Advance Auto Parts launches campus car care program for college students

Advance Auto Parts has teamed up with colleges and universities in Virginia and around the country to help educate college students on an essential subject that's not learned in a classroom — basic car maintenance.

Most students enter college with a very limited knowledge base of their vehicle. They know how to drive their vehicles, pump gas and they may even know how to check their oil. But when an unexpected emergency occurs, students often don't know what to do or where to turn.

Their parents are hundreds of miles away, along with the dealership or auto shop that they frequent for everything from oil changes to electrical problems. What will they do now?

Beginning in April 2006, Advance Auto Parts teamed up with several colleges in Virginia to test a new "Campus Car Care" program to help students with vehicle related topics. By linking a Web page onto the school's Web site, students and professors alike have free and easy 24 hour access to a wealth of car care information provided by Advance Auto Parts. The Web site provides information and short videos on everything from how to change wiper blades to how to prepare a vehicle for a road trip or harsh seasonal weather. The Web site also features a store locator to help locate the nearest Advance Auto Parts Store and a link to shop online if necessary, as well as FAQs, PodCasts, gas saving tips, road trip and seasonal prep, a lesson on how to jump start a car, driving tips and easy how-to videos.

After receiving positive feedback from students and parents, Advance Auto Parts decided to partner with six Virginia schools, as well as many more in surrounding states. In addition, Bryan Gregory, Advance Auto Parts’ ASE certified director of consumer education, conducts on-campus clinics for students, equipping them with basic vehicle knowledge and facilitating hands-on instruction.

Both Advance Auto Parts and their collegiate partners hope the new Campus Car Care program will be of great use to college students during their first years away from home.

"I definitely felt a sense of comfort in knowing that I have a great Web site to go to if I experience any problems with my car and am now confident if I have to speak to a mechanic," says one college senior.

For more information on this program or any vehicle related problems, visit Advance Auto Parts' Web site.