Checklists

11 steps, printable

Before a road trip

Before a long drive, get the oil changed if it is close to due, then check coolant, tire pressure including the spare, the A/C, the lights and the wipers. Leaving from Northern Nevada usually means climbing a pass and cr

11 steps, printable

Before winter

Test the battery, confirm the coolant protects well below freezing, and replace wipers that streak before the first storm. Then check the lights, tire pressure, washer fluid and the oil grade, and put a small winter kit

10 steps, printable

Before your smog check

First confirm your vehicle needs a test at all: Nevada requires smog checks only for vehicles registered in the urban parts of Washoe and Clark counties, and new vehicles, young hybrids and several other groups are exemp

12 steps, printable

New to Nevada: registering your car

Register the car with the Nevada DMV, which includes a VIN inspection for a vehicle coming from another state, and find out whether your county requires a smog check. Then adjust the maintenance to the high desert: colde

11 steps, printable

Fleet onboarding

Start with a list of every vehicle and its oil specification, decide who can approve work, and set each vehicle's interval from its manual. After that, drivers can pull into any of our four service centers without a

11 steps, printable

Your used car's first week

In the first week, find out what maintenance the car has had, then set a baseline: an oil change unless there is proof of a recent one, a look at every fluid and filter, and a walk around the lights and wipers. Sort the

12 steps, printable

A teen driver's first car

Teach a new driver to check the oil level, tire pressure and lights, to read the dashboard warning lights, and to keep a simple service log. Then start the car on a fresh baseline service and walk them through one visit

11 steps, printable

Between oil changes: a monthly five-minute check

Check the oil level every few fill-ups, look under the car for fresh spots, and keep an eye on tire pressure, lights and washer fluid. Most problems that show up at an oil change gave a small warning weeks earlier, and t

10 steps, printable

Before Tahoe in winter

Before a winter Tahoe run, look at tire tread, put chains or cables in the trunk, have the battery tested and fill the washer reservoir with fluid rated for freezing temperatures. Then check the NDOT road report, because

10 steps, printable

Before summer heat

Before the first 90-degree week, have the A/C checked, confirm the coolant level and mix, and test a battery that is more than three years old. Set tire pressure, replace a dirty cabin filter and keep water in the car fo

10 steps, printable

Before a smog retest

Have the cause of the failure repaired first, then drive normally for several days so the car's readiness monitors can reset before you retest. Clearing the code and testing the same afternoon is the most common rea

11 steps, printable

Before selling your car

Pull together the service records, get a fresh oil change with a maintenance check, and fix the small things a buyer notices, like a dead bulb or streaking wipers. If the buyer will register the car in the Washoe testing

10 steps, printable

A new driver's first month

In the first month, learn what each dashboard warning light means, check the oil level and tire pressure once a week, and find the oil grade and service schedule in the owner's manual. Know where the registration, i

11 steps, printable

Company vehicle handover

At every handover, record the odometer, the next oil-change due date, the registration and smog status, and any existing damage with photos. Then check fluids, tires, lights and the safety kit so the new driver starts wi

10 steps, printable

After a long trip

After a long road trip, check the oil level and how close the next change is, look over the tires and windshield, and clean the bugs and grit off the grille and wipers. If the trip ran through dust or smoke, have the air

12 steps, printable

After buying a used truck

In the first week, change the oil and filter so you know exactly what is in the engine, then have the transmission, differential and transfer case fluids checked against the manual. Confirm the coolant type, test the bat

11 steps, printable

Towing season prep

Before the first tow of the season, put the truck on its severe-service schedule: fresh oil, transmission fluid and differential fluid checked against the manual, and coolant in good shape. Then test the trailer lights,

10 steps, printable

A wildfire smoke day

On a heavy smoke day, set the ventilation to recirculate, keep the windows closed and turn the headlights on. Do not dry-wipe ash off the windshield, and once the smoke clears, have the cabin and engine air filters looke

10 steps, printable

The first freeze

When the first freezing night is in the forecast, test any battery older than three years, replace summer washer fluid with a freeze-rated mix and confirm the coolant protects well below freezing. Then set the tire press

10 steps, printable

Every 10,000 miles

Every 10,000 miles, make sure the oil has been changed on the schedule your manual sets, inspect both air filters and replace the cabin filter if it is near its interval. Look over the fluid levels, wipers, lights and ti