Preventive Maintenance and Vehicle Inspection
Preventive Maintenance and Vehicle Inspection
This domain tests scheduled service, fluid condition, tire and brake inspection, lights, belts, hoses, battery care, and documented vehicle checks. The exam expects a routine that catches wear before failure.
Core rules
- Follow the service schedule by distance and time, whichever comes first. Severe service-short trips, dust, towing, or heavy traffic-shortens oil, filter, and fluid intervals.
- Check fluids at the correct temperature and level surface. Brake fluid moisture, coolant condition, oil level, and transmission fluid condition are inspection items, not guesses.
- Measure tire tread at several points, set pressures cold, and inspect for cuts, bulges, and uneven wear. Check brake pads, rotors, lines, and parking brake operation.
- Test lights, wipers, horn, seat belts, and warning lamps. Inspect belts for cracks and glazing, hoses for swelling, and battery terminals for corrosion.
- Record measurements and advise the customer in writing; a verbal “all good” is not an inspection.
Worked example
A vehicle reaches 40,000 km with mostly short city trips. The oil looks dark, but color alone is not a test. The schedule calls for oil and filter, cabin filter, and a brake inspection. Because the service is severe, the brake fluid is checked for moisture and the interval is brought forward if it exceeds the manufacturer’s limit. Tire pressures are set cold and tread is measured at three points. The recommendation is based on distance, time, and use, not on odometer alone.
Traps
Servicing by odometer only, ignoring brake-fluid moisture, over-tightening oil filters, reusing crush washers, and failing to reset the service indicator. Also, do not pass a vehicle with a warning lamp still on.