Tire Warehouse Depot Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle
August 30, 2022
Please wait while the video is loading...
Today's Tire Warehouse Depot 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 Tire Warehouse Depot service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.
Brake fluid is confusing for some Lake Orion drivers. Back when we opened Tire Warehouse Depot, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Lake Orion 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 Tire Warehouse Depot: 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 Tire Warehouse Depot 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 Tire Warehouse Depot in Lake Orion, 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.
Tire Warehouse Depot
250 N. Lapeer Rd.
Lake Orion, Michigan 48362
248-929-0699
Need Service?
More articles from Tire Warehouse Depot
No Fueling Around (Fuel Filter Replacement)
July 20, 2025
A driver called in to the shop the other day saying his European sports sedan had an odd problem. He was driving when his car started to slow down. Applying more throttle didn't help. He pulled over to the side of the road, shut the engine off and waited a few minutes before starting it up aga... More
I Had No Idea! (Four Things You Didn't Know About Vehicles)
July 13, 2025
Bet you didn't know: Some of the earliest rearview mirrors were marketed as "Cop Spotters" so drivers would know when police were following them. Who wants a ticket, anyway? According to eBay Motors, Elmer Berger first patented a rearview mirror that was mounted on the front fenders, on the spare... More
3 Winter Windshield Tips (Care of Windshield)
July 6, 2025
Cold weather can present some real challenges when it comes to your vehicle's windshield. Think of it. Your windshield is your window to the world when you're driving, and clear visibility is extraordinarily important for safe travels. So here are 3 tips to ensure that your windshield can do it... More