As modern cars become more sophisticated, fluids such as oil, coolant, and transmission fluid also become more specialized and sophisticated. “Do it yourself” auto repairs and maintenance can be dangerous to your vehicle, particularly if you accidentally use the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many Kalispell car owners rely on their service consultant to help them determine the correct fluids, and the best formulation for their car.

To start, car owners need to know that there a number of new oil weights available for your engine. Modern engines are built with certain tolerances and have very complicated valve trains. The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated parts when the engine is cold. Manufacturers communicate their oil weight using terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30.

Car manufacturers recommend a particular oil weight for each vehicle they make, and that recommendation is based on engine design. Your Kalispell service center will know what weight your manufacturer recommends, and it's important to follow those recommendations. A service adviser at Loren's Auto Repair will provide suggestions for special oil formulations and explain the differences between conventional oil and synthetic oil.

Antifreeze, or engine coolant, has also become more complicated. For a long time, manufacturers only recommended using a handful of different coolant types. Today, there are several different recommended formulations that differ depending on the materials manufacturers used to build a specific cooling system. For this reason, using the wrong type of coolant can void your warranty, so it is important to be particularly careful about these things.

Transmission fluid has also become more specialized. New transmission designs have particular requirements that mandate the use of specific formulations. Manufacturers have also released new standards for brake fluid.

Before all of these specialized fluids were introduced, there was a good chance that all of the vehicles at your house used many of the same fluids. However, as automotive technology advances, the multitude of basic automotive fluids also advances. Some of the formulations will cost a little more. Fortunately, your Kalispell service center will continue to advance their knowledge and training to keep up with evolving technology, and to ensure that you are using the correct fluids for your vehicle.