auto fluids

3 Fluids Your Car Can’t Work Without

Every car requires maintenance on a regular basis. It also needs tune-ups and service regularly. This is the only way to optimize the work of your vehicle. Without different services and scheduled maintenance, your car won’t last for a long time. According to many experts, one of the crucial things in the process of maintenance is to check and refill car fluids.

There are actually three different fluids a car needs in order to work efficiently and safely – motor oil, brake fluid and coolant. Of course, there are a few other automotive fluids like power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and battery fluid that are important too. However, without the first three fluids, we’ve mentioned before you won’t be able to start and/or drive your car. That’s why it is a good idea to learn more about each of these fluids.

Motor oil
Motor oil is made to cycle through the engine’s crankcase. The basic objective is to lubricate the valves, pistons and other parts of the engine. In case the car comes with an internal combustion engine, it won’t be able to work without motor oil. In case there is not enough motor oil in the engine, this car part will fail after a while. Check the level of motor oil on a regular basis. Ask a professional mechanic to do this for you and change it/refill it whenever it is necessary. Remember that engine repair is a costly affair and you must do everything you can to prevent such problems.

Brake fluid
Now here’s another important type of car fluid. There is no doubt that brakes are crucial for the safety of the driver, passengers and the car in general. It’s impossible to drive a car without brakes. Brake fluid is one element of the braking system that deserves your attention. This fluid should be replaced after a certain mileage or after some period of time. If there is not enough brake fluid in the braking system or there is low quality fluid, the car’s brake pads will have a hard time to conduct a proper stop. You can check and replace brake fluid yourself, but it might be a better idea to use the services of a licensed mechanic for this purpose.

Coolant
Coolant consists of a mixture of water and antifreeze that is stored in the car’s radiator. The coolant mixture is moved through the engine by means of a water pump. The water circulates through the engine, absorbs the excess heat energy and carries it to the radiator. The coolant is there to make sure that the car’s engine will not suffer from overheating. We have all seen car drivers that have pulled their vehicles on the side of the road trying to figure out what to do with the smoke that comes under the hood. In most cases, they just lack coolant. It is very easy to check the levels of coolant in the canister. You can also add more coolant if the level is low. If the coolant levels are dropping fast, it’s the right time to visit your mechanic.