Checklist
Maintenance checklist
A short list for the driveway. It does not add a torque, a capacity, or a part number. Those live on the repair guide, and only when a source is cited.
The list is free to read. Joining the notes list is separate, and the address is not subscribed until you confirm the email.
Before the car goes in the air
- Open the guide for this year, make, model, and engine. A different year is a different guide.
- Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock a wheel that is staying on the ground.
- The jack lifts. Jack stands hold. Do not work under a vehicle held only by a jack.
- Let the exhaust, oil, and coolant cool before you open a drain or a cap.
- Wear eye protection. Put the drain pan under the plug before you loosen it.
Numbers
- Use a figure only when this vehicle’s guide prints it.
- Tire pressure is on the door-jamb placard. Read that label on the car.
- Do not mix coolant types. Use the type the guide names for this vehicle.
- Do not invent a torque, a capacity, a gap, or a part number to fill a blank on the guide.
Parts and fluids
- Match the engine and the transmission before you buy a filter or a fluid.
- When a guide links to an Amazon search, that search is the part type and the vehicle, not a confirmed part number.
- Confirm fitment on the retailer page before you buy.
- Take used oil and coolant to a place that accepts them. Do not pour them out.
After the job
- Look under the car for a fresh drip before you leave.
- Recheck a fastener after the first drive when the guide says to.
- Torque a wheel only to the figure on that vehicle’s guide.
- Coming-soon pages have no measurements. Do not guess them from this list.
This page is not a service manual. Start from the vehicle list and use the sheet that matches the car in front of you.