Sovel's Auto Service Guide to Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle
August 28, 2016
Today's Sovel's Auto Service 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 Sovel's Auto Service service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.
Brake fluid is confusing for some Novi drivers. Back when we opened Sovel's Auto Service, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Novi 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 Sovel's Auto Service: 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 Sovel's Auto Service 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 Sovel's Auto Service in Novi, 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.
Sovel's Auto Service
41425 W. 10 Mile Rd.
Novi, Michigan 48375
248-348-7337
Need Service?
More articles from Sovel's Auto Repair Novi
Losing Your Cool (AC Condenser Replacement)
May 10, 2026
Its always more comfortable in your vehicle when you can control temperature and humidity in the cabin. Air conditioning, which is standard on most newer vehicles, is a vital part of that comfort, and a key component of that system is the condenser. The condenser converts the refrigerant gas into... More
Automotive Tips from Sovel's Auto Service: Signs of an Alignment Problem
May 3, 2026
When properly aligned, all of your wheels are pointed in the same direction. Your vehicle will track true and handle the way it is designed. Novi drivers often associate our wheels being knocked out of alignment with an event like an accident, hitting a pothole, curb or some other object. While ... More
Gearing Up (Differential Fluid Service)
April 26, 2026
You may have never thought about it, but when you turn a corner, the wheels on one side of your vehicle turn at a different speed than the other side. What is this magic? The answer is something called the differential. A differential is a gear box placed between the drive wheels and needs lub... More