Back to all

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle

July 18, 2022

Today's Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield post focuses on using coolant. drive If you pour in the wrong kind, it won't protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check your vehicle owner's manual. Of course, your Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.

Brake fluid is confusing for some Plainfield drivers. Back when we opened Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Plainfield residents mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That's not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the demands of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is designed for your vehicle.

Ditto for transmission fluid. For decades there were two basic types of tranny fluid used at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield: friction modified or not. With the tremendous engineering advances in vehicle automatic transmissions, there have been several new types of fluids developed to protect and lubricate them.

Nowhere are the advances in automotive fluids more evident to Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield professionals than in motor oil. Many new weights and formulations have been created to meet the demands of today's high-tech vehicle engine design. Modern engines have more parts and much tighter tolerances.

That's where the new grades of engine oil come in. They have to be formulated to lubricate, protect and clean all of those vehicle engine parts, big and little. The oil has to be thin enough to get into little passages, yet resistant to vaporization.

At Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield in Plainfield, we believe that in some ways modern automotive fluids are just as impressive as the new engines. Because weights of oil and types of coolant and transmission fluid are so carefully matched to the vehicle, make sure you always use the proper fluid if you are topping off at home.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield
23846 W 135th St
Plainfield, Illinois 60544
815-436-1337


More articles from Tuffy Plainfield

Taking the Heat (Batteries in Hot Weather)

December 22, 2024

Quick question. Which is tougher on a vehicle's battery, the heat or the cold? Believe it or not, it's the heat. Think about it. The battery often sits in the engine compartment next to that motor generating lots of heat. That can accelerate corrosion in the battery and may even cause water i... More

It Pays to Take Care of Your Transmission at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Plainfield

December 15, 2024

If you've been paying attention, you've noticed that vehicle engines are getting more and more powerful in Plainfield. At the same time, they are getting better and better fuel economy. I've gotta tell 'ya, most of that's because of technological advances in transmissions. To get a better unders... More

No Fueling Around (Fuel Filter Replacement)

December 8, 2024

A driver called in to the shop the other day saying his European sports sedan had an odd problem. He was driving when his car started to slow down. Applying more throttle didn't help. He pulled over to the side of the road, shut the engine off and waited a few minutes before starting it up aga... More