Back to all

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle

June 18, 2018

Today's TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires 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 TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.

Brake fluid is confusing for some Royal Oak drivers. Back when we opened TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Royal Oak 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 TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires: 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 TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires 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 TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires in Royal Oak, 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.

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires
1735 N Main St
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
248-541-8300
http://www.tlcautocareroyaloak.com


Need Service?

More articles from TLC Auto Care

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires On Your Serpentine Belt

June 14, 2026

Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Royal Oak, Michigan, customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. T... More

Flat Tire? Three’s the Charm (Tire Repair)

June 7, 2026

For most drivers, at some point youre going to have a flat tire. Depending on how it was damaged, it may have to be replaced. But sometimes, a repair will do the trick, as long as the puncture isnt on the sidewall and the hole is smaller than inch/6.35mm in diameter. Here are the three common w... More

Fuel Saving Tip: Royal Oak Tune Up

May 31, 2026

Have you ever gone to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That's why they tune up together.Now this is no surprise; I'm ... More