Owner's book · not a shop
Know the car. Then the window. Factory specs in plain English — don't authorize until you can say this at the counter.
Playbooks
Beginner · short stepsExpert · spec · code · mm
Pick the situation. Read the left column. Say that at the window.
Twelve owner scenarios. Beginner script + genius measurements. SaferCar patterns — not a pirated TSB book.
Playbooks · Coolant · Daily owner
Chemistry, not the rainbow
Orange, pink, blue, and green are marketing. Dex-Cool is not Honda Type 2. A “universal” dump is how you buy a water pump and a heater core.
They want to flush the coolant because it is “due” or the color looks brown. You need chemistry and a freeze-point number, not a poster.
Beginner steps
0 / 4 beginner steps
Do not
Expert notes
Color
Dex-Cool is orange. Honda Type 2 is blue. Toyota SLLC is pink. VW G13 is purple/pink. A parts-store “universal” that matches the color is still the wrong chemistry.
EcoBoost loss
A 2.0/3.5 EcoBoost that eats coolant may be a degas-bottle or oil-cooler story. Public complaint patterns exist. A flush is not that ticket.
Open a live desk
SaferCar buckets this card answers: cooling · hybrid · not CR
Related patterns
Common failures by symptom. SaferCar pointers — not pirated TSB PDFs.
Next playbooks