subject: What Are Fluid Checks? [print this page] Has there ever been a time in your life when you went to wash the bug guts off of the windshield and nothing came out when you pressed the button? The wipers swished over the bugs and smeared them, but none of the fluid came out to clean them off. A bit of windshield washer fluid can go a long way towards making a clear sight or a nasty smeared one as you go down the highway. Now, imagine what the other fluids can do in your car when they get low. There is fluid in just about every system in the car and it needs to be checked to make sure it is at the appropriate level. When it is not, then you have the disgusting stuff to look at!
Check Levels for Safety
The fluid checks need to be done for safety reasons, as well as ones for maintenance. Imagine if the brake fluid has a slow leak in it, but you never had the car checked over. The leak might only be found once you have a hard time stopping for a red light, and then getting into an accident. You don't want the brake fluid leak to be found in that manner, that is for sure.
You can schedule routine fluid checks when you have your car taken in for maintenance. Normally, a safety inspection will include checking the major fluids, like the windshield washer fluid, the coolants, and the oil. The other fluids that need to be checked include power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and even the brake fluids in your vehicle. They need to be checked to make sure they are not only at the right level, but that they are clean when they are looked at.
Improper Levels Hurt the Car
Dirty fluids might be a signal that there is a problem within the car. If a fluid has excessive dirt in it, then it might mean there is a part that is leaking something else. For example, oil could be getting into the fluid where it is not supposed to be. This could mean that you have something failing in the engine, and you just didn't know it yet. This fluid check might have saved you from being broken down on the side of the road somewhere, which is unsafe too.
The fluid checks can also show when more fluids need to be added. You don't want your brake fluid to dip, which would make it hard to stop. The power steering fluid can leak out, making your turns harder than they need to be. The coolants could leak out, giving you fits with the engine when you are driving for long periods of time or if you live in an extremely hot area.
All of the fluids are in your vehicle for a reason. Therefore, the fluids need to be at the correct level in order for them to properly run the device they work with. Having fluid checks done as a preventive maintenance procedure is much better than finding out the hard way.
