Designed for people who think that anything technical will make their brains shut like garage doors, who sincerely care about how their vehicles affect the environment, and although they believe they can’t work on their cars themselves — and wouldn’t like it if they could — are willing to give it a try.
How do I know that it will work for these reluctant readers Because it’s written by a genuine, certified ex-Dummy who has found that, despite total ignorance and a complete lack of manual dexterity, getting personally involved with a vehicle is enjoyable, rewarding, and easy? Believe me: If I can do it, so can you!
It Is Not Written for Confirmed “Do-It-Yourselfers.” It Is for You If
You have never held a wrench. You are positive that, in your case, manual labor can lead only to disaster. You haven’t the vaguest idea of how a car works. You have failed shop or arts and crafts. You believe that if you do something wrong, your car can blow up.
To Enjoy This Book, It Would Help If
forgotten what something means A detailed Index where you can look up a part, a problem, a symptom, or a specific job and find the page you need A Maintenance Record so you can keep track of what you’ve done and when you did it A Specifications Record for the data you need to buy the right parts Tons of illustrations that show you how things look and where they are.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
For many people, getting a driver’s license is an event that runs second only to getting a diploma or a marriage license. Most of us succeed in passing the test and hop happily into our vehicles, headed for the freedom of the open road.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t know the first thing about the machines we’re licensed to drive — and this can turn a ticket to freedom into a ticket to trouble.
Introduction
I’m not necessarily talking about physical danger. State motor vehicle bureaus have made fairly sure that, before we can get a driver’s license, we know how to drive defensively and can handle a vehicle under poor driving conditions. What I’m referring to is the kind of trouble that comes from depending on other people to care for and repair our vehicles. I
f you’re like most people, you probably tend to drive around until something goes wrong and then incur the expense of replacing worn and burned-out parts — or the entire vehicle! — when low-cost, regular maintenance could have kept your wheels turning for a long time.
Whether you’re trying to cut expenses, are tired of being patronized, or have just fallen in love with your first car, this book tells you how your vehicle works, what it needs in the way of tender loving care, and how to reduce its impact on the environment, and how to keep from getting ripped off if you have to entrust repairs to someone else.
Last word
By handling the simple maintenance and being able to diagnose the trouble and perform the less complex repairs yourself, you’ll earn the respect of your family, your mechanic, and your car — and you’ll feel pretty good about it!
