You might think that all your car needs to run smoothly is oil in the engine, gas in the tank, and you behind the wheel. But you might not know that there are a multitude of different types of fluids that live in your engine and keep everything running. Here’s a list of the fluids you should know about and be paying attention to, and how to make sure that everything is copacetic on your own.

1. Oil. You know about this one! You might not know that you should be checking your oil regularly, though. To do this, just pull out the oil dipstick, make sure the oil is at the “Full” line and not below the “Add” line, make sure the oil isn’t dirty, and stick it back in. You should also be making sure that you’re taking your vehicle in for regular oil changes. A general rule is every 3,000 miles, but your manufacturer and dealer might have different recommendations, especially based on the age and mileage of your vehicle and the type of engine that’s under the hood.

2. Transmission fluid. This is the other dipstick in your engine. You’ll want to check this pretty much the same way that you check your oil, but if it’s the same color as your oil then you’ve got a problem. The fluid should be clear to pinkish without any bits in it. If the level is low or if the fluid is dirty, you should probably make an appointment to get your transmission fluid changed.

3. Brake fluid. This is what gives your car stopping power, which can be especially important if you’re driving in traffic often or if you tend to make a lot of quick stops. If you want to check this, you usually don’t have to open up the reservoir – it’s usually clear enough that you can see the level and color of the fluid through the plastic. If you do want to open the reservoir, clean off the outside and cap before you do; it can be dangerous for you if any particles or dirt get into the fluid. If the fluid itself is dark in color, you should take it in to get it changed – don’t try to do this yourself!

4. Power Steering Fluid. With this, your ability to control the movement of your vehicle’s wheels is increased exponentially. Like with the brake fluid, you can usually see the level and color of the fluid through the reservoir, which is usually located around the passenger side of the vehicle under the hood. If the level is low, you can top it up yourself. Just make sure you don’t get dirt into the reservoir.

We hope these tips help you know more about what’s under your hood – and remember, you can always come into Loughead Nissan and ask us any questions you might have. We’re also happy to check and change any of the above-mentioned fluids for you!

Face it, your car is the one thing that will never be fully cleaned 100% of the time. We can wish that, but reality strikes folks.

Whether your little monsters are the reason that your car is never cleaned, or your dog, or even yourself, the key to keeping everything together is organization. My car used to look like a tornado ran through it daily, no joke. I couldn’t find my back seats most days. Even when I was late, I would have to scurry to get my back seats and sometimes even my seat clean. Seemed like no matter what I did to keep it together, something would ruin it.

I found little hacks to make my car better as well as my life.

First, use a car organizer and tie it to the back of the passenger seat. This could even be a shoe organizer that you have made into a car organizer. Things you could add in the organizer include sippy cups; extra spoons; napkins; tissues; gum; toys; shoes and clothes; extra snacks; and juice boxes. These will come in handy for road trips, long car rides, or just your average day.

Bet you never thought of this! Shower caddys! Stick those bad boys to your back seat windows (especially for kids) use this to add their favorite snack or even an arts and crafts project to keep them occupied. These can stick directly on your window so you won’t be seeing messes on the floor!

A trash can is a must! Think about all the times that you have forgotten to take out that burger wrapper or those candy wrappers and they pile up. Yuck! Or those used tissues during flu season that are stuffed between seats, yuck! Even using a plastic bag attached either behind a seat or just put in the back. This will make you want to throw your scraps out!

Pack survival kits! First aid, snacks, activity, games, etc. Store these goodies in the truck or even in your backseat or behind the passenger’s seat! This will make all your trips better! You never know what might happen so being extra prepared is never a bad idea!

Keep your loose change in your old gum container! You never know when you might have to take an alternate route and need change! You might also need change for parking, maybe food, anything really! This will always be handy no matter the road trip.

Leave the frowns at home and read all about the hacks that could make your life easier on the road!

“51 Insanely Awesome Car Organization Hacks, Tips & Tricks.” HappyChappy. N.p., 30 Apr. 2017. Web. 27 July 2017.

When you first get your license, you think the road is this wide space with no directions besides the signs that hang on the side of the road to tell you the speed limit.

Thing is, there are many signs that we get from other drivers, or more so their vehicles. Indicators that tell us whether we should be going slower, going faster, if we should stop or even if we should give them space.

Take the turn signals, for example, they are indicators that the person in front of you is turning. That means that you should give them some space and stay back until they turn. Some people take this indicator as a sign for them to speed up and cut them off so you don’t have to wait for them to turn. That is dangerous and a good way to get pulled over.

Other indicators include the hazard lights. These indicators let people know whether you are having an emergency, you’re pulling over, or to simply tell them that you are going slower than the speed limit. People use these in snow or rain storms when they can’t see all too well out of their windshield.

Brake lights! That is a popular one. The brake light is something I hope you all know what that does. The job of the brake light is to stop. If the driver in front of you steps on the brake, the light goes on to let you know they are slowing down and you should probably too.

Flashing headlights is also an indicator. This is used when the other drivers are trying to grab your attention. Whether to let you know that there is construction ahead or even traffic, that is what they mean. A heads up to the other drivers.

There are far more indicators that drivers use when driving, no the road rage ones don’t count. I know you were thinking of those signs.

These indicators are mostly as a respect for other drivers as well as preventing anyone running their vehicle into you. Avoiding accidents one indicator at a time.

Jenkins, Richard. “Signalling – Making and Responding to Car Signals.” Signaling – Using Car Indicators and Other Signals. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2017.

You know the mornings that never seem to end? The ones where it starts off wrong with not finding a sock, then your shirts are all dirty, and then your car won’t start.

Who actually keeps track of the last time they changed their car battery? Not many people. There is that heat that rises up as you slowly turn that key, you can feel your blood start to boil, and that mean look that you just can’t seem to get off your face. Now, we’ve all done this. We’ve sat there turning the key, holding it tighter and pushing it in harder. Nope, not the way to go as that will break your key and your car quicker.

Yup, that means your battery might be dead. Batteries usually take months, sometimes years to die depending on the vehicle itself. When you bring your battery and car to your service department, they can change it for you there. There are more ways than just turning your key and have it not work. Here they are:

• The car battery does not only power the engine, but also needs enough power to run the electronic components in the car ie. power windows, power seats, radio, etc.

• Light on dashboard- The battery shape light on your dashboard will be going off when you get to that point that your battery needs more attention. Once the light does come on, it would be in your best interest to have that checked out by a professional.

• Your battery case looks a bit swollen: This is caused by a chemical reaction within the box. This comes from really hot or really cold weather conditions.

• Old battery: A battery works about four to five years until it needs or should be replaced. Once the battery is old, the battery does not have much life left.

• Certain smell: Overcharged or froze, the car battery produces a smell of rotten eggs. Yuck!

It is essential to have your battery looked at by your service department. The lifeline of a car battery is usually four to five years, so once the four years start to hit, you should be getting that checked out! Ask your service advisor for the technician to tell you how much they think you have left with your current battery.

A dead battery can happen to anyone at any given time, so it is better to be proactive and stay on top of how long you’ve had a new battery. Your service department will help with this!

Your morning might start out rough sometimes, that’s a given, but make sure you are checking your battery every once in awhile to make sure that your morning doesn’t randomly get worse!

“Pep Boys.” Six Signs of a Failing Car Battery | Pep Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2017.