by Charles Fischer

Created on: January 05, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2010

Maintaining your car's fluids is the easiest way to keep your car out of the mechanic's shop and on the road. The most important of your car's vital liquids are those necessary for lubrication and cooling. These are your engine's oil, coolant and automatic transmission fluid. The best time to check your fluids is before you leave home. Your oil level is most accurate when your engine is cool and your car is level. You should always check the coolant level on a cold engine.

To check the oil you first need to find the dipstick. It is usually identified with a yellow handle. Your owner's manual has a labeled picture of the engine compartment if you can't find it.  Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean paper towel or rag before reinserting.  Pull it out again to see where the oil level is in relation to the hash marks near the base.  There should be an “L” to indicate the minimum oil level and an “H” to indicate the maximum level. If the level is under the low mark, add about a quart (liter) of oil with a funnel, but don't pour it in all at once. Start with about half a quart and recheck. Overfilling the oil creates extra pressure that could damage your engine. The oil fill inlet is on top of the engine under a cap labeled "oil" or with a representation of an oil can.  Use a funnel to avoid spills.  If your oil level is very low or very dark in colour this could be a sign that your car is due for an oil change or minor service. Running your car with dirty oil can cause premature engine wear which is why regular oil changes are so important.

The second step on your checklist is coolant. The coolant reservoir is usually to one side of the engine compartment.  There is usually a small tube just underneath the radiator cap that runs to the coolant reservoir.  Most reservoirs are semi-opaque with marks for the high and low coolant levels.  You can see the coolant level from out side the container.  It should be between the "high" and "low" marks. For some reservoirs you must remove the cap and pull out a dipstick to check the level.  Others will have a small float inside the tank.  If the coolant is low, you should check the level inside the radiator itself. The radiator must be completely cool to safely open the cap.  Protecting your hand with a towel or glove, slowly turn the cap counterclockwise to release pressure. Hot coolant can be over 200 degrees Celsius, so always be

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