If you’ve read our Humble auto repair expert’s article on car maintenance, you might be thinking why this article is here.  This is here to inform car owners specifically about the FLUIDS in their vehicles.  By not keeping check of your car’s different fluids your condemning it to a bad life of expensive repairs and uncomfortably long times in the Humble auto repair shop.  Whitty’z Humble Auto Repair, sees cars that have been labeled as “reliable cars” in the shop because of owners who didn’t pay attention to their car’s fluid levels and what not.  No one wants to have that happen to their car.  Which why the Whitty’z Humble auto repair crew is trying to prevent these things from happening to YOUR car.

What the fluids do

The fluids are what lubricates the moving parts of your car and brake fluid is a part of the hydraulic system that allows the brakes to operate at all.
If your car is running on low or old fluid, your car is running dangerously.
Your transmission, power steering, brakes, and fuel system all rely on specialized fluids to perform correctly and efficiently.  Transmission fluid needs to be replaced every 3 years/30,000 miles. Broken down and dirty fluid puts an additional load on your engine and transmission. Old fluid can even carry shards of metal through your system leading to expensive repairs.  Minor issues such as windshield wiper fluid not coming out may also occur too. If you are like our Humble auto repair experts you know that a faulty transmission or engine is VERY expensive to fix, some times even enough that you decide it isn’t worth keeping the car..

• Transmission Fluid:  Transmission fluid plays two roles: providing lubrication for the transmission and shifting gears in automatic transmissions. Because transmission fluid is run through a closed system, it lasts much longer than motor oil, and since it is not subjected to the high heats of internal combustion, it does not oxidize as quickly. However, it is still important to periodically inspect transmission fluid. Transmission fluid should always be checked on an idling car, and a good time to check it, again, is after an oil change.  It should read full, be pink/red in color and should not smell very burnt.

• Brake Fluid:  Brake fluid is required in hydraulic-operated power brakes. Make sure the brake fluid is at its correct level. Clean brake fluid should look slighly darker than cooking oil, an amber color. Black brake fluid should be changed. A good time to check brake fluid level is when you do an oil change.

• Power Steering Fluid:  Power steering fluid is required in cars with power steering, obviously. Like brake fluid, steering fluid does not need to be as closely monitored. Steering fluid should be at the recommended level, and clean steering fluid can be either amber or pink/red. Black fluid should be flushed/changed.  If your fluid is leaking and you have little to none left you will know what it’s like to do the power steering rack’s job.  Our Humble auto repair experts are glad we have power steering.
• Oil:  Changing the oil is perhaps the single most crucial maintenance measure affecting a car’s performance and longevity. As engines are designed with tighter tolerances, higher capabilities, and increasing redline limits, maintaining a clean and quality oil supply is imperative in lasting performance. While changing the oil frequently is never bad for a car, it is also unnecessary to change the oil every 3000 miles as claimed by car manufacturers. The 3000 mile rule of thumb was developed decades ago with lower quality oil, dirtier roads, and inefficient engines. Modern conventional oil (the kind our Humble auto repair experts use) can withstand up to 5000 miles of abuse, and some fully synthetic oils such as Mobil 1 and Castrol Syntec can even last 10,000 miles before requiring a change (Synthetic oils cost much more than conventional oils but perform much better). The catch, however, is that while high quality oil may last longer, the oil filter is a major limiting factor. Even with the best synthetic oils, the filter needs to be changed every 3000-5000 miles as it becomes ineffective when soiled with metal and carbon deposits. Fortunately, both changing the oil and the filter are VERY simple and inexpensive procedures. Anyone with half a brain and a few common tools can perform the procedure in under an hour.

Whitty’z Humble Auto Repair Shop, performs all of these services.  We would be happy to service your car AND it’s fluids.  We have undoubtedly professional Humble auto repair mechanics.

 Whitty’z Humble Auto Repair Shop

We are owner operated and customer service oriented. Our goal is to build your trust so we can fix your vehicle and give you a great experience time and time again. We believe in REAL customer service So, at Whitty’z Humble Auto Repair if you call between 8-6 pm Monday- Saturday you will get a conversation and not an answering service. Give us a chance to earn your business and your trust. You deserve quality service and integrity in your Humble Auto Repair facility. We know that your vehicle is one of your most important possessions and we treat it like our own.