What are the 6 Essential Car Fluids?

An important part of maintaining your vehicle properly is checking up on the vehicle fluids. You will want to regularly have your essential car fluids inspected and replaced, so your car can continue to perform at its best. Before you schedule a service appointment to have things like your brake fluid or windshield wiper fluid replaced, you might be curious about when to check your car fluids. Learn when to check your car fluids and how to check the essential fluids in your car below with the service center at National Auto Plaza! While there are many important fluids in your vehicle, here are the six most important ones you should be aware of:

• Engine oil
• Brake fluid
• Engine coolant
• Transmission fluid
• Power steering fluid
• Windshield wiper fluid

When To Check Car Fluids & How To Check Essential Fluids in Your Car

There are six general important car fluids that you should be regularly inspecting and replacing as needed, but when should you check them? The exact fluids to keep an eye on and replaced will depend on your specific model, so we recommend you reference your owner’s manual for more information on when to check your car’s fluids in Sandy. You may even find steps on how to check the necessary fluids for your vehicle. For now, here’s our general guide on how to check essential fluids in your car and when to check them below:

Engine Oil

Engine oil is arguably one of the most important maintenance items for your vehicle. It lubricates the moving parts in your vehicle and ensures your engine doesn’t let you down on your Salt Lake City drives. In most vehicles, engine oil should be replaced around every 7,500 to 10,000 miles depending on your driving habits.

Oil also breaks down over time, even when you’re not driving so expect to change your oil about once every six months. To check the oil in your vehicle, you’ll often find a dipstick underneath the hood that can let you inspect your oil level and consistency.

Brake Fluid

What about the brake fluid? You rely on braking as you commute around the Draper area, but the brake fluid can collect debris and break down over time. Therefore, you should expect to replace your brake fluid around every 30,000 miles or two years. Most vehicles have a clear brake fluid reservoir underneath the hood that can indicate the brake fluid level. In fact, you can do so without even having to remove the cap on the reservoir.

Engine Coolant

Your engine gets hot as you’re driving, but the cooling system in your engine usually uses engine coolant to prevent the engine from overheating. The general rule of thumb as far as engine coolant replacements are around every 50,000 miles. You’ll want to check your coolant at regular intervals as it makes sure your engine temperatures stay at the optimal level.

You can check your engine coolant by locating the coolant reservoir that’s typically underneath the hood. Do not check your coolant if your engine is hot and has just been running because you could end up hurting yourself! Sometimes, the coolant reservoir is labeled, so you can easily identify if you’re low on coolant without removing the reservoir cap.

Transmission Fluid

Your transmission ensures that your car can smoothly and confidently shift through gears on your Salt Lake City drive as the engine provides power to the wheels. Transmission fluid is vital for ensuring your transmission stays cooled and properly lubricated, so you don’t run into any issues. Dirty or broken down transmission fluid can often cause shift delays and even grinding noises.

To avoid these issues, it’s often recommended to have your transmission fluid replaced every 30,000 to 60,000 miles, depending on your exact model. You can often inspect your transmission fluid with a dipstick underneath the hood, much like checking your engine oil. Note that some transmissions are sealed and can only be checked by a service technician with the proper tools.

Power Steering Fluid

Your power steering system provides steering assistance so that you’re not struggling to manually steer your vehicle. As with many other components, your power steering system typically utilizes fluid to assist with smooth operation. There technically isn’t a recommended service interval for power steering fluid but if your power steering system regularly needs to be serviced or replaced, it may be a good idea to inspect your power steering fluid.

Windshield Wiper Fluid

You might not need windshield wiper fluid for your vehicle to run properly, but if you want to drive as safe as possible, you’ll want to ensure you have windshield wiper fluid as it can assist with clearing your windshield for better visibility. Windshield wiper fluid is often replaced as needed so when you try to spray washer fluid on your windshield and nothing comes out, it likely means you need to add more to your washer fluid reservoir.

The windshield washer fluid reservoir can often be checked when you open the hood. There’s usually a reservoir with a windshield washer symbol and you can inspect the fluid by peeking into the reservoir.

Maintain Your Essential Car Fluids at National Auto Plaza!

Regardless of which fluids you need to be replaced or checked in Sandy, we are here for you! Make your appointment today and our service technicians will take care of your vehicle for you soon.