If you don’t know a fan belt from a battery cable, but would like to, the Vicksburg Cruisers Car Club is ready to lend a hand.

The club will stage the first Ladies Car Maintenance Day Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at The Vicksburg Mall, and it’s not even necessary to be a woman to attend.

“Everyone should be knowledgeable about some basic things before they take their car and get it serviced, so they don’t get stuck with a lot of repairs they don’t need,” said Pete Dionne, president of the Vicksburg Cruisers. “There are a lot of ladies out there, single moms, even some guys who don’t know how to check their oil, let alone their tire pressure, and end up getting ripped off.”

Members of the club will be on hand in the mall parking lot to talk one-on-one with those who attend and will have tire gauges, battery cables and other necessary tools, Dionne said. “Look for the old cars,” he said, when asked which section of the lot.

Items covered will be:

• Checking and changing engine fluids, wiper blades, hoses and belts, fuses and light bulbs;

• Cleaning battery terminals and hooking up jumper cables;

• Checking tire pressure;

• Changing a tire;

• Lubricating door hinges and locks; and

• Looking up maintenance items in the owner’s manual and checking door jambs and tires for information.

The event is free, and attendees should allow 20 to 30 minutes to go through the checklist.

This is the club’s first venture at helping the novice tackle basic car maintenance, “but we hope it’s not the last,” said Dionne. Other service events have included taking car shows on location to entertain residents of nursing homes, he said.

For more information, call Dionne at 601-218-2193, or coordinator De Reul at 601-218-2383.