General Maintenance

Question 1

How do you check your engine oil level on a vehicle?

Answer 1

• engine off
• vehicle on level ground
• remove dip stick and clean
• re-insert dip stick and remove and check
• oil level should be at full mark

Note: if you are at the add mark on the dip stick, the engine will need one liter of oil.

Question 2

How do you check coolant level on a vehicle?

Answer 2

• Visually inspect it at the overflow bottle.
• never remove the coolant camp when it is hot to touch or running.

Question 3

What is the mixture of coolant?

Answer 3

50% coolant and 50% distilled or demineralized water.

Question 4

There are are two ways to detect coolant freezing lvls; what are they?

Answer 4

Hydrometer, and a refractometer.

Note: always inspect the color of the fluid ( if it is dark/murky it most likely needs to be changed).

Question 5

When should you change coolant?

Answer 5

If acidity levels are high, or if freezing lots are low. Usually, replacement intervals are between 2 - 11 years.

Question 6

How do you check acidity levels in the coolant?

Answer 6

With a multimeter:
- negative lead on negative battery terminal
- positive lead into radiator chamber.
- 400mv or less is acceptable; anything over is too acidic.
- repeat the process when the vehicle is running (300mv is normal, anything higher needs replacing).

Question 7

How do you check automatic transmission fluid?

Answer 7

• make sure vehicle is ground level
• engine needs to be running for most vehicles (some can be checked when it is off).
• remove dipstick and clean
• reinsert dip stick and remove
• level should be at full if engine is warm or at add if cold.

NOTE: never overfill transmission fluid (you could damage it).

Question 8

How do you check ATF without a dipstick?

Answer 8

It is very similar to checking differential fluid on a vehicle. There is an overflow plug and a drain plug; stick your finger in the overflow plug (oil should be at the bottom of the hole if it is full). Additionally, you can also create tools, or buy tools to read the levels.

Question 9

When should you replace ATF fluid?

Answer 9

Generally, every 50000 km.

Question 10

How do you check power steering fluid?

Answer 10

• Visually check reservoir
• oil should be at the full line when engine is warm or at add when it is cold.

Question 11

When should you replace brake fluid?

Answer 11

Oil should look like apple juice.
- if oil is black or gray, flush it out.
- replace every two years.

Question 12

What are some important things to look out for when replacing brake fluid?

Answer 12

• never use a bottle of oil that has been opened/used.
• refer to Mitchel (or manual) for specific brake fluid (Dot 3 or Dot 4)

Note: brake fluid can damage paint.

Question 13

How can you test brake fluid on a vehicle?

Answer 13

• use a brake fluid tester, and test for moisture content.
• if moisture is over 3%, it needs to be replaced.

Question 14

What oil does hydraulic clutch fluid use, and what transmission could you find a hydraulic clutch?

Answer 14

Brake fluid (refer to mitchel), and manual transmission vehicles.

Question 15

There are two plugs used on rear differentials, what are they?

Answer 15

An over flow plug, and a drain plug.

Question 16

What oil is used in differentials?

Answer 16

Generally, gear oil. However, refer to the manual or mitchel.

Question 17

How do you check manual transmission oil?

Answer 17

• same process as checking diff oil.
• top plug is over flow, bottom is drain.

Question 18

When does engine oil need to be replaced?

Answer 18

Every 5000 or 12000 km
- check specs on the manual or mitchell.

Question 19

There are two different engine oil filters; what are they?

Answer 19

• old vehicles use cartridge style
• newer vehicles use canister style.

Question 20

What do engine air filters do?

Answer 20

• removes dust/dirt so the piston rings and walls don’t wear out.
• replace when light doesn’t shine through.

Question 21

What do accessory drive belts do?

Answer 21

They spin/move multiple parts: alternator, water pump, power steering, and AC compressor.

Question 22

What are two styles of accessory drive belts?

Answer 22

• V belts (older vehicles)
• multi rib belts (new vehicles)

Question 23

What do you look out for when inspecting belts?

Answer 23

• cracks, tears, or glazing.

For multi rib belts, use a rib gauge (if it wiggles, it needs to be replaced).

Question 24

What are some things to look out for when filling tires?

Answer 24

• incorrect pressures can waste fuel, cause poor vehicle handling, shorten tire life.
• check the driver side vehicle for tire pressure information (or refer to mitchell).

Question 25

How do you check date codes on tires?

Answer 25

• look out for DOT numbers: first two numbers are the week, and the second two are the year.

ex, DOT (2024) 20th week in 2024.

Question 26

When you inspect CV joints you should look out for the following:

Answer 26

Check for oil leaks, and tears on the housing.

Question 27

Are older vehicles (up to the late 90s and early 00s) tensioners are adjusted manually?

Answer 27

Yes

Question 28

What do new vehicles have that help with belt tension?

Answer 28

spring loaded tensioners