Tech Tip: Maintaining Fluids in Import Vehicles

Tech Tip: Maintaining Fluids in Import Vehicles

Picking the proper lubricant for your customers' import car will depend on the application. For example, serious track racers with large ponies under the hood will want heavy-duty, high-performance racing lubricants designed specifically to stand up under the stress. For the average high-performance import car, quality products will provide good functionality and durability for almost any application.

By Kit Johnson

Picking the proper lubricant for your customers’ import car will depend on the application. For example, serious track racers with large ponies under the hood will want heavy-duty, high-performance racing lubricants designed specifically to stand up under the stress. For the average high-performance import car, quality products will provide good functionality and durability for almost any application.

Regardless of what the OEMs say, I believe the 3,000-mile service is still a very viable benchmark for an oil and filter change and vehicle inspection for any import. Carbon, grit and raw fuel contaminates engine oil, so regular oil drain and refills keep internal engine parts clean and free from gumming up. It’s also a good opportunity to check for leaks, potential problems and component wear.

Other fluid recommendations include:
• Transmission, power steering and brake fluids should also be flushed regularly (30,000- to 60,000-mile service intervals) to avoid excessive wear and component failure. As a rule of thumb, I recommend changing those fluids when they start to show discoloration.

• Automatic transmission fluid should be light red in color and flushed every 30,000 miles. If the transmission fluid turns a dark brown, black or smells burnt, it’s a sure sign that it needs to be flushed.

• Healthy power steering fluid will be clear or red in color. A buzzing sound when the steering wheel is turned at low speeds indicates that the power steering fluid is likely low.

• Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water to prevent rust from damaging the brake system and moisture from turning to steam, which produces brake fade during extreme braking conditions. Healthy brake fluid should be clear or have a light brown tint. As it becomes saturated with water, it will begin to turn black. The darker the brake fluid, the greater the need to flush the system.

• Coolant is another often-overlooked fluid. A good 50/50 mixture of distilled water and coolant that is flushed every 30,000 miles or three years (whichever comes first) will prevent electrolysis and internal corrosion from occurring.

— Johnson is president of J4 Auto-motive, Inc., East Helena, MT, and the 2007 national NAPA Technician of the Year.

You May Also Like

EV Battery Charging: What You Need to Know

As EV owners begin to look for qualified service shops, a charger will be an advertising beacon at your shop.

Charging EV car

Some equipment you can’t live without, and it seems as if it’s always in use. What that equipment is seems to change over time, as the ebb and flow of automotive technology has a strange way of turning one-time profit centers into dust collectors.Think of all the equipment that is now just in that forgotten corner of the shop, such as the old R-12 machine and the brake lathe. Then, there’s the big old Sun Scope, and the rarely used wall-mount strut spring compressor. Equipment falls out of favor for many reasons, whether it be old technology or just a trend in service.You can just as easily remember all the new equipment you’ve bought over recent years, such as A/C machines, scan tools, TPMS tools and ADAS equipment. Just when you think you can’t possibly need something else, more technology comes along, and this time it’s thanks to the vehicles nobody can stop talking about. But love ‘em or hate ‘em, electric vehicles (EVs) are here to stay.They might not need gas, but they need “juice,” and you’re going to have to charge them, meaning you’re going to need a charger and a base knowledge of the factors surrounding EV charging.There are different levels of chargers, the understanding of which is of initial importance, and, in short, the higher the number, the more powerful the charger. Level 1 chargers are considered emergency chargers, and most EVs come with them. They operate off 110 volt alternating current (AC), and their downfall is they can take as much as 40 hours or longer to charge the battery on some of the latest EVs.Level 2 chargers are the minimum that an automotive service shop should have, but they are well suited for the job, and are quite simply the best choice for the majority of shops. Level 2 chargers operate off single phase 240 volt AC and are almost 10 times faster than a Level 1 charger. You may still have a charging time of two or three hours, but this is an acceptable amount of time.

AAM to Supply e-Beam Axles for Future Stellantis EV

The future program will feature both front and rear e-Beam axles that include AAM’s integrated 3-in-1 e-Drive technology.

Wrenchers Doubles Repair Tool & Equipment Offering

More than 25,000 lifts, tools, and equipment from 39 brands available online or by phone.

Myers Tire Supply Introduces MTS Xpresstm

The innovative solution to consolidate purchases and control inventory costs.

Experiencing What the Tool Industry Has to Offer

ETI held its annual ToolTech conference April 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

Sandia Mountains

Other Posts

LIQUI MOLY Develops Liquid Thermal Manager for EV Batteries

The automotive chemical specialist is expanding its range for all-electric vehicles with Battery Coolant EV 200.

May 2023 Vehicle Care RockStar: Johnny Weber

Johnny Weber exudes confidence in his abilities to lead the band through proficiency over pageantry.

Variable Valve Timing Systems

Variable valve timing systems allow today’s engines to maximize performance and drivability.

Continental Tire Upgrades Test Tracks for EVs

Continental expanded its EV charging infrastructure at three company-owned test sites in Sweden, Germany and the U.S.