does a preflight check!! You see it pays to know that the airplane will get you up and down in one piece, -- so the tires, all the controls, the gas tanks are "sumped" (drain out a little on each one and check for water)! Fuel level is checked, oil in engine is checked, engine itself is checked to see that it is not blowing large amounts of oil all over! General condition of all the outside of plane is checked.... You see it is very dangerous to have anything fail on that aircraft while in the air (much less to say it can be very expensive) Overhauling an engine that ran out of oil can cost 30 thousand and up!
And of course when engine goes out it becomes a glider, and sometimes it has no good place to land! Even blowing out a tire can be very messy! --Make it a habit to do a "preflight" on your car at least once a week, -- possibly on every stop on long trips.... Protect your car and yourself! Get a good tire pressure gage, check tire pressures often!
