Back to all

Tuffy Lake In The Hills Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle

July 25, 2017

Today's Tuffy Lake In The Hills 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 Lake In The Hills service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.

Brake fluid is confusing for some Lake In The Hills drivers. Back when we opened Tuffy Lake In The Hills, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Lake In The Hills 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 Lake In The Hills: 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 Lake In The Hills 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 Lake In The Hills in Lake In The Hills, 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 Lake In The Hills
59 West Acorn Lane
Lake In The Hills, Illinois 60156
847-854-9850


More articles from Tuffy Lake in the Hills

Easy on the Wheel (Power Steering)

October 27, 2025

Steering a vehicle these days doesn't take much effort, but if you got behind the wheel back before power steering was invented, you'd need to practically have the strength of Hercules to turn the wheel. The first power steering systems widely available changed everything. Chrysler introduced... More

Read a Good Tire Lately? (Tire Wear)

October 23, 2025

There's lots of good information to read in books and online. You might not know that you can also "read" your tires and learn a lot about what shape they're in and if they are in need of attention. It's important to know how your tires are doing because a tire failure can be very dangerous to y... More

Steering You Right (Power Steering Fluid Service)

October 12, 2025

Its important for safe driving that two of the most important systems in your vehicle work right. One is the brakes. The other is the steering. Nearly all vehicles on the road have some sort of power steering that allows you to direct a very heavy machine with little effort. There are two ty... More