The promise was that I would learn not only how to change a tire, but about basic auto maintenance, buying and selling a used car and other useful tips. Since I spend a good fraction of my life driving, I thought I ought to learn a little bit more about my car.

The teacher was Jason Dickman, a master technician who works at Santa Fe’s Saab dealership. There were only half a dozen students, but we varied in geographical distribution and skill level — from an Eldorado resident who knew a great deal about cars, to me, a mechanically challenged person from Nambé. All I knew about auto maintenance is to make a service appointment when my husband reminds me.

Taking care: Dickman told us that any modern car can last more than 200,000 miles if it is not abused and gets regular maintenance and oil changes. Ways to abuse your car include “jackrabbit” starts, taking corners fast and braking hard at stoplights.

Even I knew how to read the sticker that is stuck in the corner my windshield after every oil change that says what the odometer will read when the next change is due. What I never noticed is that there is also a date for the next change. Even in a car that is seldom driven, oil disintegrates and needs replacing: every six months for regular oil, once a year for synthetic.

Gas rules: Dickman recommended that we not buy gasoline from off-brand stations. He said to stick to “top-tier” gas, name brands such as Phillips, Chevron and Shell.

Distributors all purchase gas from the same tanks, he said, but the major oil companies take the stuff off the top. Cut-rate sellers get the “bottom of the barrel,” which contains more impurities.

Rolling stock: Tires get old too, and they can begin to disintegrate in six or seven years even if they are stored away and not driven on. Most people wear out their tires long before that.

Evan Aguilar, who works with Dickman and is assistant service manager of Don Chalmers Cadillac Saab, helped out as a teaching assistant. He had managed a tire store in the past. The two explained how to read your tires and check their remaining tread (see images).

Safety tips: We talked about safety. I did know that seatbelts are lifesavers, even in cars with airbags. I didn’t know that twisted seatbelts can shear with 30 percent less pressure than ones that are properly used. The twist in a belt also puts more pressure on a body during a crash. And if you have your seat reclined, in a crash you could submarine right under a seatbelt and then it won’t do any good at all.

Don’t keep books on the back shelf, Dickman warned, as they can turn into projectiles during a crash. And something I’m guilty of: Don’t let bottles or cups roll around where they could get lodged behind the brake pedal.

Buying smart: So how do you buy a good car? Do your homework, read up about the features it offers, and go beyond what the salesman tells you. “Salesmen are numbers people,” Dickman said, and might not understand all the mechanical aspects of a car. He said he knew a new-car salesman who worked at a dealership for more than six months and didn’t know the models he was selling were front-wheel drive.

Check online for the repair frequency. Never buy a model in the first year it’s manufactured: The bugs might not have been worked out yet. Dickman said the best time to buy is the last year a particular model is made — it’s as perfect as it will ever get.

Never let your emotions get in the way when making a purchase. Take a used car you are considering buying to a trusted mechanic.

One person brought a recently purchased used car into the Saab shop with black tape over parts of the instrument panel: The “check oil” light wouldn’t go out, and instead of making needed repairs, the seller just masked the light.

If you buy used, try a certified pre-owned car. This has a factory warranty extension, which can save a great deal of money in repairs.

Hands-on training: After about four hours of class, we went out to look at our cars. I’d been dreading it, for fear of looking like an idiot. This is where kneeling in the parking lot comes in.

I didn’t even know how to put the jack together, but Dickman and Aguilar were kind. Unlike many men who know a lot about cars, they weren’t condescending. They were happy to share their knowledge — or the fraction of it that I could absorb.

I enjoyed my Saturday. I liked interacting with the other students, most of whom didn’t know much more about auto maintenance than I did. Even though we had different kinds of jobs and family situations, we had a lot in common. We all respected our cars and wanted to learn more about them.

Next Saturday, though, you’ll find me out looking at the changing aspen leaves, not under my car hood. But if I get a flat tire on the way to the mountains, I can change it.

Robin M. Martin is editor and publisher of The New Mexican and a Saab driver. E-mail her at drive@sfnewmexican.com.