Courtesy Auto Repair Plus Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle
November 29, 2017
Today's Courtesy Auto Repair Plus post focuses on using coolant. 
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 Courtesy Auto Repair Plus service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.
Brake fluid is confusing for some Tiffin drivers. Back when we opened Courtesy Auto Repair Plus, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Tiffin 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 Courtesy Auto Repair Plus: 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 Courtesy Auto Repair Plus 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 Courtesy Auto Repair Plus in Tiffin, 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.
Courtesy Auto Repair Plus
967 Bon Air Ave
Tiffin, Ohio 44883
419-443-0797
http://www.courtesyautorepairplus.com
More articles from Courtesy Auto Repair Plus
Stopping "Brake" Downs (Brake Pad Replacement)
September 14, 2025
If someone tells you to put the brakes on something, you know it means stop. And stopping is one of the most important safety maneuvers you can do in any vehicle. That means your brakes have to work properly. Let's face it. You stop dozens of times every time you drive. And over time, that t... More
Don't Be Fuelish
September 7, 2025
If you smell gasoline in your vehicle, pay attention to your nose. That's because it has an important message for you. Newer vehicles should never have a gasoline smell inside. One of the most dangerous conditions can come when your fuel line system has a leak or multiple leaks. Vehicles with fue... More
Snake in the Engine (Serpentine Belt)
August 31, 2025
There's a belt that snakes through your engine. It's even named for a snake, the serpentine belt. It'll bite you when it breaks, possibly leaving you stranded. So, it's good to know a little about this snake-like belt. In early engines, there were lots of belts. They were used to convert the r... More