Tell Us if You’d Fix These Car Issues Yourself and We'll Guess Your Auto IQ

By: Dave Davis
Estimated Completion Time
9 min
Tell Us if You’d Fix These Car Issues Yourself and We'll Guess Your Auto IQ
Image: Unsplash by NeONBRAND

About This Quiz

Some people live in dread of something going wrong with their car because they know they'll soon be at the mercy of professionals throwing around big, expensive-sounding words that they don't understand. And then there's the breed who actually look forward to something being not quite right about their vehicles. They know this gives them every excuse they need to fool around in their garage all day and pursue their mechanical passion.

So, where do you fall on this scale? We'll give you 30 multiple choice questions and, based on your answers, we'll tell you where you are on the spectrum between "the person everyone goes to when they need something done to their car" and "this person should be legally prohibited from opening their hood." 

While there's no shame in not knowing how to field strip and clean your engine in an afternoon, you should have at least a basic understanding of how your car works. Knowing some automotive fundamentals will allow you to give your mechanic valuable information when there's a problem, instead of being forced to imitate the sound it made right before it died.

Are you "Grade A" automotive material, or do you need instructions on how to find the dipstick? Also, if you just asked yourself, "What's a dipstick?" you've already started the quiz! 

As for the rest of you, let's get a move on! 

Flat Tire
Pixabay by Cock-Robin
You're driving on the highway and one of your tires blows out! What's your reaction?
Cool! I bet I can beat my old tire change record this time!
No worries. I've got everything I need to fix this.
AAA is the first number in my phone's directory.
Cry through the panic.

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Spark Plugs
Pixabay by Drazen Bajer
It's time to change the spark plugs — are you up to it?
I can gap the plugs from memory. Let's do this!
I didn't buy a spark plug wrench for no reason.
I'm happy to let a qualified professional handle this.
Are you sure MY car has spark plugs? That doesn't sound right.

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Rotate Tires
Campbell Hausfeld via YouTube
Looks like it's time to rotate the tires. Is this something you can handle?
Please. Stand back and watch how this is done.
If I've got the time and it's a nice day, sure.
I do believe that's what tire stores are for.
Trick question! The tires are always rotating. That's why they're round!

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Oil Change
Pixabay by Skica911
Looks like it's time to change the oil in your engine. What are you going to do?
I'm going to enjoy every single moment of the process.
I'm going to take care of it this weekend.
I'm going to read a magazine while I'm waiting for the quick-change guys to finish.
So, you just pour the oil over the engine, right?

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Air Filter
Pixabay by Bruno /Germany
When is the last time you changed the air filter?
I keep a constant eye on it and change it out the moment it looks a little dirty.
I change it about every 20,000 miles or so.
I'm really hoping the mechanic checked it last time I was there.
I change the thing hanging off the mirror when it doesn't smell like pine anymore.

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Brakes
Pixabay by Gerald Oswald
Your brakes are making a grinding sound. What are you going to do?
Pull the wheels and check the condition of the brake pads.
Baby the brakes until I can take care of it this weekend.
Make an appointment to take it into the shop.
Turn up the radio!

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Snow Tires
Pixabay by Arek Socha
Winter is coming to your home in the north. What's your opinion about snow tires?
It'll take about 20 minutes for me to make the change.
Unless there's a big storm coming right now, I'll change them this weekend.
I'm hoping the weather will hold off until I can get the tires changed.
No, thanks. I prefer tires made of rubber.

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Head Gasket
Wiki Commons by Collard
Your friend calls and says he believes he's blown a head gasket. What do you do?
Try not to berate him for letting things get that far and say I'll be right over.
Swing by to look, but this is probably going to be more than I can handle.
Give him the number of my "car guy."
Ask if that's the gasket in charge of all the other gaskets.

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Jumper Cables
Pixabay by StockSnap
You go to start your car and find that the battery is dead. What's your first move?
Pull a spare battery out of your garage, change it and be on my way.
Break out the cables out and get a jump from my other vehicle.
Call a friend to see if I can get a jump start from them.
Curse the fates. Curse you, fates!

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Parked Cars
Pixabay by FranckinJapan
There's a ding in your door from the car that was parked next to you in the lot. What do you do?
See this as a reason to get the dent puller out and make it look new again!
Try to buff it out when I get home and hope the paint's not chipped.
Sigh and hope that it doesn't eventually rust.
Call 911! Call my lawyer!

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Odometer
Pixabay by Daniel Reche
Your odometer rolls over to 75,000 miles. What's your reaction?
I think I'm gonna change out the timing belt before I actually need to.
I'm going to pop the hood and give everything a good examination.
Better bring it in and have the pros take a look to make sure everything is good.
Laugh, because they said no car of mine would last 75,000 miles. Fools!

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Check Engine
Wiki Commons by Wikiuser100000
The "check engine" light has popped on. What should you do?
Break out the OBDII scanner and see what's up.
Check to make sure the gas cap is on tight.
Take it into the shop when I get the time.
Put a piece of electrical tape over it because it's super annoying.

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Tire Pressure
geobeats via YouTube
How often do you check the air pressure in your tires?
Every time I fill the gas tank
About once a month
Whenever I have the oil changed or when one looks a little low
Never. The last time I tried, I accidentally let all the air out. It was a whole thing.

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Windshield Crack
Tim McLain via YouTube
You notice a small crack in your windshield. What's your course of action?
Look and see if it's small enough to fix or does it need to be replaced.
Call the insurance agent and get a new windshield. This is nothing to fool around with.
Wait and see if it gets any bigger.
This is nothing. My last car looked like it had a spider web on the windshield.

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Car Wash
Pixabay by Paul Brennan
How often do you wash your car?
Once a week, regardless of the season
Once a month, maybe less in the winter
When it looks like it needs it and I have the time
When someone writes "Wash Me" in the dirt. Jerks!

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Windshield Wiper
Pixabay by Dibyendu Joardar
When's the best time to change out your windshield wipers?
About every six months, unless they need it sooner
When I notice one getting a bad streak in it
I probably wait too long, but I want to get the most out of them.
Wait — you can CHANGE wiper blades?

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Gas Gauge
Pixabay by Paul Brennan
How low do you let your gas level get before filling up?
I don't like it to get below half a tank generally.
I'll let it get about 3/4th empty and then fill up.
I wait until the "low fuel" light pops on.
I wait until I need to find a gas station that's downhill from me.

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Check Engine Flashing
Your Car Guy DR via YouTube
Your "check engine" light is flashing. What should you do?
I pull over to the side of the road. This is serious, and I need to see what's going on.
I have it towed to my mechanic's garage.
I hope it goes away? If not, I'll have to take it in, I guess.
Note that it's flashing almost to the beat of the song on the radio. Neat!

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Temperature Gauge
The Original Mechanic via YouTube
The needle on your temperature gauge is rising. What's your first move?
Turn the heater on full blast and try to get it back to my garage to fix the problem.
Pull over and shut it down, see if the temperature falls, and try to get it home.
Drive it to my mechanic and hope that the heat wasn't TOO hot.
I'd immediately open the radiator cap to let the heat escape, right?

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Tire Tread
Unsplash by Shadrach Warid
You notice that your tires are wearing unevenly. What do you do?
I take a look at the alignment. The wear pattern will give me a clue as to what's going on.
I have the tires rotated to prolong their life.
Make a mental note to bring it into the shop and have them take a look.
Hey, as long as I can't see threads, everything is A-OK.

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Emissions
Pixabay by webandi
Drat! Your car has failed its emission testing. What do you do?
Take it back to the garage and check out the condition of the catalytic converter.
Note the suggested repairs and see if I can do them myself.
Take it in to get whatever repairs were suggested and then try it again.
Demand to see the testing technician's boss. This is an outrage!

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Roaring
Unsplash by Tim Foster
You're driving your car and suddenly it starts roaring! What's your reaction?
Go buy a new muffler and change it out when I get home.
Take it into the shop and have a new muffler put on.
Drive it for a few weeks until I get tired of the roar, and then have a new muffler put on.
Enjoy it. My car sounds boss now!

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Steering Wheel
Pixabay by Free-Photos
You notice a shimmy in the steering wheel when you apply the brakes. You decide to ... ?
Check the brake rotors and see if they are "out of round."
Make sure the tires are in good condition.
Take it into the shop and have it looked at.
Try not to apply the brakes so much.

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Leak
Fixing cars and stuff via YouTube
You notice a puddle of antifreeze under your car when you've been parked for a while. What's your course of action?
Take a look at the radiator and examine the hoses.
Take it into the repair shop and get it fixed.
Top off the antifreeze and see if it gets any worse.
Notice that antifreeze is really pretty — it looks like it would glow in the dark!

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Air Conditioner
Pixabay by Karolina Grabowska
Your air conditioner doesn't run as cool as it once did. What will you do?
Recharge the refrigerant. Probably use some 134a this time ...
Take it in to have the system looked at. Probably needs a recharge ...
Hope it gets better. We've had a long, hot spell lately ...
Roll down the windows. It's gonna be a long summer ...

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Headlight
Pixabay by tookapic
One of your headlights goes out. What's your reaction?
I wonder if it's the bulb or the wiring. It should be easy enough to figure out.
I stop by the auto supply store and pick up a couple of bulbs.
I wonder how hard it is to get to the bulb to change it.
It's no big deal. That's why I have two, right?

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Ignition
Wiki Commons by PIVISO
You hear a clicking sound before your car finally starts. What do you do?
The starter is failing. Time to put a new one in!
I need to take it into the shop and have the starter replaced.
I really don't like the sound of that, but let's see what happens.
Hey, it started. Sometimes I don't want to start in the morning, either!

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Fuel Gauge
JEGS Performance via YouTube
You notice that your car isn't getting the gas mileage it once was. What's your reaction?
I should check the air filter, spark plugs and some other things to see what's going on.
Something's not right. I'll check the internet for tips.
I should keep an eye on it to see if it gets any worse.
I blame the rising gas prices.

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Window
Unsplash by Ryan Graybill
The driver's side power window won't go up. What should you do first?
Check the fuze. It could be a very simple repair.
Wonder if it's an electrical problem or a mechanical one.
Take it in for repair. Let an expert do it!
Look for a clear piece of plastic. Putting a regular trash bag on it will limit visibility!

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Used Car
Unsplash by Steve Harvey
It's time to sell your car. What do you do first?
Advertise in trade magazines because this car will fetch top dollar!
Check the "blue book" value to make sure I know what it's worth.
Take the trade-in value offered when I buy my new car.
Put an "as is" sign on it and hope for the best.

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