1. Buying and Maintaining a Vehicle
Chapter 17
Buying and Maintaining a Vehicle

2. 17.1
Buying a Vehicle

3. Do You Need A Vehicle? Needs great enough to justify owning a vehicle?
Are there alternatives?

4. Can You Afford to Own a Vehicle?

5. Gasoline, oil, tires, preventive maintenance, and repairs
Consider how much money you have to spend or your budget.
Purchas price
Auto insurance
Registration fees
State vehicle sticker
Gasoline, oil, tires, preventive maintenance, and repairs
If you took out a loan, you will have monthly payments

6. Financing Pay in full with cash, you don’t have to pay interest
Shop around and get the best rate on a loan

7. Depreciation Value of vehicle drops over time
Whether you use the vehicle or not

8. What Kind of Vehicle Should I Buy?

9. Ask Yourself These Questions:
What will I use it for?
Do I need certain passenger and cargo capacities? Do I need to tow anything?
How many mile will I drive each year?
Will I be driving mostly short or long trips?
How long to I expect to keep the vehicle?

10. Vehicle Size
Smaller vehicles better gas mileage and easier to maneuver
Larger vehicles hold more passengers and more comfortable ride, but more costly

11. Engine Size and Type Smaller engines are usually more fuel efficient
Larger engines cost more to maintain and repair

12. Transmission Automatic vs. Manual About equal in fuel efficiency
Automatic more costly to repair
Manual repairs more often

13. Know the Safety Features
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
Automatically apply brake to 1 or more wheels when oversteer or understeer.
Side-Impact Air Bags
Curtain and tubular air bags
Combination air bags
Tire Pressure Monitoring System(TPMS)
All new vehicles have TPMS
Underinflation is leading cause of tire failure

14. Know the Safety Features cont…
Back up Camera
Lane Departure Warning
Sensors detect a vehicle drifting from the lane, a lane departure warning sounds.
Variable Ride-Height Suspension(VRHS)
Lowers or raises the ride height of the vehicle while it is in motion.
Lower to ground = less likely to roll over in a crash

15. New or Used Vehicle New Advantages:
Warranty for repairs and parts over a period of time
More safety features
Less maintenance
More easily obtainable replacement parts
Paid off loan = substantial savings

16. New or Used Vehicles cont…
Advantages:
Lower purchase price
Cheaper to insure
No quick depreciation
Well maintained = many years/miles of useful service

17. New or Used Vehicles cont…
Disadvantages:
Depreciation
Insurance premium will be higher
Higher taxes and vehicle registration

18. New or Used Vehicles cont…
Disadvantages:
No warranty or service records
Replacement parts difficult to find
Records of previous damages hard to find
No have advanced safety features

19. Leasing Similar to purchasing, but you don’t own the vehicle – Renting
Lease another vehicle
Purchase the vehicle
Walk away
Down-payment

20. How Much Should You Pay? NADA Kelly Blue Book
Give you different values for your vehicle

21. Outside and Inside Checks
Doors and locks
Vehicle appearance
Fluid leaks
Evidence of collision damage

22. Inside the Vehicle
Seats
Lights
Mileage
Pedals and steering wheel

23. Check Trunk
Look for damage
Jack
Spare tire

24. Open the Hood Look for damage Hoses and radiators for leaks
Condition of belts
Coolant levels
Battery and cables

25. Test Drive Always take the vehicle on a test drive What do you hear?
Are the brakes in good condition?
Is the steering firm?
How is the suspension?
Does the vehicle hesitate when you accelerate?
Is the vehicle comfortable?

26. Make These Checks: Check warning lights Start engine – lights go off
Drive at low speeds, test the brakes
Turn a lot
Accelerate moderately
Test brakes at various speeds
Drive on a rough road
Check gauges

27. Have the Vehicle Inspected
Before you buy, have the vehicle inspected to make sure everything is ok
Obtain estimates

28. Before You Close the Deal
Get repairs being made in writing
Look for owners manual and repair receipts
Read owner’s manual

29. Preventive Maintenance
17.2
Preventive Maintenance

30. All modern vehicles have an electronic control module (ECM)
ECM – a computer located in the engine compartment that controls your engine’s efficiency
On-Board diagnostic system to give owners and automotive technicians quick access to identify and fix malfuntions

31. Fuel and Emission Systems
Electronic direct fuel injection systems deliver just the right amount of fuel, resulting in higher performance with lower fuel consumption
Catalytic converters are used in the exhaust system to reduce levels of nitrogen oxides, which the sun heats into smog
Muffler reduces the noise from combustion sounds in the engine

32. Lubrication and Cooling Systems
Oil, grease, or other substances
Low oil pressure can damage your engine
Pull off road, turn off engine, wait for engine to cool
Low coolant levels can cause your engine to overheat
Check and replace low coolant levels
Excessive heat can destroy engine
Use proper lubrication to keep systems operating efficiently

33. Cooling System Additional cooling
Radiator – holds and cools the coolant
Water pump – circulates the coolant
Thermostat – regulates circulation of coolant
NEVER REMOVE RADIATOR CAP WHEN ENGINE IS HOT!

34. Lubrication System
Oil pump – forces oil from the oil pan up into the engine
If Oil Pressure light comes on, pull over when safe and turn engine off
On average 3 months or miles
Check Owner’s Manual
Periodically grease certain parts

35. Maintaining the Control Systems
Steering System
Check with automotive technician if loss of power steering
Brake System
Regularly check brake fluid level and have brakes checked on a regular basis.
Warning light means check your brakes immediately

36. Tires U.S. must follow the Uniform Tire Quality and Grading Standards
Treadwear
Higher grade longer
tread should last
Traction
Higher grade better
traction
Temperature

37. Temperature
Underinflation, excessive speed, or overloading can cause heat buildup
To prolong the life of your tires, have them rotated, aligned, and balanced as recommended by your owner’s manual

38. Suspension System Electrical Systems
Provides steering stability and maximizes friction between tires and road surface.
Shock absorbers
Electrical Systems
Car battery powers everything electrical.
Engine’s control computer, ignition system, radio, and headlights

39. Dead Battery
Be sure to check your owner’s manual before jump starting your vehicle or another vehicle.

40. Starting a Vehicle That Has A Dead Battery
Positive Good to Positive Bad
Negative Good to Negative Ground
Start good battery
Start bad battery
Remove in reverse order
Make sure clamps do not touch

41. Static Electricity
Can build up when you exit and re-enter a vehicle, esp in dry or cold conditions.
Spark a fire or explosion
Discharge the electricity by touching any metal surface before touching the nozzle at a gas station.

42. Fuel, Efficiency, Recycling, and Security Systems 17.3

43. Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Hybrids – combine the benefits of gas engines with electric motors
Electric motors – Allows a smaller more efficient engine to be used
The engine is controlled by an automatic system that shuts the engine off when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts the engine when the accelerator is pressed.

44. Maximize Fuel Efficiency
Control Speed
Warm the Engine
Lighten Load
Reduce Idling
Reduce Drag

45. Alternative Fuels
Come from resources other than petroleum and are reducing our dependence on imported oil
Athanol
Biodiesel
Natural Gas
Propane
Hydrogen

46. Recycling
One oil change is enough to contaminate a million gallons of fresh water
Take used oil to a service station , recycling drop off location, or household hazardous waste collection site
Cars are also recycled

47. Security Systems Wide variety of ways to protect you. Keyless Entry
Wireless remote
Theft Prevention
Bar that locks steering wheel
Sensors for Security
Activated if exterior is messed with

48. Calculating Miles Per Gallon
Fill tank
Odometer reading (A)
Drive normal until ½ of tank
Fill tank again – record number of gallons (B)
Odometer reading (C)
(C – A)/B = MPG