Back to all

Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle

April 14, 2024

Today's Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) 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 Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.

Brake fluid is confusing for some Joliet drivers. Back when we opened Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield), most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Joliet 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 Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield): 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 Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) 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 Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) in Joliet, 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.

Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield)
2031 SR 59
Joliet, Illinois 60586
815-436-1829


More articles from Tuffy Joliet

A Bright Spark (Ignition Coil Replacement)

January 5, 2025

Ever wonder how your vehicles engine is able to take the 12-volts from its battery and ramp that up to as high as the tens of thousands of volts it takes to fire its spark plugs? The secret is something called an ignition coil. Most newer vehicles have an ignition coil at each cylinder, but olde... More

Feeling Powerless (Why Is My Battery Light On?)

December 29, 2024

When one of your vehicles warning lights comes on, the first thing that comes to mind is, Oh, no, whats wrong now? When its the battery light, it means theres something wrong with your vehicles battery or charging system. And because both are important for your vehicle to work properly, its a go... More

Lubricate Driveshaft

December 22, 2024

See if any of these are happening to your vehicle. You feel it vibrating excessively underneath when its running, or you hear strange clunking, grating, or grinding sounds coming from beneath. Maybe its hard to turn your vehicle, or you can hear squeaking when youre going slow. Perhaps you fee... More