Set up the check
Park on level ground, shut the engine off and wait five to ten minutes so the oil drains back into the pan. Open the hood with the release under the dashboard and the safety catch under the hood's front edge, then prop it. The owner's manual has a diagram of the engine bay, and most caps are labeled with a symbol or a word.
Engine oil
- Pull the dipstick, which usually has a yellow or orange loop, and wipe it clean.
- Push it all the way back in, wait a second and pull it out again.
- Read the film of oil against the two marks or the crosshatched zone at the tip.
- Add oil through the filler cap on top of the engine only if the level is at or below the lower mark. The distance between the marks is about one quart on most engines. Add half a quart of the grade printed on the cap or in the manual, wait a minute and check again. Overfilling is a real mistake, because excess oil gets whipped into foam and can damage seals.
Coolant and brake fluid
Never open a radiator cap on a hot engine, because the system is pressurized and the coolant can scald you. Check the translucent overflow tank instead, with the engine cold, and see that the level sits between the MIN and MAX lines. Top off with premixed 50/50 coolant of the type the manual specifies, and do not mix colors or types. Brake fluid lives in a small reservoir at the back of the engine bay on the driver's side. A level that drops toward MIN means worn brake pads or a leak, so book an inspection rather than simply filling it. Wipe up any drips at once, since brake fluid strips paint.
The rest
Washer fluid is the one you will fill most often. Pour it in to the neck, and use a winter blend rated below freezing rather than water. Many current cars have electric power steering and a sealed transmission with no dipstick, so there is nothing to check on either. If yours has a transmission dipstick, the manual gives the procedure, which is usually done with the engine warm and running.
Note A spot under the car tells you what is leaking. Brown or black is engine oil, red is usually transmission fluid, green, orange or pink is coolant, and clear water under the dashboard area is only air conditioner condensation.
