{ "formatVersion": 1, "blueprints": [ { "title": "Engine Air Filter Replacement", "description": "The easiest job on the car. Open a box, swap a paper element, close the box. Ten minutes, no tools on most vehicles, and it is one of the few maintenance items you can genuinely judge by eye.", "category": "maintenance", "subcategory": "Filters", "difficulty": "beginner", "tags": ["beginner-friendly", "10-minute job", "filters", "no tools"], "language": "en", "estimatedMinutes": 10, "estimatedCost": 22.0, "currency": "USD", "author": { "name": "Trackara", "bio": "Official Trackara blueprint template", "url": "https://trackara.app/blueprints" }, "vehicleCompatibility": [ { "make": "Any", "notes": "Nearly every modern vehicle has a rectangular airbox in the engine bay held by clips or a few screws. The filter part number is specific to your engine. Look it up before you buy." } ], "requiredTools": [ "Screwdriver or small socket, only if your airbox uses screws rather than clips", "Shop rag" ], "parts": [ { "name": "Engine air filter element", "kind": "required", "quantity": 1, "partNumber": null, "estimatedCost": 22.0, "notes": "Specific to your engine, not just your model. Write the number you fitted in here so the next one is a two-minute purchase." } ], "steps": [ { "stepNumber": 1, "title": "Open the airbox", "description": "Find the black plastic box connected to the intake tube, usually near the front or one side of the engine bay. Release the metal spring clips, or undo the few screws, and lift the lid. Leave the intake tube attached. The lid normally hinges up far enough.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": ["Screwdriver or small socket, only if your airbox uses screws rather than clips"], "parts": [], "warnings": ["Engine off, keys out. There are belts and a cooling fan close by that can move without warning."], "tips": ["Cabin air filters are a different job, usually behind the glovebox. Do not confuse the two."], "checklist": ["Airbox located", "All clips or screws released", "Lid opened without straining the intake tube"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 2, "title": "Note which way up the old filter sits, then lift it out", "description": "Look at the old element before disturbing it. Most have a rubber sealing lip that faces a particular way, and some are directional. Photograph it in place, then lift it straight out.", "estimatedMinutes": 2, "tools": [], "parts": [], "warnings": [], "tips": [ "Hold the old element up to a light. If light will not pass through the pleats, it was overdue.", "Dusty roads and gravel driveways cut filter life considerably. Judge by the element, not only by the interval." ], "checklist": ["Orientation photographed", "Old element removed"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 3, "title": "Wipe the housing out", "description": "Wipe leaves, grit and the odd acorn out of the bottom of the housing with a rag. Anything left in there gets drawn into the engine as soon as the filter is back in.", "estimatedMinutes": 2, "tools": ["Shop rag"], "parts": [], "warnings": ["Do not blow debris out with compressed air while the housing is open to the intake tube. You will blow it straight down the inlet."], "tips": ["Rodent nesting material in an airbox is common on a vehicle that has sat. Wet it before disturbing it and wear a mask."], "checklist": ["Housing wiped clean", "Nothing loose left inside"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 4, "title": "Fit the new element and close it up", "description": "Drop the new filter in the same way round the old one came out, check the sealing lip is sitting flat all the way around, and close the lid. Refit every clip or screw.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": ["Screwdriver or small socket, only if your airbox uses screws rather than clips"], "parts": [ { "name": "Engine air filter element", "kind": "required", "quantity": 1 } ], "warnings": [ "Never run the engine with the airbox open or the filter removed. Unfiltered air scores cylinder bores, and on many vehicles it also upsets the airflow sensor.", "A lid that will not close easily usually means the filter is in crooked. Do not force the clips." ], "tips": ["Log the date and mileage. It is the only way to know when the next one is due."], "checklist": ["Filter seated flat with the seal all round", "Lid closed with no gaps", "All clips or screws refitted", "Date and mileage logged"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null } ], "coverImageUrl": null }, { "title": "Wiper Blade Replacement", "description": "Two minutes per blade once you know the trick, and the difference between seeing in the rain and guessing. The only part that catches people out is buying the right lengths, because the driver's and passenger's blades are usually different sizes.", "category": "exterior", "subcategory": "Glass and visibility", "difficulty": "beginner", "tags": ["beginner-friendly", "10-minute job", "safety", "no tools"], "language": "en", "estimatedMinutes": 12, "estimatedCost": 35.0, "currency": "USD", "author": { "name": "Trackara", "bio": "Official Trackara blueprint template", "url": "https://trackara.app/blueprints" }, "vehicleCompatibility": [ { "make": "Any", "notes": "Blade lengths and the arm connector type are vehicle-specific. Any parts store's lookup, or the packaging in the aisle, will give you both for your exact vehicle." } ], "requiredTools": ["Folded towel"], "parts": [ { "name": "Front wiper blades", "kind": "required", "quantity": 2, "estimatedCost": 32.0, "notes": "Driver and passenger blades are usually different lengths on the same car. Check both before buying, and note the connector type: hook, push-button, pinch-tab and side-lock are all common." }, { "name": "Rear wiper blade", "kind": "optional", "quantity": 1, "estimatedCost": 12.0, "notes": "If your vehicle has one. It is almost always a different size and a different fitting from the fronts." }, { "name": "Washer fluid", "kind": "consumable", "quantity": 1, "estimatedCost": 5.0, "notes": "Use a fluid rated for your winter temperatures. Plain water freezes in the lines and splits the reservoir and pump." } ], "steps": [ { "stepNumber": 1, "title": "Confirm the two blade sizes before you buy", "description": "Look up the front blade lengths for your exact vehicle. On most cars the driver's side is longer than the passenger's, and fitting two of the same length means one blade fouls the other or leaves a band of unswept glass.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": [], "parts": [], "warnings": [], "tips": [ "Check the connector type at the same time. Buying the right length with the wrong fitting is the usual second trip to the store.", "Note both sizes in this blueprint. You will need them again in a year." ], "checklist": ["Driver's side length confirmed", "Passenger side length confirmed", "Connector type confirmed", "Rear blade checked if fitted"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 2, "title": "Lift the arm and protect the glass", "description": "Pull the wiper arm away from the windscreen until it locks upright. Lay a folded towel on the glass underneath it as insurance.", "estimatedMinutes": 2, "tools": ["Folded towel"], "parts": [], "warnings": [ "Never let a wiper arm snap back onto the glass with no blade fitted. The bare metal arm hits hard enough to chip or crack a windscreen, and that is a far more expensive repair than the blades.", "Some vehicles need the wipers parked in a service position first, usually by switching the ignition on and off with the wipers running. Check yours if the arms will not lift clear of the bonnet." ], "tips": ["Do one blade at a time. If both arms are up at once, one of them will get knocked."], "checklist": ["Arm lifted and locked upright", "Towel laid on the glass"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 3, "title": "Release the old blade and fit the new one", "description": "Find the release: a small tab you press on push-button and pinch-tab fittings, or a hook you rotate the blade off on older arms. Slide the old blade off, fit the new one the same way, and pull gently to confirm it has latched.", "estimatedMinutes": 4, "tools": [], "parts": [ { "name": "Front wiper blades", "kind": "required", "quantity": 2 } ], "warnings": ["A blade that has not clicked home will detach at speed in the rain. Tug it before you lower the arm."], "tips": [ "New blades often come with an adapter already fitted for the most common connector. If yours does not match, the right adapter is usually in the same box.", "Take a photo of the old fitting before removing it if you are not sure how it comes apart." ], "checklist": ["Old blade off", "New blade fitted the same way", "Latch confirmed with a firm tug"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 4, "title": "Lower gently, top up the washer fluid, and test", "description": "Lower the arm onto the glass by hand rather than letting it drop. Do the other side, top up the washer reservoir, then run the wipers with plenty of fluid on the glass and watch for streaking, chatter or a blade that clips the trim.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": [], "parts": [ { "name": "Washer fluid", "kind": "consumable", "quantity": 1 } ], "warnings": [ "Never run the wipers on dry glass. It scratches the windscreen and tears the new rubber.", "Do not fill the washer bottle with plain water in freezing weather. It freezes, and the reservoir and pump split." ], "tips": [ "Chattering usually means the glass is contaminated rather than the blade being faulty. Clean the windscreen properly with glass cleaner and it normally stops.", "Wipe the new blades with a damp cloth before first use to remove any packing residue." ], "checklist": ["Both arms lowered by hand", "Washer fluid topped up", "Wipers tested wet", "No streaking, chatter or fouling"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null } ], "coverImageUrl": null }, { "title": "Under-Hood Fluid Level Check", "description": "A fifteen-minute walk through every fluid you can check without tools. Doing this monthly catches leaks, head gaskets and worn brakes weeks before they become breakdowns, and it costs nothing.", "category": "fluids", "subcategory": "Routine checks", "difficulty": "beginner", "tags": ["beginner-friendly", "10-minute job", "fluids", "preventive", "monthly"], "language": "en", "estimatedMinutes": 15, "estimatedCost": 0.0, "currency": "USD", "author": { "name": "Trackara", "bio": "Official Trackara blueprint template", "url": "https://trackara.app/blueprints" }, "vehicleCompatibility": [ { "make": "Any", "notes": "Reservoir locations and cap symbols are in the owner's manual. Some modern vehicles have no engine oil dipstick and report the level through the dash menu instead." } ], "requiredTools": ["Shop rag", "Flashlight"], "parts": [], "steps": [ { "stepNumber": 1, "title": "Park level, engine off and cool", "description": "Every reading in this check assumes level ground. Do it cold, before the first drive of the day, so the readings are consistent month to month and nothing under the hood is hot enough to burn you.", "estimatedMinutes": 2, "tools": [], "parts": [], "warnings": ["Cooling fans on many vehicles can run with the ignition off. Keep hands clear of the fan at all times."], "tips": ["Same spot, same time of day, every month. Consistency is what makes a slow leak visible."], "checklist": ["Level ground", "Engine off and cool", "Parking brake set"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 2, "title": "Engine oil", "description": "Pull the dipstick, wipe it, push it fully home, and pull it again to read. The level should sit between the two marks. Look at the oil's colour and feel it between your fingers.", "estimatedMinutes": 4, "tools": ["Shop rag"], "parts": [], "warnings": [ "A creamy, mayonnaise-like film on the dipstick or under the oil cap means coolant is getting into the oil. Do not keep driving on that; get it diagnosed.", "Oil that smells strongly of fuel is being diluted, which destroys its ability to protect the engine." ], "tips": [ "Dark oil is normal and is the additives doing their job. Gritty oil is not.", "If you are topping up regularly, log how much and how often. That number is the actual diagnosis." ], "checklist": ["Level between the marks", "No milkiness", "No fuel smell", "Consumption since last check noted"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 3, "title": "Coolant, at the overflow bottle only", "description": "Read the level in the translucent overflow or expansion bottle against its cold-fill marking. Check the colour looks like coolant and not like rusty water or oil.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": ["Flashlight"], "parts": [], "warnings": [ "Never open a radiator cap or a pressurised expansion cap on a warm engine. The system is under pressure and the coolant is above its atmospheric boiling point. It will erupt and cause serious scalds.", "Engine coolant containing ethylene glycol is poisonous to people and animals and tastes sweet. Clean spills up immediately.", "Coolant that keeps disappearing with no visible leak is a symptom worth taking seriously." ], "tips": [ "Top up with the coolant type your manufacturer specifies. Modern formulations are not all compatible with each other.", "An oily film on the surface of the coolant points at a head gasket." ], "checklist": ["Level at the cold mark", "Colour and clarity normal", "No oil film", "No visible leaks around hoses"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 4, "title": "Brake fluid, and what a dropping level tells you", "description": "Read the level in the brake fluid reservoir against its min and max marks without opening the cap. A slowly falling level as pads wear is normal, because the fluid moves out to fill the caliper pistons. A level that has fallen quickly is not.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": ["Flashlight"], "parts": [], "warnings": [ "A brake fluid level below minimum means either badly worn pads or a leak. Find out which before driving.", "Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air, which lowers its boiling point. Keep the cap on, and follow your manufacturer's fluid replacement interval.", "Brake fluid strips paint instantly. Wipe any spill and rinse with water." ], "tips": [ "Very dark brake fluid is old fluid. Fresh fluid is close to clear.", "If you top the reservoir up to max while the pads are worn, it will overflow when the pads are replaced and the pistons are pushed back." ], "checklist": ["Level between min and max", "Fluid colour noted", "Change since last check noted"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null }, { "stepNumber": 5, "title": "Washer fluid, power steering, and a look underneath", "description": "Top up the washer bottle. If the vehicle has hydraulic power steering, check that reservoir against its marks. Then look at the ground where the car normally parks, and take thirty seconds with a flashlight to look for wet patches, weeping hoses or a shiny trail on the underside.", "estimatedMinutes": 3, "tools": ["Flashlight"], "parts": [], "warnings": [ "Electric power steering systems have no fluid at all. Do not go looking for a reservoir that does not exist, and never add fluid to a system that does not take it." ], "tips": [ "A clean cardboard sheet under the parking spot overnight turns 'I think it might be leaking' into a definite answer with a location.", "Log everything you checked, not just what was wrong. A month-to-month record is what turns a slow leak into an early catch." ], "checklist": ["Washer fluid topped up", "Power steering checked if hydraulic", "Ground checked for drips", "Underside scanned with a light", "Results logged with the date and odometer"], "imageUrls": [], "videoUrl": null } ], "coverImageUrl": null } ] }