Leaks & Squeaks

Has your vehicle got a really annoying squeak? Or maybe it’s leaving a trail of some neon-colored juice. Afraid it might be cheaper to drive it over a cliff than to a mechanic? Never fear. Most of these are easy to fix yourself with inexpensive products you can find almost anywhere.

If your transmission is having trouble shifting, or if you see red fluid puddling around your car, check your transmission fluid level right away. Transmissions are closed systems and need to be full at all times. But don’t waste your time continually refilling the fluid. Seal the leak as you add transmission fluid, with a product like Prestone® ATF with Stop Leak.

If your car complains loudly when you turn it sharply right or left, it may be leaking power steering fluid. As an alternative to costly repair, try Prestone® Power Steering Fluid With Stop Leak to refill your system and stop the leak in one step.

The other leak you can seal with a simple additive is in your cooling system. Leaking antifreeze can be dangerous for neighborhood pets and lead to engine overheating, so it’s important to get this fixed. The trouble is, the leak could be anywhere. The radiator, the heater core or the hoses.

There are a number of stop leak products made for cooling systems, and each one seals a different size hole. Prestone® Stop Leaks seals most leaks in hoses, radiators and heater cores, and also helps lubricate the water pump and fights rust and scale at the same time. As you move up to more heavy-duty products for larger holes, you may want to go right to the big guns: something like Prestone^® Super Sealer.

Finally, squeaky belts make a sound all their own. That’s because as they get older, they start to lose their grip. V-belts and fan belts can crack with age as well. For these, try Prestone® Belt Dressing. It prolongs the life of the belts and also reduces strain on bushings and bearings.