Ultimate Car Guide for DayZ: Best Spawns, Easy Repair and How to Drive (2024)

Kevin Willing

Both on PC and consoles, the same vehicles are available. There are a total of six different vehicles, including four cars, one military vehicle, and one truck. However, the PC enjoys the advantage of allowing mods for cars, which provide greater variety. In both cases, you can find:

• ADA 4x4 (real-life: Lada Niva)
• Olga 24 (Volga GAZ-24)
• Gunter 2 (VW Golf 2)
• Sarka 120 (Škoda 120)
• M3S Truck (Praga V3S)
• Military Offroad (HMMV) (Dedicated guide available)

The Best Spawns / Locations for Cars in DayZ

Where can you find cars in DayZ? Finding a vehicle in DayZ is simple but time-consuming. There are hundreds of different car spawns in Chernarus, Livonia, and other maps. You can quickly locate them using the interactive map. However, keep in mind that not every marked spawn point on the map will have a car.

How to Repair All Vehicles in DayZ 1.23

In DayZ, you repair cars with the appropriate parts that you find in the game world, typically in industrial areas, garages, and sheds. You can see which parts of the car are damaged by opening the hood and accessing your inventory. On the left side, you'll see all the vehicle parts, and hovering over them will show their condition. Replace damaged parts with new ones.

1. All Car Parts in DayZ & Where to Find Them

Before you can start repairing a damaged vehicle in DayZ, you need to know which parts are missing or damaged. To achieve that, you need to find specific loot:

• Car Battery
• Truck Battery
• Spark Plug
• Glow Plug
• Radiator
• Light Bulb
• Doors
• Chassis

Where to find car parts? Vehicle parts are more common than the cars themselves. You can find radiators, car batteries, and spark plugs in the following locations:

• Garages
• Gas stations
• Barns
• Equipment sheds
• Car wrecks of the same vehicle model

You'll most commonly find tires, doors, trunk lids, and hoods at car wrecks. These wrecks are located at fixed positions on the map and contain useful parts.

Securing parts to the vehicle: In the current version of DayZ, you don't need tools to attach parts to your car. You can attach all parts loosely.

• Tires: You can use a Tire Wrench to tighten your tires. This prevents other players from stealing your wheels, except with a Tire Wrench.
• Doors: The same applies to doors and hatches on your vehicle; you'll need a wrench to secure them.
• Battery: You can attach your car and truck batteries with a standard screwdriver.

If you can't simply swap out parts, you should have some tools and materials on hand. This includes water, gasoline, spare tires, a repair kit, epoxy, and duct tape in case of emergencies in DayZ!

3. Repairing Cars, Step by Step - From Engine to Radiator

• Repairing the engine: If your engine block is damaged, you'll need a pipe wrench. Simply interact with your car's engine using the wrench and choose the repair option.
• Repairing the radiator: If there's no water in the radiator, it will be displayed on the driver's seat in the UI. Simply take a water bottle, canteen, or jerry can and fill the radiator at the front of the hood. It can hold about 6 canteens of water in total.
• Repairing the battery: Your car battery can either be damaged or simply empty. In both cases, it's easiest to find a new battery. While you can "simply" recharge an empty battery, you'll need a power source and a charger for that. These include:
  • Generator
  • Gasoline
  • Cable reel
  • Charger

  If you don't already have these items in your base, you'll likely find a new battery faster.

• Repairing tires: You can patch up the tires on your vehicle with a tire repair kit. You can find these in garages, garden sheds, and gas stations. WARNING: If your tire is punctured, never remove the wheel until you have a replacement. A vehicle in DayZ can still be controlled better with a damaged tire than without.
• Repairing doors, hatches, and chassis: If a door, hood, or chassis is damaged, you'll need epoxy resin or epoxy putty. These can magically repair windows as well.
• What about the spark plug? If the spark plug is damaged, you must replace it; there's no way to repair it. Your chances are even worse in the case of engine damage - namely, zero. An accident or lack of water in the radiator can quickly lead to irreversible damage here. Your only option is to find a new vehicle.

Driving Made Easy: The Most Important Tips & Tricks

1. UI Explained - What Do the Symbols Mean When Driving in DayZ?

When you get into a vehicle, you'll immediately notice the user interface (UI) in the lower-left corner of the screen. Here, you'll find key information about your vehicle. Typically, it includes:

• Speedometer - Left side
• Engine RPM - Right side
• Fuel Gauge - Upper center
• Coolant Level - Lower center

Depending on your driving style, additional symbols may appear in the car's HUD.

• White Engine Symbol - RPMs are too high, and the engine is taking damage.
• Yellow Engine Symbol - The engine is damaged, and no longer provides full power.
• Red Engine Symbol - The engine is broken and cannot be repaired.

2. Vehicle Controls in DayZ (PC, Playstation, Xbox):

PC Keybindings:

• F - Open door / Adjust seat
• Left Mouse - Hold for engine start / Click to turn off
• Q/E - Shift up and down gears
• W - Accelerate, also in reverse
• A/D - Steer left and right
• S - Brake
• SPACE - Handbrake

Playstation Vehicle Controls:

• Square - Open door / Adjust seat
• R2 - Hold for engine start / Press to turn off
• Circle - Shift up gears
• X - Shift down gears
• R2 - Accelerate
• Left Stick - Steer left and right
• L2 - Brake

Xbox Vehicle Controls:

• X - Open door / Adjust seat
• RT - Hold for engine start / Press to turn off
• B - Shift up gears
• A - Shift down gears
• Left Stick - Steer left and right
• RT - Accelerate
• LT - Brake

3. How to Lock Your Car and Prevent Theft in DayZ

Protecting Your Vehicle: To make it more difficult for raiders and thieves to steal your vehicle, you can secure your vehicle parts with various tools after completing repairs. While not necessary, it adds an extra layer of security!

• Tires: Use a wrench to tighten all four wheels.
• Car Battery & Radiator: Use a screwdriver to secure both components.
• For Mod Servers: On many servers where you can buy vehicles from a trader, there are also keys. Only those who possess the key can open the vehicle or remove parts.

• Update 1.18 is here – brings explosives, grenade launchers, and more – Patchnotes

FAQ on the Topic of Cars in DayZ

How do I refuel my car?

You need an empty bottle or a gas canister, and you must fill it with gasoline at a gas station. To do this, go to the refueling station, take the bottle or canister in your hand, and select the "Fill container X" option. Then, go to your car's gas tank and refuel your vehicle.

My car is stuck, how can I free it?

Since the December 2023 Update 1.23, you can push your car. If you're stuck on a rock or fence, exit the vehicle and select the "Push car" option at the front or rear of the vehicle. Hold the action button until your car is free. If your vehicle has tipped over, there's nothing you can do.

How can I lock a car in DayZ?

Currently, without mods, it is not possible to lock your car in DayZ. However, you can use various tricks to make it more difficult for thieves to steal your vehicle.

• Before logging out, remove the spark plug, battery, or tires (or all of them) and store them safely in your inventory.
• Tighten the tires with a Tire Wrench so that other players cannot steal them.
• Secure the battery with a screwdriver.
• Hide your vehicle in less frequented areas — you can find these in our article: Where are the most players in DayZ?

The interest in digging deep into the gaming industry stems from the DayZ Mod for Arma 2 in 2012. Kevin started working in the gaming industry in 2016. First as a trainee at Survivethis, the biggest German Survival-Games-Site at that time. Only half a year later, he got accepted at Gamestar and later MeinMMO. Now, on Guided.news he implements all his Knowledge to deliver comprehensive news, guides, interviews and more unique topics.

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