RETIRED – Tips for Maintaining your Car Fluids

Your vehicle is a mechanical device with many moving parts among its many components. These different parts require different fluids to help lubricate, cool, and clean as you use your vehicle.

Part of your vehicle’s proper maintenance is monitoring these fluids, replacing them as recommended, and topping them off if they run low. It is more complicated than just changing your oil or adding windshield wiper fluid when your car, truck, or SUV is running low.

When you schedule service for your vehicle with Preston Hood Chevrolet, your certified service technician will check your fluids and can inform you when they need to be changed, based on the manufacturer’s guidance. There are numerous fluids that serve your vehicle, and the experts at Preston Hood Chevrolet can manage all of them for you.

Here is a look at some of the most common fluids in your vehicle and tips to maintain them. Even if you are having your vehicle serviced by Preston Hood Chevrolet, you should familiarize yourself with the different fluids used in vehicles and learn which ones are used in your car, truck, or SUV.

Engine oil

The most common fluid in vehicles that most drivers know needs regular replacement is engine oil. This fluid is an integral part of your vehicle’s engine, lubricating all of the internal components that include pistons, crankshaft, and camshaft. Your engine oil requires frequent changes to ensure that your vehicle operates smoothly because it gets dirty and thick. It loses its lubricating properties over time and uses.

It is easy to change, along with changing the oil filter that helps extend the life of the oil. Failure to change the oil regularly can result in significant problems in your engine, including total engine failure. Depending on the manufacturer of your vehicle, engine oil should be changed at some point between every 3,000 miles to every 10,000 miles of driving. For vehicles that are not driven a lot, oil changes every six months are recommended.

Engine coolant

Unfortunately, many drivers do not think about engine coolant until their vehicle overheats. At this point, it could be that your coolant is running low or there could be another problem leading to overheating. The primary purpose the engine coolant serves is just that, to keep your vehicle’s engine at an optimal temperature.

Failure to maintain levels of or change engine coolant can lead to engine damage, along with water pump and radiator damage. Part of proper engine coolant maintenance also involves inspecting the hoses that carry the coolant into the engine from the radiator. Most manufacturers recommend changing your vehicle’s engine coolant every 30,000 miles.

Brake fluid

Another common vehicle fluid that most drivers know, but rarely check, is brake fluid. For the most part, brake fluid maintenance involves keeping levels at the appropriate levels. When your brakes are replaced, or their components such as calipers and wheel cylinders are replaced, the brake fluid typically is changed.

Most drivers do not think about checking the brake fluid, so most vehicle manufacturers have installed a brake light on the dash or other vehicle control center to provide a warning that the fluid is low. Have the fluid and the brakes inspected immediately if this warning light comes on. Your service professionals at Preston Hood Chevrolet can inspect your brake system.

Windshield wiper fluid

One of the easiest fluids to maintain in your vehicle on your own is windshield wiper fluid. Maintenance of this fluid generally involves keeping the windshield wiper fluid reservoir filled. It is recommended that you check the fluid levels regularly to ensure you have enough to properly clean your windshield while driving. You could face hazardous driving conditions if your reservoir is empty and you are not able to clean your windshield while driving.

Some vehicle manufacturers install a warning light on the dashboard to indicate when the windshield wiper fluid reservoir is low, but many do not. Check the reservoir at least once a month to ensure adequate fluid levels. Failure to maintain this fluid could cause driver safety issues and will lead to faster deterioration of your windshield wiper blades.

Transmission fluid

Another important vehicle fluid is transmission fluid, which is used in both automatic and manual transmission vehicles. This fluid helps lubricate your transmission as it shifts up and down between gears. It is one of the longest-lasting fluids in vehicles, with recommended replacement between every 50,000 and 100,000 miles, depending on the manufacturer of your car, truck, or SUV.

Failure to replace this fluid could lead to critical failure of your transmission. While it is easier to replace the fluid in manual transmissions, anyone other than experienced vehicle repair technicians should schedule a transmission fluid replacement with the professionals at Preston Hood Chevrolet.

Power steering fluid

Many vehicles still on the road rely on a power steering system that uses hydraulic fluid to function. This fluid is rarely checked by drivers, and in many modern vehicles the power steering system uses electric motors that do not require fluid. You should check with the service department at Preston Hood Chevrolet to determine whether your power steering system requires hydraulic fluid.

Failure to replace the hydraulic fluid, which breaks down over time, can cause leaks in the power steering system, noises, and excessive wear on the serpentine belt that powers several major components in your vehicle. Most vehicle manufacturers that use hydraulic fluid require replacement every 50,000 miles.

Some vehicles may have other fluids essential to their performance, such as transfer case fluid in some four-wheel-drive vehicles. Talk to the experts at Preston Hood Chevrolet to ensure the proper maintenance of all of the fluids that serve your car, truck, or SUV.