July 3, 2022
Today's Tuffy Bloomington 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 Tuffy Bloomington service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.
Brake fluid is confusing for some Bloomington drivers. Back when we opened Tuffy Bloomington, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Bloomington 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 Tuffy Bloomington: 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 Tuffy Bloomington 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 Tuffy Bloomington in Bloomington, 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.
Tuffy Bloomington
1505 East Vernon Avenue
Bloomington, Illinois 61701
309.662.0537
March 9, 2025
For most drivers, at some point youre going to have a flat tire. Depending on how it was damaged, it may have to be replaced. But sometimes, a repair will do the trick, as long as the puncture isnt on the sidewall and the hole is smaller than inch/6.35mm in diameter. Here are the three common w... More
March 2, 2025
What's the dif? To an automotive technician, it's the differential, a part of your vehicle that helps direct power from the engine to the wheels. The differential is a gearbox that enables the drive wheels to turn at different speeds (they do that when you turn). Inside the differential is a f... More
February 23, 2025
Winter is one of the hardest times to keep your vehicle clean. But did you know neglecting to wash your vehicle in winter could cost you a significant amount of money in the long run? Here's why. Many areas deal with snow and ice in the winter, and the salt and sand that are used to keep the road... More