What Are The Vital Car Fluids Of Your Vehicle?
Every vehicle requires several different fluids to operate, but what exactly are these fluids? Discover everything you need to know about vital car fluids.
What Are The Vital Car Fluids?
There are at least five vital car fluids, though some are more vital than others. Some of these fluids are simply impossible to drive without, while others are impossible to drive safely without. Putney’s can help drivers in the Hamilton area of Ontario change, top-up, or flush these vital vehicular fluids. The five vital auto fluids we’ll look at in this article are: motor oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic brake fluid, hydraulic power steering fluid, and windshield wiper fluid.
What Does Motor Oil Do?
Motor oil, also known as engine oil, cools and lubricates engines. This oil is absolutely vital to an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle. In most vehicles, motor oil is also the fluid that needs to be changed most often.
Motor oil collects particulate matter from your engine as it cleans it. But the longer you leave your oil in your engine, the more weighed down it becomes by all that particulate matter. Eventually, it turns into a kind of sludge that can actively damage your engine.
Your vehicle owner’s manual should recommend how frequently you ought to change your oil. The usual recommended interval is about every 5,000 km, or every three months, whichever comes first. Synthetic oil, which is becoming more popular, typically needs to be changed less often. At Putney’s, we can offer you a more personalized estimate based on your vehicle and your driving habits.
What Does Transmission Fluid Do?
Automatic transmission fluid, or ATF, fulfills a similar function to oil, just for your transmission instead of your engine. It cleans and lubricates your transmission. Automatic transmissions use ATF, as do some manual transmissions, though others use transmission oil, and some just use motor oil. You should check your transmission fluid monthly and if it looks opaque or smells foul, you should have it changed. You should change your ATF every 45,000–90,000 kms.
What Does Brake Fluid Do?
Brake fluid is a chemical solution used in the hydraulic braking systems to amplify your foot’s force on the brake pedal. This fluid is what allows you stop a large and fast-moving vehicle with the simple tap of your foot. If you’ve been experiencing braking issues, your brake fluid might require a change. Most drivers find they need to change their brake fluid every four to five years.
What Does Power Steering Fluid Do?
Power hydraulic steering fluid works in much the same way as brake fluid, except instead of making it easy to stop a large, fast-moving vehicle, it makes it easy to steer one. This fluid should usually be changed about every 50,000 km.
What Does Windshield Wiper Fluid Do?
Windshield wiper fluid helps you clean dirt, dust, bugs, stains, snow, and ice from your vehicle’s windshield. You should replace this fluid as soon as you run out.
Come To Putney’s For All Your Vital Car Fluids In Hamilton, ON.
If you would like to book an appointment to have any of these fluids changed, topped up, or flushed out, or for any other service, please click here. To learn more, you can contact us via our website or call us at 905-523-7535.