Maintaining Your Vehicle

Jump Starting a Car

Jump starting a car

Jump Starting a Vehicle

Warning Lights

• Check Engine

• Oil Pressure• • Engine Temp• • Alternator• • Brake

• Airbag•

– Lamp Out (Bulb)

– Seat Belt

– Fluid Low

– Door Open

– ABS Not Working

– Service

Brake System

• The Brake system’s Master Cylinder contains two parts. Each part controls two wheels.

• When you brake, brake fluid is forced from the master cylinder thru the brake lines to each wheel’s brake cylinder.

Disk & Drum Brakes

Parking Brake

• The Parking Brake is a separate brake system that works on the rear wheels.

Tires

• Radial Belted

Changing A Tire

Put it in Park, use the Parking Brake and put

something under the tires.

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43785/article.html

Rotate your Tires

Preventive Maintenance

• What is Preventive Maintenance?

• Care given to a car to Prevent Trouble later on.

• What are some examples?

• Check the Air Filter• Hoses & Belts• Change or check Oil• Check Wipers & Fluid• Check Lights & turn

signals• Check Tires• Check Shocks• Brake Fluid• Power steering Fluid• Coolant

Check Your Fluids

Checking your Oil

Leaks Under your Car• Bright Green: radiator coolant, this is also very slippery to the touch.• Light or Dark Brown: if you change the oil often it will be a light brown, if

not the fluid will be a darker brown. Make sure to change your engine oil every 3-5000 miles.

• Bright Blue: windshield washer fluid. (Winter washer fluids can be orange, pink or yellow).

• Light Brown: if there is also a strong odor of rotten eggs, this is 90 weight or gear lube. It may be leaking from the rear axle center section or the manual transmission.

• Red Fluid: Automatic transmission fluid or power steering fluid. Note where the fluid is coming from – it could be long life coolant

• Clear: Power steering fluid or water from the condenser on the A/C unit. • Light Yellow: Brake fluid is light yellow when new as it absorbs water the

fluid becomes a dark muddy brown. Brake fluid absorbs 2% water over a one year period under normal braking conditions. This is a very important fluid and should be changed every other year.

• Amber: Gasoline, but there will be a distinct odor

Records

• Keep records of all repairs.

• Keep sales receipts of tires, battery, and windshield wipers

Saving Gas

• Lower speeds – keep windows open / Air conditioner off

• More than 45 MPH close the windows

• Fast Starts & very slow starts wastes fuel

• Look ahead & coast into red & yellow lights

• Turn off the engine when stuck at a railroad crossing of real long red light.

Calculating Miles Per Gallon

• Fill tank - Record odometer

• Drive until you have about ½ tank.

• Refill the tank

• Record the number of gallons it took to refill the tank

• Record the odometer and subtract the 1st reading from the 2nd.

• Divide the gallons into the miles driven.

Miles Per Gallon

• 7 Gallons into 210 miles driven

• 10 gallons into 200miles

• 30 MPG

• 20 MPG