Back to all

The Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha Guide to Proper Fluids for Your Vehicle

September 10, 2023

The automotive professionals at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha would like to give Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 Wisconsin ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha 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 Waukesha area.

Let's start with engine oil. Waukesha drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the Wisconsin 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 Waukesha service center will know what weight your vehicle manufacturer recommends - and it's important to follow those recommendations. Your service advisor at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 Wisconsin drivers need will grow. And, some of the formulations will cost a little more for Waukesha drivers. Fortunately, Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha 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.

 Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha
S31 W24721 Sunset Drive
Waukesha, Wisconsin 53189
262-513-9500

More articles from Tuffy Waukesha

Let?s Shift Gears (Transmission Fluid Replacement)

February 16, 2025

If you have a vehicle with an automatic transmission, you probably never think about gear shifting. When motor vehicles were invented, all of them had to be shifted manually. But that wonderful self-shifting transmission, referred to these days as simply an automatic, changed everything. Automa... More

Getting Off to a Running Start (Starter Replacement)

February 9, 2025

When you start your vehicles engine, theres another motor that makes that whole process possible. Its called the starter, and its a small electric motor that gets your vehicle running. As you can imagine, its quite a chore for a little electric motor to turn over the big engine that powers you... More

Keeping Your Cool (Coolant leak repair)

February 2, 2025

If theres one thing you should pay attention to with your vehicle, its the temperature gauge. Its the one that may say C---H (that means cold---hot). Or maybe yours has a picture of a thermometer on it and a blue and red zone. If you see the needle heading farther to the H or red area, that mea... More