Knowing how a car works saves money, keeps your family safe, and builds real confidence. This badge takes you under the hood to check fluids, tires, brakes, and more. Find a patient adult or mechanic and get your hands a little dirty.
Why it's worth it
A few years from now you'll probably be driving, and knowing how a car works will keep you safer and save you real money. Automotive Maintenance teaches you to check the oil, read a tire sidewall, understand what that glowing dashboard light means, and know when a car needs a professional. It's useful even if you never become a mechanic, and it's a direct path into well-paid technician careers in gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
Start this week
- Sit in the driver's seat of a family car or a friend's car with an adult and find the owner's manual. Look up what three dashboard symbols mean.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of an Automotive Maintenance counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Ask an adult to show you the tire pressure sticker inside the driver's door, then check one tire together with a tire gauge.
- Find out who in your family, troop, or neighborhood is handy with cars and might let you watch or help with a basic job.
Stay safe
- Never work under a car held up only by a jack. Use jack stands or ramps on level ground, with an experienced adult right there.
- Let the engine cool before touching it, never open a hot radiator cap, and wear eye protection around batteries and fluids.
- Stay away from orange high-voltage cables on hybrid and electric cars; those systems are for trained technicians only.
Requirements · 12
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
Note: You need access to a car or truck and its owner's manual; your counselor or another trusted adult can help you find one.
- Requirement 1
Safety and registration
Tips for this section: Look through your family's registration and insurance cards with a parent. Talk about how gas, hybrid, and electric cars differ.
Example for this section: Compare power types with a chart: a gas car burns fuel in the engine, a hybrid pairs an engine with a battery and motor, and an electric car runs only on a battery you plug in. Add one pro and one con for each, like range or fuel cost.
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor the hazards you're most likely to face while working on vehicles and how to anticipate, prevent, or reduce them
- Requirement 1b
Discuss with your counselor the safety gear, tools, and clothing for checking or repairing a vehicle, and use them as needed for this badge's requirements
- Requirement 1c
Explain the different ways motor vehicles can be powered
- Requirement 1d
Explain the safety concerns when maintaining a vehicle that has a high-voltage electrical system
- Requirement 1e
Review the maintenance chart in the owner's manual and explain what it requires and when
- Requirement 1f
Explain what safety belts and passive restraints (like air bags) do, why they matter, and their limits
- Requirement 1g
Find out your state's emissions and safety inspection rules, if any, including how often a vehicle must be inspected
- Requirement 1h
Explain why vehicles must be registered and find out the yearly fee to renew your family car's registration
- Requirement 2
General maintenance
Tips for this section: Use the owner's manual to find each fluid, fuse, belt, and light. Work only with the engine off and cool, with an adult beside you.
Example for this section: Do a monthly check with an adult using the owner's manual: engine cool and off, check oil and coolant levels, look at the brake and washer fluids, inspect belts for cracks, then walk around the car while someone works the lights and turn signals.
- Requirement 2a
Fluid and battery checks
- Requirement 2a1
Show how to check the brake fluid
- Requirement 2a2
Show how to check the engine oil
- Requirement 2a3
Show how to check the coolant
- Requirement 2a4
Show how to check the power steering fluid
- Requirement 2a5
Show how to check the windshield washer fluid
- Requirement 2a6
Show how to check the transmission fluid
- Requirement 2a7
Show how to check the battery fluid (if possible) and the condition of the battery terminals
- Requirement 2b
Find the fuse boxes, identify the fuse types and sizes, and show how to replace a burned-out fuse correctly
- Requirement 2c
Show how to check belts and hoses for condition and tension
- Requirement 2d
Check that all the vehicle's lights work, including interior overhead, instrument, and warning lights and exterior bulbs
- Requirement 2e
Find and check the air filter(s)
- Requirement 3
Dashboard and driver information center
Tips for this section: Sit in the driver's seat with a parent and go through each gauge and warning light using the owner's manual.
- Requirement 3a
Explain what the fuel gauge, speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, and engine temperature gauge do, and point each out on the instrument cluster
- Requirement 3b
Explain the dashboard symbols, how yellow and red symbols differ, and every indicator on the dashboard (use the owner's manual if needed)
- Requirement 3c
Explain the messages and alerts the dashboard or driver information center can show, including maintenance reminders
- Requirement 4
Tires
Tips for this section: Use a tire gauge to check pressure and compare it to the sticker in the driver's door. Look for uneven wear on the tread.
Example for this section: Read a tire sidewall like 215/60R16 95H and explain each part: width, height ratio, radial construction, wheel size, load index, and speed rating. Then use a penny or tread gauge to check tread depth in three spots across the tire.
- Requirement 4a
Explain how the tire maker's specifications differ from the vehicle maker's, and show where to find each
- Requirement 4b
Show how to check tire pressure and inflate a tire correctly, then check that the spare is ready to use
- Requirement 4c
Explain why wheel alignment affects tire life, and explain caster, camber, and toe-in adjustments
- Requirement 4d
Explain what the lateral-wear bar indicator is for
- Requirement 4e
Explain how to get rid of old tires following local laws and rules
- Requirement 5
Engine
Tips for this section: Ask a mechanic or parent to show you the dipstick, oil filter, and oil type listed in the manual.
- Requirement 5a
Explain how an internal combustion engine works, how gasoline and diesel engines differ, and how a gas-electric hybrid gets its power
- Requirement 5b
Discuss what engine oil does, and explain the API service code, SAE number, and viscosity rating
- Requirement 5c
Explain where to look up the right oil type and amount for the vehicle's engine
- Requirement 6
Cooling system
Tips for this section: Have an adult point out the radiator and coolant reservoir. Never open a hot radiator cap.
- Requirement 6a
Explain why the cooling system needs coolant and why using the right type for the vehicle matters
- Requirement 6b
Explain how to flush and replace the engine coolant and how to dispose of the old coolant safely
- Requirement 7
Fuel system
Tips for this section: Ask a mechanic to show you the air filter and fuel filter, and explain how the engine's computer controls fuel injection.
- Requirement 7a
Explain how air intake and fuel delivery cooperate in the engine, and why it needs both an air filter and a fuel filter
- Requirement 7b
Explain how fuel injection works and how the onboard computer works with it
- Requirement 8
Ignition and electrical systems
Tips for this section: Practice the jump-start steps with an adult using the owner's manual, wearing eye protection and following the correct order exactly.
Example for this section: Explain the safe jump-start order from the owner's manual: red clamp on the dead battery's positive post, red on the good battery's positive, black on the good battery's negative, and black on bare metal away from the dead battery. Remove in reverse order.
- Requirement 8a
Diagram an electrical system. Choose 1 of 3
- Requirement 8a1
Diagram the starting/charging system and explain its parts
- Requirement 8a2
Diagram a hybrid or electric vehicle inverter and explain its parts
- Requirement 8a3
Diagram the lighting system and explain its parts
- Requirement 8b
Explain the engine's firing order
- Requirement 8c
Explain what the spark gap is for
- Requirement 8d
Show how to hook jumper cables to your car battery safely
- Requirement 8e
Discuss with your counselor what affects an electrified vehicle's range, and explain how to recharge an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle
- Requirement 8f
Explain which other vehicle systems rely on a dependable electrical system
- Requirement 9
Drive train
Tips for this section: Draw a simple diagram of the drive train with labels. Ask someone who drives a manual to explain how it feels different from an automatic.
Example for this section: Draw the drive train from engine to wheels: engine, transmission, driveshaft or axles, differential, and wheels. Label which ones a front-wheel-drive car uses and explain how an automatic shifts without a clutch pedal.
- Requirement 9a
Diagram the drive train and explain its parts
- Requirement 9b
Explain how automatic and standard (manual) transmissions differ
- Requirement 9c
Explain the types of automatic transmission fluid
- Requirement 9d
Explain the lubricants used in a standard transmission, the differential, and the transfer case
- Requirement 9e
Explain how front-, rear-, and four-wheel-drive vehicles differ
- Requirement 10
Brake system
Tips for this section: Ask a mechanic to show you brake pads and rotors, and how they check them for wear.
- Requirement 10a
Explain how the brake system works, including antilock brakes
- Requirement 10b
Explain how disc brakes and drum brakes differ
- Requirement 10c
Show how to check a vehicle's brakes, then recommend any repairs needed
- Requirement 11
Hands-on vehicle projects. Choose 2 of 4
Tips for this section: Do these tasks with an experienced adult. Always use jack stands, never just a jack, before working near a raised car.
Example for this section: For an oil change with an experienced adult: warm the engine briefly, raise the car on ramps or jack stands, drain the old oil, swap the filter, refill with the oil type in the manual, and take the used oil to a recycling drop-off.
- Requirement 11a
Price 3 vehicles you'd like to buy (1 new, 1 used, 1 either), find insurance needs and costs (liability, collision, comprehensive, towing, rental), fill in the pamphlet's operation/maintenance chart with your counselor, figure each one's cost per mile, and discuss what you learned
- Requirement 11b
Pick a car cleaner and wax, explain clear-coat paint and how to care for it, clean the vehicle inside and out, wax the outside, and apply vinyl and rubber protectant while explaining why it matters
- Requirement 11c
Find the manufacturer's jack, show how to place and use it correctly on the vehicle, and then change a tire correctly
- Requirement 11d
Change the oil and oil filter on a vehicle, and explain how to dispose of the used oil and filter properly
- Requirement 12
Learn about 3 automotive careers, research the education, training, and experience one of them needs, and discuss with your counselor why it interests you
Tip: Visit a repair shop or dealership and ask technicians about their training and what they like about their work.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
An auto repair shop or dealership service department
You'll see lifts, diagnostic scanners, and technicians at work, and can ask how they track down problems.
How: Have a parent call ahead and ask for the service manager. Ask for a quiet time and plan to stay behind the safety line they show you.
A high school or community college automotive program
Instructors and students work on real cars and can show you engines, brakes, and electric drive systems up close.
How: An adult contacts the program and asks about an open house or a short tour for a small group of Scouts.
Where it can lead
- Automotive service technicianDiagnoses and repairs cars; often trained in a one- or two-year program with ASE certification.
- EV and hybrid specialistWorks on high-voltage battery and motor systems, a fast-growing part of the field.
- Diesel or heavy equipment mechanicKeeps trucks, buses, and construction machines running.
- Automotive engineerDesigns vehicle systems like brakes, engines, and safety features; requires an engineering degree.
- Collision repair technicianFixes body damage and repaints cars after accidents.
- Service advisorExplains repairs to customers and keeps the shop's work organized.
Ask yourself
- What did you think cars needed to keep running before this badge, and what surprised you?
- Which job felt most satisfying to do with your own hands?
- What part of a car still feels like a mystery, and who could help you understand it?
- How will what you learned change the way you take care of your first car?
- Would you enjoy fixing things for a living, and what about it appeals to you or doesn't?
Good questions to ask an automotive technician
- What's the most common problem you see that owners could have prevented?
- How has working on electric and hybrid cars changed your job?
- How do you figure out what's wrong when a car comes in with a strange noise?
- What training and certifications did you need to get started?
- What tools would you put in a first car toolkit?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Set up a troop car-care night with a parent or local mechanic leading stations.
- Stress safety: cool engines, eye protection, and jack stands every time.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Your vehicle's owner's manual — The best guide to your specific car's maintenance.
- Local auto repair shop or school auto program — Technicians who can demonstrate tasks safely.
- National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) (opens in a new tab) — Learn about technician careers and certification.
- FuelEconomy.gov (opens in a new tab) — Compare gas, hybrid, and electric cars and learn how driving habits affect fuel use.
- Alternative Fuels Data Center (opens in a new tab) — The U.S. Department of Energy explains how electric, hybrid, and other alternative fuel vehicles work.
- SkillsUSA (opens in a new tab) — Student organization with automotive contests and career training for high schoolers.
- Car Care Council (opens in a new tab) — Simple maintenance checklists and explanations of what each part does.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.