Engine OilWith such a variety at your local auto parts stores, it can be very easy to pick up the wrong type of engine oil. The good news is for most vehicles, you can find the right oil at your local auto parts store unless you have a newer, luxury or high performance vehicle. Choosing the correct oil is very important and sometimes even crucial to European and newer Japanese vehicles. There's a few different factors that make this decision so important.
-Anti Wear Agents
Not all oils that claim to meet these specifications are correct though! Every so often, the manufacturers will release what's called an "Approved Oil List". These are oils that the manufacturer themselves consider to meet their specifications. This is especially important for newer vehicles that still can be covered by warranty. CoolantThankfully, there's not as many choices with coolant. However, the coolant that your vehicle takes is most likely not found at your local auto parts store. So far, the only coolant sold at Each vehicle manufacturer has a certain coolant they use due to additives in the coolant. It is important to try not to mix colors or use just water as it can cause issues such as rust build up, overheating, and premature failure on cooling system parts. Generally speaking these vehicles take this type of coolant: VW/Audi- Dependent on year, Phosphate Free Coolant G12 Spec (Pink/Violet Coolant) Subaru- Dependent on the year they use either regular green, long life blue with Subaru additive, or long life green with Subaru additive Toyota- Dependent on the year, Toyota Long Life (Red) or green BMW&Volvo- Dependent on year, Ethylene Glycol long-term Antifreeze (Blue) Always be sure to check your owner's manual or contact your mechanic to see which type of coolant you should be running in your system. Power SteeringSurprising as it may be, power steering fluid also has different specifications. Hondas require Honda only power steering fluid VW have a few different fluid depending on the year, check your owner's manual or contact your mechanic to see which type of power steering fluid you should be using Some vehicles even take Automatic Transmission Fluid! Using the correct power steering fluid prevents premature power steering component failure such as the power steering pump and even the rack. Transmission FluidAutomatic Transmission Fluid generally changes between vehicle models even if it's the same manufacturer. This is due to different transmissions being used in different vehicles. It's best to check your owner's manual or contact your mechanic to find out what type of automatic transmission fluid you should be using in your vehicle. Manual Transmission Fluid, generally speaking, is 75W-90 (also same weight for gear oil).
However, this also changes depending on the manufacturer and transmission used. Some manual transmissions require a higher performance fluid which has extra additives and some require a different viscosity. Always check your owner's manual or with your mechanic to ensure you're using the correct fluid.
6 Comments
We decided to start up a blog because quite honestly; every day we have something to post, brag, or laugh about here at Pete Lea's. We'll be posting things such as: things you need to know about your vehicle, a few DIY's, mechanic memes, events, and if we get a car that pretty much blew up (and get the okay from the owner to post) it will be on here.
We will not be posting daily; we are a bit too busy for that, but instead once or twice a week. If you have a topic or question you'd like answered on the blog, feel free to e-mail us or comment on one of the blog posts. You pretty much get to see how our week is going without actually having to stop by...so Welcome! |
AuthorMost of the time, our receptionist Tiana will be writing the blogs. Occasionally it will be Pete himself or one of our mechanics. Archives
November 2019
Categories |