Are you using the right fluids for your car

Cars technology are becoming sophisticated and fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace. Wrong usage of fluids can harm your car.

Oil/Lubricants
Modern car engines are built to much tighter tolerances and have very complicated valve trains. The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated car parts when the engine is cold. The weight of an oil is expressed in terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30. Manufacturers recommend the weight of oil for each vehicle they make. The recommendation is based on engine design.

Car service center will know what weight your manufacturer recommends – and it’s important to follow those recommendations. A service adviser at any good car workshop can also offer suggestions for special formulations and can explain conventional and synthetic oils.

Engine Coolant
Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is another area that has become more complicated. For a long time, manufacturers only called for a couple of different types of coolant. Now there are several different formulations that are needed because of the different materials that manufacturers are using to build the cooling system. Using the wrong type of coolant can actually void your warranty, so you want to get that right.

Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid is beginning to be specialized as well. New transmission designs have particular requirements that mandate the use of specific formulations. Recently, new, somewhat confusing, standards for brake fluid have also been released.

Source: http://www.myaeroauto.com/G