Ok I would like to change the fluids in my 06 pacifica so I would like to know if the brake and power steering fluid and also the tranny fluid anything special where I have to go to the dealership to buy em' or can I just go to kragen and buy them? My Pacifica is at 68k now and a shop is telling me that it needs a complete flush and top off of all the fluids and tire rotation. I'd like to save some cash and change the fluids myself and possibly do the tire rotation myself so the only two fluids I know of are the brake, power steering fluid and tranny and ofcourse the motor oil, am I missing anything else?

thank you,
jeff

 

Trans fluid should be ATF+4

As for power steering fluid check the cap and see if it says ATF or Power Steering fluid.

Coolant will be every 5 years or 90k miles.

Check your owners manual or anything else but most of the basics for the major service are oil change air filter change inspect brake pads rotors ect rotate tires fuel injection cleaning battery service.

 

First of all, yes all those fluids are standard items and can be purchased at just about ANY store with an automotive section. I haven't seen a Pac owner's manual to know for sure, but there should be a section in there that says what fluids are recommended for the various things you mentioned. Do you change your own oil? If not I'd suggest starting there, to get familiar with your car, and the engine bay/underbody.

"Complete flush" can be an overused term in the automotive service industry. Some fluids swaps should be done regularly (oil for instance), but pretty much all others are rated for much much longer. Power steering fluid should never need to be changed, unless there is a problem or leak in the steering system. Same with brake fluid or "bleeding brakes"... unless you get air in the system or have some other fluid loss/problem when putting new brakes on, that should be fine.

At 68k I don't think ANYTHING is required with fluids, except regular oil changes. Any mechanic scaring you into that is just wanting your money. As far as "topping off", yes you do want to check those fluids every so often because if they are low then it may indicate a leak. Most are easy to check and have a "dipstick" or other way to measure how much should be in there, just like engine oil.

For long-term maintenance purposes, it's not a bad idea to drain & fill radiator (coolant) and tranny fluid - but if you can't do it now, don't feel like you are destroying your car or anything. You probably can do those yourself, although draining the tranny fluid can be tricky on some cars - on others it's no harder than changing oil, which is another reason I suggest you start there. I've not done that on a Pacifica yet, so I can't speak from direct experience.

I do a lot of work myself on cars to save shop money, but tire rotations are one thing I let the shop do. Unless you have access to a hydraulic lift, it would take a considerable amount of time to separately jack up all four corners of the car at different times to switch the tires around. Not worth the $20 or so in my opinion, and many tire shops will give you lifetime rotations when you buy your tires there anyway. That said, if you have the time/equipment and want to get proficient at changing your tires... go for it!