Truck Maintenance Tips 101: Fluids and Lubrications
Trucks give you a freedom that cars can’t. That’s why people love them! Off road use, four wheel drive, hauling ability, an enviable view….What’s not to love?
To keep your vehicle running smoothly, there are numerous small maintenance tasks to do. However, for this post, we want to focus on truck maintenance tips involving fluids and lubrications. If these aren’t cared for properly, your pickup truck won’t live a long healthy life.
Heavy duty tasks like towing and hauling add a lot of wear and tear to a truck. So how can you make that wear and tear less?
Make sure your fluids are clean. This will greatly reduce how much wear a vehicle incurs.
Naturally, you always want to check the owner’s manual and follow the recommendations for fluid and filter changes. This is especially true if you have anew truck.
If a fluid level is low, get into the habit of checking all the lines and the components that flow to and from the line to see if there’s a leak.
And remember, you want to check fluids on a level ground.
The Big Purpose of Engine Oil
Engine oil was made to keep your engine happy, and that means cooling and protecting it.
Driving in rough and dusty conditions? That will cut your oil life in half. So check the oil at least once each month.
While mileage and vehicle usage are the best ways to tell when you need an oil change, keep the following pointers in mind as well.
For fluids that have dipstick, check the level of fluid as well as the color. If the color is black, it probably needs changing. Change the oil filter at the same time the oil is replaced.
A Good Way to Check Your Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid cools the transmission while also protecting it. Check it when you check your engine oil.
A good way to do that is to put your truck in park with the engine idling. Different vehicles have different transmission fluid intervals, and some even say the fluid can last a lifetime.
Do yourself a favor, check it anyway, and change the transmission filter regularly too.
Coolant
You want to check your coolants at least once before the change of seasons. It’s also a good idea to check it before a long trip or when the truck is going to be worked hard.
Change the coolant between 15,000 and 100,000 miles.
Power Steering and Brake Fluid
While both power steering and brake fluid last a long time, it’s best to check them at every oil change. Moisture and heat can affect the quality. Water can cause rust while heat will degrade the fluid’s quality.
Hardware Checkups: Essential to Your Truck Maintenance Checklist
For regular, lightweight truck use, the hardware on your vehicle will last the life of the vehicle. If, however, you use the truck for hauling and towing, you’ll want to inspect the suspension, spark plugs, steering, brakes, frame and air filter regularly.
How to make your truck last forever starts with paying attention to the little things under the hood. These truck maintenance tips will save you beaucoup money in the long run.
And your truck will bless you with a long, trouble-free life!
Turn to the service pros at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza. Our certified Chevy technicians work on all makes and models. We can help keep your truck running smoothly well into old age!
To keep your vehicle running smoothly, there are numerous small maintenance tasks to do. However, for this post, we want to focus on truck maintenance tips involving fluids and lubrications. If these aren’t cared for properly, your pickup truck won’t live a long healthy life.
Heavy duty tasks like towing and hauling add a lot of wear and tear to a truck. So how can you make that wear and tear less?
Make sure your fluids are clean. This will greatly reduce how much wear a vehicle incurs.
Naturally, you always want to check the owner’s manual and follow the recommendations for fluid and filter changes. This is especially true if you have anew truck.
If a fluid level is low, get into the habit of checking all the lines and the components that flow to and from the line to see if there’s a leak.
And remember, you want to check fluids on a level ground.
The Big Purpose of Engine Oil
Engine oil was made to keep your engine happy, and that means cooling and protecting it.
Driving in rough and dusty conditions? That will cut your oil life in half. So check the oil at least once each month.
While mileage and vehicle usage are the best ways to tell when you need an oil change, keep the following pointers in mind as well.
For fluids that have dipstick, check the level of fluid as well as the color. If the color is black, it probably needs changing. Change the oil filter at the same time the oil is replaced.
A Good Way to Check Your Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid cools the transmission while also protecting it. Check it when you check your engine oil.
A good way to do that is to put your truck in park with the engine idling. Different vehicles have different transmission fluid intervals, and some even say the fluid can last a lifetime.
Do yourself a favor, check it anyway, and change the transmission filter regularly too.
Coolant
You want to check your coolants at least once before the change of seasons. It’s also a good idea to check it before a long trip or when the truck is going to be worked hard.
Change the coolant between 15,000 and 100,000 miles.
Power Steering and Brake Fluid
While both power steering and brake fluid last a long time, it’s best to check them at every oil change. Moisture and heat can affect the quality. Water can cause rust while heat will degrade the fluid’s quality.
Hardware Checkups: Essential to Your Truck Maintenance Checklist
For regular, lightweight truck use, the hardware on your vehicle will last the life of the vehicle. If, however, you use the truck for hauling and towing, you’ll want to inspect the suspension, spark plugs, steering, brakes, frame and air filter regularly.
How to make your truck last forever starts with paying attention to the little things under the hood. These truck maintenance tips will save you beaucoup money in the long run.
And your truck will bless you with a long, trouble-free life!
Turn to the service pros at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza. Our certified Chevy technicians work on all makes and models. We can help keep your truck running smoothly well into old age!
