Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Text Formats and Symbols
These punctuation marks and symbols are used in the service information to separate information, values, data, and text.
In the examples, the punctuation marks and symbols are bold only to highlight them; in the service information, they are not bold.
| Punctuation/Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| : | Colon
separates the "what to do" statement from the "where to do it, how to do it, or which ones" Example:
|
| & | Ampersand
separates two test points or two or more conditions Example:
|
| @ | At
sign separates location information relative to a component. Replaces "from the", "to the" or "at the". Example:
|
| - | Chevron
separates the action/condition/function/object from the object/task/value Example:
|
| = | Equal
sign separates the observed object from the nominal value or when stating a value Example:
|
| - | Hyphen
separates the component name from the location information relative to the vehicle (e.g. Left, Right, Lower, Upper) Example: Cylinder Head - Left - Remove |
| - | Minus
sign used for negative values Example: Engine Coolant Temperature = Between - 10 and - 5°C (14 and 23°F) |
| - | Ndash
separates a consecutive numeric range Example: Cylinder 1- 8 Injector |
| - | Mdash
separates additional information at the end of the subject matter Example:
|
| / | Forward slash
separates conditions or alphanumeric terminals Example:
|
| ( ) | Parenthesis
identify a callout reference Example: Instrument Panel Center Trim Plate Applique ( 1) |
| [ ] | Brackets
identify a quantity reference Example: Hood Hinge Bolt [ 2x] |
| { } | Curly brackets
identify decisional information at the beginning of a subject matter Example:
|
NO RELATED
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.