Most of them are still years from being able to sit behind the wheel as licensed drivers, but a group of Girl Scouts from Troop 944 got an important tutorial on automotive maintenance Saturday.

About a dozen of the troop’s 22 members, who meet at John F. Kennedy Middle School, enjoyed a field trip to Duke Automotive, where they “kicked the tires” and heard some friendly car advice from automotive technician Jason Lambert and service manager Richard Potts.

The Duke employees talked to the girls, who ranged from kindergarten to 12th grade, about how to purchase a car, how to maintain it and how to keep it (and themselves) safe on the road.

Lambert showed them how to change the oil in a car and how to check tire pressure, while explaining the importance of keeping it clean.

Potts talked about the costs of keeping a car and the importance of avoiding distractions while driving, especially distractions from cellphones.

“I was surprised to hear that you have to check your tire pressure a lot,” Tamia Almond said at the end of the visit.

Fellow Girl Scout Aulani Jenkins said she enjoyed learning about oil changes and will not hesitate to do one herself when it comes time to do so.

“I love to get my hands dirty,” she said.

The visit was the brainchild of Yvette Jenkins, one of the troop’s leaders, who said she got the idea for a “Smart Car Care Event” from Facebook.

The girls in the troop are scheduled to feed firefighters at Station 6 later this month.