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Vehicle Mechanics and Logistics

Motorized transport is essential for surviving past the first month. Walking across Knox Country is a death sentence. This guide covers how to secure and maintain a working vehicle.

Hotwiring Vehicles​

If you cannot find the key to a car (check the ignition, the glove box, and the ground nearby), you must hotwire it.

  • Burglar Profession: Burglars can hotwire any vehicle immediately.
  • Skill Requirements: Non-burglars need Mechanics Level 2 and Electrical Level 1 to hotwire a car.
  • The Grind: To reach these levels, you must dismantle dozens of digital watches, radios, and TVs for Electrical XP. For Mechanics, read the skill book, then repeatedly uninstall and reinstall the battery and headlights on a junk car.

Once you meet the requirements, press V near the driver's side to open the radial menu and select the hotwire icon.

Engine Quality vs. Condition​

Do not confuse these two metrics when choosing a vehicle.

  • Engine Condition: Represents the durability of the engine (hit points). You can repair this using spare engine parts.
  • Engine Quality: A hidden stat (between 1 and 100) that determines how reliably the engine starts in cold weather and how often it stalls. You cannot repair or change Engine Quality. A car with 100% Condition but 10 Quality is a death trap that will stall when surrounded by a horde.

Maintenance and Physics​

Vehicles obey strict physical rules in the engine.

  • Tire Pressure: Always keep a Lug Wrench, Jack, and Tire Pump in your trunk. Under-inflated tires drastically reduce your top speed and acceleration.
  • Battery Drain: Leaving the headlights on, the heater running, or the radio playing while the engine is off will drain the battery. A dead battery means the car will not start.
  • Zombie Damage: Using your car as a battering ram is a terrible idea. Running over zombies inflicts extreme mechanical damage to your hood, windshield, and engine. If the engine dies while you are plowing through a horde, you will be trapped inside.