How to Check a Car's Fluids

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Tom Brintzenhofe, Certified Master Mechanic out of Redding, Pennsylvania and today we are going to talk about how to check your car's fluid. The easiest way to do it if you don't know is to check the owner's manual, otherwise I am going to walk through this real quick with you. All vehicle locations are a little different so you can consult with your owner's manual and it will tell you where everything is. Most of the dipsticks are all marked. Check your oil and you want to make sure the engine is off and nice and warmed up. Wipe your dipstick off and stick it back in there. Bring it out and it should be up to your full mark, they're all marked on here. They are all easy to read and if they're not marked they usually have two holes in them. You have one for low, one for high and this one is right where it needs to be. So check your transmission fluid it must be running and up to a warm temperature. Check this one and watch your hand around the fan blades and you don't want to get caught up in there but for this one it is the same thing. You have two marks here for your cold level, two marks here for your hot level and like I said it has got to be running to check it and in Park. We are up to where we need to be on this one so I will stick that one back in there. We have got our overflow bottle here for your antifreeze. You have got two marks on the inside, you have got a full and a low. You want to make sure it is somewhere in between them. You want to make sure it is good and hot because it normally will show low when it is nice and cold because antifreeze does expand. You have your power steering fluid and again you want to check it when it is hot but a lot of times you will see marks on here for hot and cold. The top for your high level or your hot level and your cold level is right here. Wipe it off, stick it in and turn it, pull it out and we're right there on the high level so we are good. You have got your washer fluid level right here in your bottle and you might put a little bit in there to top it off, just bring that up to about two inches below the top and you are good to go there. You have got your master cylinder up here and you have got two marks on the side of it. You have a low mark a minimum and you have a maximum and just make sure it is somewhere in between there. Don't ever let it go below the minimum mark that is just an unsafe level but normally it will fall in between as your brake pads wear off, wear down you will see your fluid level drop as the pistons expand. But that's all there is to it as to checking and filling your fluids."