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.

WhoAudience: Owners in a named jam — brakes, noise, a light, a quote.Anyone who wants both altitudes on one card.
ClickControl: A playbook card. Then the beginner script.Playbook → steps. TSB desk and counter card live next door.
SayCounter: The left-column sentence. Then ask for the number on the right.Measurement first. Campaign lookup second. Parts last.

Playbooks · Trip · Daily owner

A yes/no card the night before

Road-trip go/no-go

You do not need a $1,200 “trip inspection.” You need tires that can take a load, a cooling system that holds, lights you can see, and a lamp plan. A no is cheaper at home than in a town with one wrecker.

Dawn departure. Kids, dogs, or a hitch. This is the 25-minute walk-around that decides go, delay, or tow-it-tomorrow.

Beginner steps

What you do

0 / 5 beginner steps

01Tires, spare, and PSI for the load32nds, date codes, a cut in the sidewall is a no. Spare inflated. Door-sticker PSI, plus the load line if you are towing — that number is on the door or the hitch plate, not a forum.Say: If any tire is at 3/32 or has a sidewall wound, I am not leaving. Write the PSI you set.
02Levels cold, and a look under the carOil on the stick, coolant in the bottle (cold), obvious drips on the cardboard you parked on. A milky oil cap is a no. Overheating last week is a no until someone pressure-tests.Say: It ran hot last month. I need a pressure test before a 400-mile day, not a top-off.
03Lights, wipers, and the windshieldHigh beams, brake lamps, blinkers. A crack in the driver’s sweep is a ticket in some states and a night-drive no. Blades that chatter will fail in the first truck spray.Say: I need the brake lamps confirmed from behind. I will not guess.
04Lamps on the clusterCEL, ABS, SRS, TPMS, temp. A solid CEL with a known small code can be a go if you already have a plan. A new lamp the night before is a scan, not optimism.Say: The lamp came on tonight. I am scanning before I leave. Translate it before you tell me it’s fine.
05Kit: water, cables, inflator, paperworkJumper cables or a pack the manual allows, a 12V inflator, water, the insurance card, and the VIN photo. EV: know the 12V jump method in the book before you need it.Say: I am not buying a $200 trip kit from the counter. I am packing the four things that actually get used.

Do not

Do not leave with a donut as the plan for a 600-mile interstate.
Do not ignore a new vibration that showed up when you loaded the car.
Do not treat this card as a certified inspection.

Expert notes

What the number means

Trip tread · 32nds
4/32 is the wet-weather conversation. 2/32 is wear-bar legal in many states and a rain no on a highway. A sidewall bulge or cord is an immediate no regardless of tread.
Temp after 15 minutes · °F / gauge
A healthy stat opens and the gauge settles. A climb toward hot on a short drive is a no-go. We do not invent your thermostat spec. We do say: do not start a mountain grade with a gauge that already wandered.
Loaded PSI · PSI
The door sticker is for the vehicle as labeled. Towing or a packed van may have a second higher number on the certification label. Ask for that label, not a Facebook “add 6 pounds.”

Open a live desk

Related patterns

Common failures by symptom. SaferCar pointers — not pirated TSB PDFs.

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