Back to all

The Elite Tire And Auto Care Guide to Proper Fluids for Your Vehicle

September 4, 2016

The automotive professionals at Elite Tire And Auto Care would like to give Livonia drivers an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids. You know, vehicles are becoming more sophisticated every day.  Fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace.

The Livonia do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their vehicle with the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many Michigan ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable Elite Tire And Auto Care service advisor to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their vehicle and their driving habits in the Livonia area.

Let's start with engine oil. Livonia drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the Michigan scene in the last several years. Modern engines are built to much tighter tolerances and have very complicated valve trains. The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated parts when the engine is cold. The weight of an oil is expressed in terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30. The vehicle manufacturers recommend the weight of oil for each vehicle they make. The recommendation is based on engine design. Your Livonia service center will know what weight your vehicle manufacturer recommends - and it's important to follow those recommendations. Your service advisor at Elite Tire And Auto Care can also offer suggestions for special formulations and can tell you all about conventional and synthetic oils.

Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is another area that has become more complicated. For a long time, vehicle manufacturers only recommended a couple of different types of coolant. Now, several different formulations are needed because of the high-tech materials that vehicle manufacturers are using to build the cooling system. Using the wrong type of coolant in your vehicle can actually void your warranty, so it's important to get that right.

Transmission fluid is becoming specialized for Livonia vehicles as well. New transmission designs have particular requirements that require specific formulations. Recently, new, somewhat confusing, standards for brake fluid have also been released.

Not too long ago, there was a good chance that all of the vehicles at your house would use many of the same fluids. However, as automotive technology advances, the array of basic automotive fluids Michigan drivers need will grow. And, some of the formulations will cost a little more for Livonia drivers. Fortunately, Elite Tire And Auto Care will continue to update their training to keep pace with technology so that you'll get the right fluids your vehicle needs. It's all part of the commitment we make to your driving peace of mind.

 Elite Tire And Auto Care
33729 Plymouth Rd.
Livonia, Michigan 48150
734.427.3100

Need Service?

Request a Quote

More articles from Elite Tire & Auto Care

Give it the Boot (Ball Joint Boot Replacement)

February 16, 2025

Your vehicle may be wearing boots right now and you might not even know it. They're called ball joint boots. They're actually protective, flexible things that protect parts of your suspension (called ball joints) from all the hazards the road can fling at them. If one of those ball joint boots... More

Easy on the Wheel (Power Steering)

February 9, 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

Full Stop (Brake Master Cylinder Replacement)

February 2, 2025

When you step on your brake pedal, you want to feel confident that your vehicles going to stop. If your brakes arent working right, its a risk to your safety and the safety of others on the road. After all, youre driving a machine that weighs thousands of pounds, and you have to be able to stop... More