Gig Harbor Women Rev Up Automotive IQ

Although she has been driving for many years, Adele Williams has a new level of confidence after participating in a car-care clinic just for women on Jan. 13.

“Maybe I won’t have to call AAA or my husband,” she said. “I know how to jump the car myself, which I wouldn’t have tried before.”

Howard Mackert of began offering the clinics two years ago when a friend’s wife suggested he could help women with car-care basics. Since then, the concept has gained plenty of traction.

The free sessions, offered about three times a year, cover everything from how to connect jumper cables to the location of the fuse box.

“Ladies are the most vulnerable out there,” he said. “We talk to literally hundreds of customers, and we ask them, ‘If you had a flat tire, do you know where your jack is?’ They say ‘No, I’d just call AAA.’ But what if you’re in an area with no cell service? They say, ‘You have a point.’”

Mackert limits the clinics to 15 participants so each woman gets individualized help on her own car. He said the two-and-a-half hour sessions are packed full of important safety and preventive maintenance information that benefits women of all ages, including new teen drivers.

“We talk through various scenarios such as best practices for jump-starting a car; what nitrogen fill for the tires is and when that’s necessary; the importance of gas cap tightness; the important difference between having your radiator full and your recovery bottle full,” he said.

He also covers what the warning lights on the dash mean, “when you panic and when you don’t,” he said. Other topics include how to handle anti-lock brakes, the differences between first- and second-generation airbags; electric fuel pumps; the importance of keeping the proper amount of fuel; the difference in motor oils; and more.  

Participants tell Mackert that it’s a lot of information to take in, so he encourages them to return for a refresher.

“We write down recommendations for them about things they need for proper maintenance and emergency situations,” he explained.

Mackert opened his Gig Harbor shop in 2001 after a 16-year-career as a service field engineer for General Motors. He also taught classes for the Association of Diesel Specialists.

His business has grown 15 to 20 percent a year — all from positive word-of-mouth advertising and focus on service. “I want to take care of you as a person as it relates to your car,” he told clinic participants.

Providing the clinics as a community service pays off in new customers.

“Every time we do the clinic, we gain customers,” he said. Sixty to 70 percent of his customers are women.

He also offers free pre-purchase used-car inspections to anyone.

For Patty Nettles, the learning experience was well worth the time investment.

“I love my car. The Subaru is something I picked, and I want to do well with it and make it last a long time,” she said. “I think I’ll take better care of my car now.”

Check the website for news of the next Women’s Only Car Clinic or call 253-851-3307.