Posted on 10/22/2012
Monitoring your vehicle’s fluids is essential to ensuring it stays in good condition and is well maintained. You can typically find a diagram in your owner’s manual that will show you exactly where all of the major fluids should be checked, but if you do not have a manual, don’t worry, we can help you. Most of the vehicles have several major fluid levels that should be checked as described below. Engine oil should always be checked while the engine is off. As a rule of thumb, it is a good idea to check the engine oil every two weeks. Transmission oil usually needs to be checked while the vehicle is running and either in neutral or park. To obtain a true reading, the transmission usually should be warmed up. Manual transmission requires the fill plug to be removed in order to check the transmission fluid. If you are not comfortable doing this, ask your local mechanic to check it for you about once a year. The engine coolant will also need to be checked, but make sur ... read more