DIY Vehicle Fluid Checks

There are many different fluids in your car that keep itrunning smoothly and accurately. The most commonly known are of course theengine oil and radiator fluid, but there are still other fluids that need to beproperly checked and maintained to ensure the proper functioning and longevityof your vehicle. Many people don't know that there is oil in your AC Compressor and A / C Compressor - though you do not need to check it as part of regular vehicle maintenance.

 Your owner’s manual can help you locate all of the dipsticksfor checking fluids in your car, the necessary fluid changes to keep yourwarranty, and the proper levels of fluid that should be in your car. Keep yourowner’s manual handy for reference if you’re having trouble locating one of thefluid dipsticks or reservoirs in your vehicle.

First step is to park your car on a flat, level surface andset the emergency brake. Then, make sure you have a clean paper towel or shoptowel handy – white ones are easier to use as they show the color of the fluidsbetter. Open the hood, and use the stand to keep it open.  

I think it’s easier to check your transmission fluid first,as the car has to be warmed up and running in order to check it properly. Afteryour car is warmed up, leave it in park with the emergency brake on, butrunning. Locate the transmission fluid dipstick, hook your finger in the loop(and release any clips, if applicable) and pull it out completely. Wipe it offwith a clean rag, put it back into its opening, and push it all the way downuntil it stops. Remove it completely and look at the fluid on the dipstick. Therewill be indicators on the dipstick if the fluid is within the properparameters. Wipe this fluid off on your clean, white paper towel or shop towel– it should be a clear, reddish color. If the transmission fluid is very greyor black, it hasn’t been changed in a long time. You’ll need to schedule amechanic to drop the pan and change your transmission fluid.

The next and most important fluid to check is your engineoil. Your car needs to be cool in order to properly measure engine oil, so turnoff the car and let it sit for awhile; the car needs time for all the oil inyour car to drain down into the oil pan. There will be an oil dipstick – hookyour finger in the loop of the dipstick and pull it all the way out. Use aclean rag and wipe it clean, then place it back into its opening and push itall the way down until it stops. Take it out again, this time looking carefullyat the level of oil on the dipstick.

The dipstick has markings indicating an acceptable oil levelrange –if the level is down by the indicator for “low,” you need to add moreoil. If the oil is around the opposite end by “full” or within the properlymarked acceptable range, you’re fine.

Take the oil dipstick and wipe it on your clean, white papertowel or shop towel. Pay close attention to the color of the oil. Clean engineoil is clear, and golden. Dirty engine oil is dark brown or black.  Aside from engine oil color, your owner’smanual should indicate how many miles you should go between oil changes – it’sbest to heed this advice and change the oil at the proper mileage, and not whenit looks particularly dirty.

 The rest of the fluids can be checked by looking at theirrespective reservoirs. Most of these fluid reservoirs are plastic, and you cansee the fluid level through the plastic itself. On the plastic housing therewill be fluid indicator lines, much like the dipstick, that read low or full.If you are having trouble seeing the fluid line on the reservoir, jiggle it alittle so you can see it more clearly.

Find the brake fluid reservoir using your owner’s manual.Look at the fluid level in the reservoir and see if it falls within theindicator limits on the reservoir itself. Your car should not consume brakefluid – therefore it should not be low. If it is low, it means you have a leaksomewhere along your brake lines. Have your car checked by a licensed mechanicto see what is going on.

Next find your power steering fluid reservoir. Look at thefluid level, and see if it falls within the lines indicated on the reservoir,same as the brake fluid. With power steering fluid there may be two sets ofindicator lines – one for a hot engine, and one for cold. Make sure to read thelevel of your car’s current state.

Brake Fluid Reservoir

Now check the car’s coolant. VERY IMPORTANT – make sure theengine is completely cool before checking the coolant. Opening the coolantreservoir when the engine is hot can cause searing hot coolant to come sprayingout, burning you. You do not want this to happen. Make sure the engine is coolbefore continuing. The coolant will most likely be in a reservoir up front, bythe radiator. Check the fluid and the indicator lines to make sure you haveenough coolant. If not, you’ll need to top it off.

Cars are designed to operate with antifreeze as coolant, notwater. Antifreeze is a mixture that has a lower freezing and boiling point thanwater so it can handle more extreme weather conditions. Many people will tellyou to just top off your coolant with water – it is much better to heed theadvice of your owner’s manual and buy the correct fluid for your vehicle.Keeping your engine properly cool is essential. Read the label on theantifreeze you buy – some require to be mixed half and half with water, some godirectly in.

Lastly, check your windshield washer fluid. It won’t affectthe performance of your car, and there are no indicator levels for it, but itis nice to have fluid in the reservoir so you can clean your windshield whiledriving. Washer fluid that is formulated to clean off bugs and road grime ischeap and works significantly better than water, but you can use water as well.If winter is coming, make sure you use a washer fluid that has a lower freezingpoint than water – it will be indicated on the washer fluid bottle itself.

Hope this guide helps you maintain your vehicle and addressany problems you might be having early.

Time for an Oil Change?

If your oil changes are costing close to $100 chances areyour engine requires synthetic oil. The metal components of your vehicle (suchas steering racks and steering gearboxes) need oil to stay lubricated, butthere is more than one type of oil available. Most vehicles take conventionalor natural oils which are derived directly from crude oil. This oil has manynatural properties which protect and lubricate the engine over long periods oftime.

A downside to natural oil is that it contains manyimpurities such as sulfur which can slow down the flow of oil throughout theengine. Over time contaminants can also build up and create deposits or waxwithin the engine.  With this in mind, syntheticoils were developed with specific chemical properties in order to create a moreconsistent substance. While natural oils can break down quickly at extremelyhigh temperatures, synthetic oils are made to withstand this heat. There areeven synthetic oil blends developed for specific purposes such as lubricating ahigh-performance or high-mileage vehicle. Despite its higher cost, synthetic oiloffers the benefits of improved lubrication, better stability, reduced oilbreakdown and fewer deposits.

However, just because synthetic oils offer these advantages does not meanthat you need to switch up the type of oil at your next oil change. In mostcases conventional oil does the job just fine; synthetic oil is only requiredfor specific vehicles. If you are thinking of switching up your oil be sure tocheck with your manufacturer before-hand for vehicle-specific recommendations.  

What's Your Number?

Even if you have no idea what turbochargers, an alternator, orany other mechanical part of your car does, odds are you know that your oilmust be changed regularly. But the question is, how regularly? Most people, includingmyself, would say once every 3,000 miles or roughly three to four months. I don’tknow why that number is ingrained in my mind, but it seems to have become the generalrule of thumb for most automobiles for quite some time.

The state of California, however, has decided to fight againstthis assumption with their new “Check Your Number” ad campaign. The purpose ofthis campaign is to encourage drivers to check with their car's manufacturer beforeheading over to Jiffy Lube for their next oil change. With today’s advancementsin technology, an oil change every 3,000 mile can be excessive and they want everydriver to check for the recommendation specific to their vehicle. Some BMWvehicles, for instance, don’t need an oil change until they’ve driven another15,000 miles! These drivers could be changing their oil up to four times morethan necessary, wasting both money and oil. Other cars pushing the 3,000 mile benchmark are the Toyota Tacoma only needing an oil change every 5,000 miles and the Chevy Malibu at 7,500 miles.

The campaign is actually a clever one because not only willit save drivers money and time, it helps protect the environment and conserveresources. If Californian drivers alone started changing their oil according tomanufacturers’ specifications, oil demand would decrease by about 10 million gallonsa year. Now I know you’re all curious about what your number is, so head over to checkyournumber.org to find out. Ijust found out “my number” is 10,000 miles, making me feel MUCH better abouthow lazy I’ve been when it comes to changing my oil.

Oil Change Coupons: Should I use an Oil Change Coupon?

Cool Car!

Just about every auto repair facility out there will put out an oil change coupon for people to get excited and use. Should I use an oil change coupon and what all will I get with it will be answered here? I will explain why you should or should not use those oil change coupons. First, before I get started let me say yes, you should get an oil change when you need one. Oil change coupons are designed to get your vehicle in the shop and try to get every penny from you that they can.

The normal price for a premium oil and oil filter change should cost around thirty to fifty bucks. No matter what auto shops will tell you they do make money putting out those oil change coupons! They just don’t make a lot. Let me explain here what I mean and will show their approximate costs:
Oil Filter-$1.50
4 Quarts of Oil-$.60 Per Quart of Oil Used
Labor-$5.00
Your oil change coupon says, “Oil Change and a FREE Maintenance Inspection.” The above costs show you what the auto repair shops actually pay for the oil change with your coupon. The auto shop will only make around $11.00. This does not make any sense paying his oil change guys $10.00 per hour so he has to instruct them to, “Sell Sell Sell” to make up for the loss of money here performing your oil change with a coupon. One answer to should I use a oil change coupon is yes, if you are ready for a very long wait time while they look for more stuff to charge you. They will also come to you with a maintenance checklist totaling a few hundred dollars. This is what you can and will expect using an oil change coupon.

High pressure sales tactics are not commonly used at your specialty oil change spots. Of course the cost for an oil change there is like I said above around thirty to fifty bucks. Another answer here would be Yes I want to use my oil change coupon and have a longer wait time and have these auto technicians use their high sales pitches on me. Some people would rather pay the higher price oil change which also includes the free maintenance just to get in and out of that place as soon as possible. I hope this short article will answer your question, “Should I use a oil change coupon?”

My Top 5 Maintenance Items for a Car 101 - Oil Change-Brakes-Tune Ups-Antifreeze-Service Lights

I have listed the top 5 maintenance items for a car that you will run into and will require your attention such as your first oil change, brake noise, tune up, antifreeze condition, and your service engine lights in the dash. This article is a refresher course for the first time car owners out there. For instance lets say you hear a noise coming from your car. The first thing that will pop into everyone’s mind is usually, “How Much will This Noise Cost me.” After working on cars and trucks for over 25 years, here is what we experienced the most when it comes to maintenance for a car

1. Oil Changes


2. Brake Estimates


3. Questions Regarding When a Car Tune Up is Required


4. Antifreeze Flush and Fill or Radiator Drain and Fill


5. Check Engine Light or Service Engine Soon Light Has Come On

Oil Changes should be performed at LEAST every 3 months or 3 thousand miles. Your car’s engine is a metal to metal running machine under your gas pedal. The oil is what keeps these metal parts from over heating and ruining your engine. So please keep your car engines oil changed.

Brake estimates should be performed anytime you hear a noise when you hit the brake pedal to stop or slow down. The quicker you get your brakes checked for that noise the lower your brake repair bill will be. Get at least two brake repair estimates. Go with the lowest one possible.

Tune-ups on your car or truck these days are designed to go a lot further between each tune up. I would recommend you get your car or truck tuned up at least every thirty thousand miles. Ask your auto mechanic to advise you of what should be addressed first. The reason is some auto technicians will show you an estimate that will blow your mind!

Antifreeze flush and fills should be performed every thirty thousand miles or so to keep your cooling system from rusting out. Some auto manufacturers recommend only a radiator drain and fill. Ask your mechanic what his professional opinion would be on this decision. The reason is you have to visually look inside of the radiator to see what condition the antifreeze is in.

Your check engine or service engine soon light may come on while you are driving. This light does not mean you need a tune up or oil change as you might suspect. It just means you may possibly have a bad engine sensor that will need to be replaced then have your light reset.

I hope you have learned a little about your maintenance items that will require your attention after buying your car or truck. In the future check out, "The Car Repair Savings Blog"