Commerce Auto Repair Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle
February 25, 2019
Today's Commerce Auto Repair 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 Commerce Auto Repair service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.
Brake fluid is confusing for some Commerce drivers. Back when we opened Commerce Auto Repair, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Commerce 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 Commerce Auto Repair: 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 Commerce Auto Repair 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 Commerce Auto Repair in Commerce, 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.
Commerce Auto Repair
9575 Commerce Rd.
Commerce, Michigan 48382
248.363.3749
Need Service?
More articles from Commerce Auto Repair
Keep It Rolling Right
June 14, 2026
Keeping your tires rotated regularly is one of the simplest yet most important maintenance services you can perform on your vehicle. It is where each tire is moved to a different position: front to back, side to side. That rotation helps to ensure your tires wear evenly, which directly impacts sa... More
The Untold Truth About Blinker Fluid: Why Your Car Desperately Needs It
May 10, 2026
If youve been ignoring your dashboard, your mechanic, and that one guy at the gas station who muttered bro your blinkers sound dry, then buckle up because today we dive into the critical world of blinker fluid maintenance. What Is Blinker Fluid? Blinker fluid is a high-viscosity, luminescent com... More
T for Transmission, T for Trouble (Automatic Transmission Trouble Signs)
April 15, 2026
One of the hardest working components of your vehicle is its transmission, shifting gears up and down when you need it to. The transmission is vital to your vehicle driving properly, and if you start to see signs of problems in it, its best to have them fixed earlier rather than later. (Since ne... More