Vehicle systems check — Tennessee Permit Test

Car batteries run down faster in cold or damp weather.

A battery that is weak in the fall may not start the car on the first cold morning, leaving you stuck.

Car batteries tend to run down more rapidly in cold or damp weather.

If you or your passengers get a sleepy feeling while riding, you may have an exhaust leak that must be repaired at once.

Exhaust gas has no smell you can trust and can kill people inside a car in a short time. The sleepy feeling is the warning.

If you ever start to notice that you and/or your passengers tend to get a sleepy feeling when driving or riding in your car you may have an exhaust leak that needs to be repaired immediately.

When you make an extended stop, such as at a rest area, do not sleep or sit in the car with the engine running.

Exhaust can seep into a parked car while you doze. Carbon monoxide can overcome you before you ever wake up.

When traveling, if you make an extended stop (rest area, etc.) do not sleep or sit with the car running.

Check the radiator only when the vehicle is cool, not right after driving.

A hot radiator is under pressure. Opening it right after a drive can spray boiling coolant on your face and hands.

Be careful to check your radiator ONLY when the vehicle is cool, not immediately after operation.

Before any long trip, make sure you have at least a half tank of gas.

Running out of gas leaves you stopped in a traffic lane or on a narrow shoulder, where you can be hit or cause a pileup.

Be sure your vehicle always has at least a half tank of gas before starting any trip of significant length.

Use your horn only as a warning to others.

A horn used to vent anger or say hello stops meaning danger. People may ignore it on the day it really matters.

ONLY use your horn as a warning to others.

If your car keeps bouncing after a bump or a stop, or is hard to control, you may need new shocks or other suspension parts.

Worn shocks let the tires bounce off the road, so they lose grip just when you need to steer or brake.

If the vehicle continues to bounce after a bump or a stop, or is hard to control, you may need new shocks or other suspension parts.

Make sure no objects are on the floor that could roll under the brake pedal and keep you from stopping.

A loose bottle can roll under the pedal in a hard stop. Then the pedal will not go down and the car will not stop.

Make sure there are no objects on the floor that could roll under the brake pedal and prevent you from stopping the vehicle.

In which weather do car batteries run down more quickly?

Cold or damp weather. A battery that is weak in the fall may not start the car on the first cold morning, leaving you stuck. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.100: “Car batteries tend to run down more rapidly in cold or damp weather.”