Many years ago, you could go to a service station and the attendant will not only fill your gas tank, but clean your windows and check your fluids. Nowadays the vast majority of drivers don't know how to check the fluid levels or what they are even for. Typically, folks have the fluids examined when they bring the car in for an oil change.
If you want to keep your vehicle running well, you need to find out what fluid levels need to be checked, and then periodically do it. This is going to keep your car running well and you can find this information in your car manual. There probably will be a diagram of the motor and the location of all the fluids. If you would like be sure, you can also do more research on the internet. To check the engine's oil, you will find there's cap towards the front of the engine saying oil. To check what amount of oil you have remaining, make sure the engine is off, then take out the dipstick and wipe the oil off the stick with a rag or towel. Put it back in, being sure it goes in all the way, then draw it back out to get your reading. Preferably, you are looking for the oil on the dipstick to be sitting between the maximum and minimum markings. You will need to add more oil if the amount is below the minimum hashmark.
On older cars and trucks you will need to check every couple of weeks, because they normally are losing oil somewhere. You won't need to do this for older cars or trucks. The fluid for automatic transmission can be found toward the backside of the engine. If you don't know how to examine it, your car manual should be able to give the information you need. Generally the car needs to be running with the transmission in neutral or park. You will need to have the engine warmed by driving around to get an accurate reading. Follow the same procedure as when examining the oil, but it only needs checking once a year, unless you can tell it is leaking.
When checking the engine's coolant, ensure that you never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. You may end up with bad burns by being splashed by the hot coolant. Most cars provide an overflow bottle where you can check the levels with the visible level markings. The power steering fluid must also be examined on a regular basis. Take a look at car owners manual to find the exact location. The braking mechanism fluid is an additional thing to consider as well. Paint can be dissolved if you are not careful when handling brake fluid.
The last fluid to examine is for your windshield washer and is also the easiest of all. You should have no trouble finding it and refilling is pretty safe to do and will not harm other parts of your engine if you spill.
If you want to keep your vehicle running well, you need to find out what fluid levels need to be checked, and then periodically do it. This is going to keep your car running well and you can find this information in your car manual. There probably will be a diagram of the motor and the location of all the fluids. If you would like be sure, you can also do more research on the internet. To check the engine's oil, you will find there's cap towards the front of the engine saying oil. To check what amount of oil you have remaining, make sure the engine is off, then take out the dipstick and wipe the oil off the stick with a rag or towel. Put it back in, being sure it goes in all the way, then draw it back out to get your reading. Preferably, you are looking for the oil on the dipstick to be sitting between the maximum and minimum markings. You will need to add more oil if the amount is below the minimum hashmark.
On older cars and trucks you will need to check every couple of weeks, because they normally are losing oil somewhere. You won't need to do this for older cars or trucks. The fluid for automatic transmission can be found toward the backside of the engine. If you don't know how to examine it, your car manual should be able to give the information you need. Generally the car needs to be running with the transmission in neutral or park. You will need to have the engine warmed by driving around to get an accurate reading. Follow the same procedure as when examining the oil, but it only needs checking once a year, unless you can tell it is leaking.
When checking the engine's coolant, ensure that you never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. You may end up with bad burns by being splashed by the hot coolant. Most cars provide an overflow bottle where you can check the levels with the visible level markings. The power steering fluid must also be examined on a regular basis. Take a look at car owners manual to find the exact location. The braking mechanism fluid is an additional thing to consider as well. Paint can be dissolved if you are not careful when handling brake fluid.
The last fluid to examine is for your windshield washer and is also the easiest of all. You should have no trouble finding it and refilling is pretty safe to do and will not harm other parts of your engine if you spill.
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