Part I

Getting to Know Your Vehicle

In this part . . .

E ver seen someone try to figure out how to open a can of sardines? They have the key in one hand, the can in the other, and they poke, prod, and pry until they finally decide that saltines alone are fine. If you’ve ever tried to open the hood of your vehicle or jack it up without the benefit of prior experience (or paying attention when someone else did it), you may feel as confused as the sardine-lovers seem. That’s why this part covers the things every driver should be able to do, safety tips that everyone who works on cars should know, and the tools you can use to get your vehicle running smoothly again. You find out how to buy the right auto part on your first trip to the store and how to do a monthly under-the-hood check that can prevent breakdowns on the road by 70 percent!

Finally, I take a quick trip through all the automotive systems involved in operating your vehicle to show you what each one does, how it does it, and how they relate to one another.