J20 minus 67 — get caught up on auto maintenance

If you're fortunate enough to be able to afford a car, then you have access to an important community survival resource. More so if you own a van or a pickup truck. Although we're big fans of public transit, the reality is that in times of crisis—like after natural disasters—the flexibility of personal transportation is important.

Trump's forthcoming tariffs are likely to lead to significant cost increases for many goods, and auto parts are no exception. Maintaining a car might get much more expensive. Now's a good time to invest in some auto maintenance, to double-check your car's "everyday carry," to check if you need any tools or accessories, and to learn a new skill or two relating to auto maintenance. This post is a guide for keeping your car up-to-speed.

What you should keep in your car

• An Individual First-Aid Kit (IFAK)^[1]
• A paper road atlas of your country/state/region^[2]
• A flashlight
• A fire extinguisher
• A high-visibility vest^[3]
• A reflective triangle or road flares^[3:1]
• A paper copy of a current car insurance card^[4]
• A tire pressure gauge
• A tire tread wear gauge
• Jumper cables
• Bungee cords or ropes
• In cold weather, a heavy blanket^[5]
• In cold weather, an ice scraper
• A glass-breaking hammer
• Jack, tire iron, and spare tire
• Replacement fuses

Maintenance everyone can learn how to do

A lot of basic auto maintenance can extend the life of your car by thousands of miles and keep you out of trouble. If you or your community is in need, the last thing you want is your vehicle to give out on you! Here are some things everyone can learn how to do.

• change a tire
• check tire pressure—don't forget your spare;
• check your tire tread — you can use a tire gauge (about $7 at an auto parts store) or you can try the penny test;
• check your oil and fluids;
• change a headlight^[6] or tailight.

How to know when to get help

If you're not a car person, it might be hard to know when to do maintenance or whether you can trust a mechanic.

Tires

Tires are the most important safety component of your vehicle. Take good care of them. Things you should look out for:

• tires need to be replaced if they have uneven wear, visible bands, significant damage, or less than 2/32" of tread;
• simple punctures can usually be patched;
• tires should be rotated every 5-8000 miles. However, the rotation pattern depends on the tire and the vehicle. If you can change a flat you can rotate tires, but make sure you're not putting directionals on backwards! Directional tires will have an arrow on the sidewall indicating the direction of rotatation;
• tires might need to be aligned, particularly if your car "pulls" to one side or another, or if you've recently hit a hard pothole or bump;
• some cars have a smaller spare tire than the normal tires, sometimes called a "donut." You should not drive faster than the tire's rating, usually 50mph or less, and not for longer than you need to get your proper tire patched or replaced.

Lights

Laws vary state to state but the general rule is, "if the car has a light, it has to shine". Broken taillights or headlights are one of the easiest excuses for a police officer to pull someone over—once I got pulled over for a burnt-out headlight three separate times in the four mile drive between my job and my house! Being pulled over exposes people to police violence, and as slide ever backwards into increasing authoritarianism, one of your key survival skills will be how to not draw attention from the police. One of my favorite forms of mutual aid is the taillight clinic! Check all the lights on your car, enlist the help of a friend. Make sure to check:

• headlights;
• parking lights (small, amber lights in the front, usually the first setting after "off" on the headlight selector);
• high-beams;
• fog lights;
• turn signals—don't forget to check side quarter-panel indicators or ones mounted in your sideview mirrors;
• tail lights;
• brake lights, including the center brake light;
• reverse lights;
• license plate lights;
• hazard indicators.

Most taillight and headlight replacement can be done without any special tools.

Brakes

If your brakes are squeaking, that's a design feature to let you know they need replacing. Alternatively, you might need to get your brakes checked if:

• your car pulls to one side while braking;
• your parking/emergency brake doesn't engage or is "soft";
• your brake pedal feels spongey;
• your brakes smoke or you have a metallic smell when braking;
• your car shudders when braking normally^[7].

Brakes are actually surprisingly easy and relatively to replace. Car brakes come in two types: disc brakes and drum brakes.^[8] Most often, a brake job just means replacing the pads (disc brakes) or shoes (drum brakes), and less frequently the rotor (disc) or drum. You might need to also top-up some brake fluid at this time. Point is—don't stress over brakes. If you have a mechanically-inclined friend, nine times out of ten they'll gladly accept a home-cooked meal in exchange for doing your brakes. Just ask!

Glass

It varies from state to state, but chipped, cracked, or broken glass is often grounds for failing to renew a registration or annual safety inspection. And that means that you'll be at risk of increased police attention. So make sure to ask your mechanic about your local standards for glass damage and replace any damage as soon as possible.

Fluids

Your car has a lot of fluids; blinker fluid is not one of them! Every few thousand miles, you should do a fluids check. Depending on your car, you might need to check:

• oil—make sure it's in the right range and is the right color. White, milky oil means you have coolant leaking into your oil and definitely need to talk to a professional;
• windshield wiper fluid—top this up regularly, but make sure you're putting the fluids in the right place! The fill cap should have the wiper fluid icon on it, the same as on your control cluster;
• coolant—in summer months, it's fine to just use water. In cooler weather, you want to add anti-freeze. Important: never open a hot radiator. The steam can be super-heated, meaning above boiling temperature, and can give you instant third-degree burns.
• brake or hydraulic fluid—you might have various fluids for your transmission, brake system, or other functions. For the most part, you should never really need to check or top this up. But if your car feels wrong—soft brakes, hard steering, dodgy shifting—then ask a mechanic to check your fluid levels. In many cases, these fluid reservoirs are not designed for everyday owner access.
• A/C refrigerant—every few years you should get your A/C serviced. It may be necessary to top up the refrigerant, especially if your climate control doesn't feel as sharp as it once did. Catching leaks early saves you tons of money in the long run.

Electrical

A modern car is actually a computer with wheels. But even older cars have heavy reliance on electrical componets. These include:

• your car battery, designed to start the car even in cold weather. If your car struggles to start, replace this;
• Spark plugs and wires, the essential elements of gasoline internal combustion. If your car is losing power, it might be worth seeing if your plugs need replacement. Replacing spark plugs is easy to do in theory, but often they are hard or impossible to reach, and you can really damage your engine if you do it wrong while replacing them (for instance, by cross-threading them and getting brass shavings in the cylinder—happened to me);
• Fuses and relays today are pretty rarely the issue, but you should still know where your fusebox is, what types of fuses you have, and for what amperage they are rated. If a feature in your car suddenly starts working, check the fuse box first;

Electrical issues are super irritating and difficult to fix—best get a professional.

How you can help with your vehicle

If you're lucky enough to own a vehicle, then you can open a world for people. Some things you can do to help build community resilience:

• offer rides for people to and from doctors' appointments;
• deliver relief supples to communities struck by disaster;
• be a sober driver;
• deliver food and groceries to community members who are sick or unable to leave home;
• help people get to safety or necessary care, including over state lines;
• clear roads after a storm;
• help neighbors with childcare, for instance bringing their kids to ballet class or soccer practice and giving the parents a break;
• and more!

A car, van or truck is a fantastic asset. I used a friend's van to deliver medical relief into a war zone. I've used my truck to get people out to court dates or doctor appointments. A vehicle and a driver is a tremendous asset for community resilience. But you're only as reliable as your vehicle. Keeping it maintained is one of the most important things you can to do stay prepared for the coming authoritarian years.