Van repair guide: find the whole dependency chain

Turn the key before searching

The van defines the run. Enter the driver seat and turn the key to expose its current faults, then translate that list into parts and supporting tools. Do this before anyone leaves. Randomized item positions make a flexible search plan valuable, but searching without a fault list turns every shiny object into a false priority.

Read the mission board too, while keeping its optional objectives separate. “Bring back a document” may be worth doing on the return route; “replace the flat tire” is what makes evacuation possible. In a group, repeat the final repair list aloud so every sector knows which calls deserve an immediate response.

Repair dependency matrix

The following matrix is a route-planning aid for the current guide baseline, not a promise that every listed fault appears in every run or remains unchanged in later Early Access builds.

| Van fault | Required part | Supporting tool or action | Field consequence | | ------------ | ---------------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | Flat tire | Replacement tire | Scissor jack + toolbox | The tire is heavy and may consume the whole carry capacity | | Dead battery | Battery | Toolbox; install at the van | Vehicle electronics may be unavailable until repaired | | Low fuel | Fuel container | Deliver to the correct van point | Check stations, garages and vehicle areas early | | Low oil | Oil | Bring it to the van | Mandatory whenever the ignition reports it | | Low coolant | Coolant | Bring it to the van | Garages are a strong first search location | | Blown fuse | Fuse | Replace the failed component | Can leave vehicle systems unavailable |

The flat-tire chain causes the most obvious beginner trap. Finding a tire feels like success, but it is still dead weight without both the jack and toolbox. Assign a player to the entire chain or mark its missing pieces clearly at the van.

Prioritize tools that unlock several actions

The toolbox has unusually high decision value because several mechanical tasks can use it. Do not let it disappear into a personal inventory after one repair. Announce where it is, return it to the van and keep it available until the final ignition check.

The scissor jack is narrower but essential to the tire chain. A crowbar does not repair the van directly, yet it expands the search area by opening boarded entrances; it is valuable when nearby houses are your best remaining loot density. Pocket radar information can save more time than carrying one speculative part, because mission-critical pickups are differentiated from ordinary loot.

Tools are shared infrastructure. A player carrying the toolbox “just in case” three streets away can block the entire crew as effectively as a missing part.

Stage parts at the van

Deliver mission-critical items as soon as practical. A distant cache is vulnerable to route destruction, worsening weather and simple communication failure. The van is the one location every successful run must revisit, so it is the natural handoff point.

For a tire or another heavy object, pair the carrier with a mobile escort. The escort checks the shortest path, watches hazards and can continue moving after delivery. Do not load the carrier with optional work. If the wind escalates, dropping a heavy part temporarily may be safer than collapsing in the open; run-dropped items remain recoverable unless the environment destroys them.

Keep the area around the repair point legible. Call out “tire at van,” “jack missing,” or “toolbox in use,” not vague updates such as “I found it.” Precise state calls prevent duplicate search routes.

Choose a repair order that protects the run

Repair order is partly opportunistic: install a complete chain when it arrives rather than waiting for every part. Each finished job removes uncertainty and frees inventory. However, do not start a long or precise interaction in exposed conditions if safe cover is seconds away.

Repair actions include reaction-time checks. Begin them while conditions are manageable, and let another player watch the surroundings during severe events. If multiple jobs are ready, clear the one whose tools are blocking other work, then return shared tools to a known spot.

Use the van radar between jobs. Reassess teammate distance, hazard intensity and return routes. The correct decision can change from “search for the optional document” to “recall everyone” in one weather escalation.

Confirm the van is ready

After the last visible repair, turn the run back into an evacuation. Confirm that the ignition no longer reports mandatory faults, recall all sectors and make sure doors are closed. A driver should be named before the final rush so the crew is not rearranging seats under tornado pressure.

Do not mistake optional mission-board progress for mechanical readiness, and do not let optional progress delay a working van. At the current baseline, item latency or disappearing-item reports are among the known issues; if a delivered object does not behave as expected, communicate, recheck the interaction point and preserve enough time to adapt.