RV Advice

How to Check Vehicle Fluid Levels | RV Preventative Maintenance

It doesn’t matter if it’s a motorized RV, your tow vehicle, or your daily driver, checking and maintaining all of the fluid levels is good preventive maintenance.

In this RV how-to video we’ll show you what fluid levels to check, and how you to do it. Add these fluid level checks to your preventive maintenance schedule to help identify any problems early.

Top Tips From This Video

• Use your owner’s manual to identity all the components on the vehicle that require oil or fluids to operate correctly – the manual will also tell you capacities and the proper fluids to use
• If your coolant is low, you could have a leak – check all the radiator and heater hoses and clamps for signs of a leak
• If you need to add coolant be sure to check the owners manual to ensure you do so correctly
• Do not remove a radiator cap when the coolant is hot or under pressure
• When checking engine oil be sure to ensure you’re within the safe area
• If the oil level is at the add mark it will take one quart of engine oil to reach the full mark
• Be sure to check your oil when the engine is warm, then shut the engine off allowing the oil sufficient time to run back into the oil pan before checking
• Automatic transmissions have a dipstick to check the transmission fluid
• Make sure you follow the recommended method for your vehicle to check correctly – this may take several steps
• Power steering fluid can usually be checked when the vehicle is hot or cold
• Always check the brake fluid when checking other fluids
• Since the brakes are a closed system, you should always check for leaks if the brake fluid is low
• To check gear oil, remove the fill plug and put your little finger into the fill plus hole to the first joint and bend down – you should have oil on your finger
• Be aware of other fluids that may need to be checked and maintained on your specific vehicle

KOA’s resident RV expert, Mark Polk, and his wife Dawn started RV Education 101 in 1999. Since that time RV Education 101 has helped educate millions of RV owners and RV enthusiasts on how to properly and safely use and maintain their RV. Mark’s favorite past times are RVing in their 35-foot Type A motorhome, and restoring vintage RVs, classic cars and trucks. For more information on how to learn about RVs the easy way, visit RV Education 101. Be sure to check out their RV Online Training Site too!