Back to all

Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle

January 1, 2017

Today's Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson 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 Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.

Brake fluid is confusing for some Clawson drivers. Back when we opened Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Clawson 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 Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson: 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 Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson 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 Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson in Clawson, 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.

Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson
664 S Rochester Rd
Clawson, Michigan 48017
248-589-0980
http://www.toptechautorepairclawson.com


Need Service?

More articles from Top Tech Auto Repair Clawson

Rumble from Down Under (Muffler Replacement)

November 23, 2025

Weve all noticed them at one time or another on the street: a car or truck that drives by and the deep roar from their exhaust system sounds like a drag racer on the line. But what happens when that rumble is coming from under YOUR vehicle? Well, it could be a sign your muffler needs attention. ... More

Strutting Your Stuff (Shocks and Struts)

November 16, 2025

Ever wonder how your vehicle is able to move over bumps, potholes and other irregularities in the road and you hardly feel a vibration in the cabin? Its your shocks and struts doing the hard work along with the rest of your suspension and tires. They keep the ride smooth and are important for yo... More

No Charge (Why Won?t My Battery Hold a Charge?)

November 9, 2025

When your vehicles battery is dead, it leaves you with that horrible, helpless feeling. A dead battery means it wont hold a charge, and there are several reasons it wont. One is age. Batteries have chemical and electrical systems in them that create power, and as time goes by, they wont work we... More