Fluid Changes

[JohnnyBass]

BTW I just had the Transmission Fluid changed 8,000 miles ago? What Fluids should I be changing regularly other than oil (obviously).

[pinoyesv6]

pretty much just check the rest of your fluids from time to time.

fluids like

power steering
brake
coolant
tranny
washer

i mean those fluids can go bad over time and its good to check em from time to time to check their levels and to kinda visually see if they could be needing a changing...

[cantbeatmy97]

especially the radiator if it turns a slimy brown color usually every 2 yrs before winter change the radiator fluid its called a radiator flush.if u do this b4 winter it will heat up yur car fast and wont smell burnt.make sure its green some have orange,yellow,red dont be fooled but very important not to mix those colors.its for a longer life of the coolant.u can do this yurself just drain the radiator plug down below or disconnect the lower hose

[Kain]

Define "regularly"

Brake fluid: Completely flush...oh, every 2nd or 3rd brake job, or whenever it starts looking nasty. It should be clear chances are, it's <span style='color:brown'>brown</span> and should be changed.

Coolant: Change it every two years or so. Not too tough, just drain, flush and re fill. Not fun, kinda messy, but it really prolongs the life of your radiator.

Power steering: Under normal circumstances you should never have to mess with this. Check it periodically in case it develops any leaks.

Tranny Fluid: Really depends on your driving. I like to go by the color of the fluid. As long as it's a bright red, I say leave it. When it goes to a dried blood color change it along with the filter. Most people get around 20,000-50,000 miles to a tranny fluid change. But hard driving can drastically shorten that.

Washer fluid: Yeah, it's blue stuff. Should be full, completely optional. Some people just remove the whole stupid thing.

Of course, there's also oil which should be changed every 3000 miles or so. It won't kill your car if you go over that.

Not a fluid, but check your tire pressure at least once a month. Especially during season changes.

So, most stuff isn't a regular change thing, it really depends on how you drive the car. Just keep an eye on everything.

[manybrews]

my mitsus standards, heres what you got.
oil every 3000
trans fluid every 30000
coolant every 30000


thats about it.
changing the brake fluid is not a recommended service by anyone. frankly, its a waste of time these days. in 8 or 10 years, the caliper slides will have siezed up requiring a new caliper anyway, and the system will get bled at the time of replacement.
changing the power steering fluid is an equal waste of time. its really not going to save you anything, especially since power steering systems rarely fail these days, and if they do its usually a leak (requiring replacement of the fluid anyway).