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 · Season · Daily owner

PSI, battery, coolant, and the first freeze

Winter / summer seasonal

Seasons do not require a $400 “winterization package.” They do require cold PSI, a battery that can crank, coolant that matches the spec, and rubber that can see the road.

The first frost is tomorrow, or the heat index is 104. A chain has a seasonal menu. This card is the measurements that actually change with weather.

Beginner steps

What you do

0 / 5 beginner steps

01Set PSI cold to the door stickerTires lose roughly 1 PSI per 10 °F drop. Summer heat climbs the other way. Set them cold. Do not use the sidewall max. Recheck after the first cold snap.Say: I set them to the door sticker this morning. If you add air, write the number you left.
02Load-test before the first freezeCold is when a weak battery quits. Age plus a load test. Jump packs are a backup, not a diagnosis. Clean the terminals so you are not buying an alternator.Say: I want a load test result and the battery age. I will not buy an alternator from a slow crank alone.
03Coolant: spec and freeze pointA refractometer or test strip is a freeze-point number. Color is not. Capacity and spec live on /garage once the car is identified.Say: What freeze point did you measure, and what spec are you pouring? Not ‘universal green.’
04Wipers, washer, and tread for the seasonWipers are a driveway yes. Washer fluid that actually has freeze protection in winter. Tread: 4/32 is a wet-weather conversation. Snow tires are a climate choice, not a shop upsell if you already have a dedicated set.Say: Blades and fluid I can see. Tires I want 32nds and date codes, not ‘you need a whole set’ from the lobby.
05A/C and heat are performance, not a flush posterVent temperature and a leak test beat “it needs a recharge” every spring. Heat that smells sweet is a coolant story. Do not buy dye and a can from the parking lot as a plan.Say: What vent temp did you measure, and did you find a leak? I will not authorize a recharge with no number.

Do not

Do not buy nitrogen as a winter product. Air is already mostly nitrogen.
Do not ignore a sweet smell in the cabin heat — that can be coolant in the heater core.
Do not “top off” A/C from a parts-store can as a summer plan.

Expert notes

What the number means

PSI vs temperature · PSI / 10 °F
Rule of thumb: about 1 PSI per 10 °F. A 35 °F overnight drop from a 75 °F set can look like a leak to a TPMS lamp. Check cold before you buy a sensor.
Battery in the cold · CCA / V
Cranking amps fall as the battery cools and as the oil thickens. A battery that starts the car in July can fail at 15 °F. The test is a load or conductance test, not “it has power.”
Coolant freeze point · °F
A 50/50 mix is often around −34 °F. Weak mix freezes in the block. Over-concentrated mix cools worse in summer. Measure it. Do not guess from the overflow bottle color.

Open a live desk

Related patterns

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

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