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Auto Fluids

© Miss Thang

Fluids are the lifeblood of your car, and checking them regularly is one of the easiest and least expensive parts of routine maintenance that you can perform. Let's rundown the five basic fluids in your car and how to check each of them.

Before you begin, have a clean white paper towel handy to wipe off dipsticks, to help you examine fluids and to wipe up any spills. Make sure your car is parked on a level surface. It is generally recommended that your car be driven for a few miles so that it is warm when the fluids are checked. This will ensure that the fluids are at their normal temperature and density when you check them.

As always, before making any adjustments to your motor vehicle, even those as simple as adding fluids, consult your owner's manual. Check for specific fluid requirements or recommendations. The manual may also have illustrations or instructions to help you find a dipstick for a particular fluid if you are having difficulty.

OIL

Oil is the lubricant that keeps your engine's moving parts friction-free. Checking and changing your engine oil is probably the single most important thing you can do for your car. Oil should be a light golden brown (not black) and should have a consistency slightly thicker than cooking oils.

Locate the engine oil dipstick and remove it completely from the small tube attached to your engine. Frequently, this dipstick will have a large or brightly colored looped handle to aid you in locating it. Cars with an automatic transmission will have a second dipstick that is used to check the transmission fluid level. This dipstick is rarely as obvious as the engine oil dipstick.

After removing the dipstick, wipe it clean with your rag or paper towel. Notice the end of the dipstick opposite the handle. It will be marked in some manner to indicate the "full" and "low" levels of the oil. The markings may be notches, holes, lines, or letters.

Place the dipstick into the tube from which it was removed being sure to insert it completely. Remove it again and check the level on the dipstick. If the oil is low, add only enough oil to bring the level up to the full mark. Oil is added to the engine by removing the screw cap on the top of the engine. There is usually an illustration on the cap to help you find it, but again it should be fairly obvious. Add oil a little at a time, checking after each addition.

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