How should car maintenance be done?
Every car has thousands of parts, and it is essentially just a sophisticated machine and equipment. From the day it leaves the factory, it is a process of constant wear and tear. If the owner's driving habits are not good and the car is not carefully maintained, the service life of the car will be reduced, and potential safety hazards will appear, threatening the safety of the drivers and passengers on the car.
In fact, every car comes with a maintenance manual when it leaves the factory. Consumers only need to maintain or replace related parts according to the time specified in the maintenance manual. However, there are also many users who don't remember the provisions in the maintenance manual and should be maintained instead of maintained. At this time, it will have a bad influence on their cars.
The following figure shows the maintenance or replacement cycle of some common parts. It should be pointed out that the maintenance cycle of cars produced by different manufacturers or cars with different prices produced by the same manufacturer will be very different. The above picture only refers to the basic maintenance cycle. Users should carefully consult their own user maintenance manuals or communicate with riders to determine their own maintenance time.
Under normal circumstances, we should all go to the car 4S shop for maintenance, especially the cars under warranty. Because the accessories and fluids used in the 4S shop are in accordance with the manufacturer's standards, the technical strength is generally better than that of the outside repair shop, and the maintenance will leave relevant maintenance records, and the car condition will be clearer.
However, many 4S stores also have some projects or routines that pit money. Users should be careful not to be cheated.
First, don't carry out too many maintenance and cleaning projects.
Many employees in 4S auto shops will advise you to clean the accelerator, oil circuit, carbon deposit and air conditioning system when you go for maintenance, and sometimes they will release some pictures of serious carbon deposit in the car to scare you. In fact, these clean-ups are optional behaviors. Because the gasoline is much cleaner now than before, there is basically no need to clean the throttle, oil circuit and carbon deposit. If you have to clean it, you can clean it once every 30 thousand kilometers. If you are asked to clean every 5000 kilometers, you are charging your IQ tax, because the cost of these cleaning is not low.
As for the cleaning of the air conditioning system, it is actually very simple. Usually you can do it yourself, because you can use air conditioning cleaner. If you don't want to do it yourself, go to the repair shop outside and help you in half an hour. This price is much lower than that in 4S stores. If the air conditioner filter element is changed frequently, it is ok not to clean it.
Second, don't do tire maintenance.
Nowadays, many car 4S shops have so-called tire maintenance projects, which basically help you clean your tires and wax them. This project is expensive, but it is basically useless, just to make your tires look cleaner. Tire is one of the most durable parts in automobile. Before driving, just check whether there are pebbles and hard objects stuck in the tread. If you want to look clean, just wash it with water.
However, tires are most afraid of wear. If the tire tread is basically smooth or lower than the wear mark, it should be replaced immediately. Or, if the tire is punctured, it should be replaced immediately.
Third, the replacement parts are not genuine.
Auto parts will inevitably age, sometimes involving the replacement of parts, but consumers should keep their eyes open at this time, because some auto 4S shops clearly tell you to replace the original parts, and then turn around and get cheaper spare parts from cottage manufacturers to replace them for you. What's more, some even give you second-hand parts and refurbished parts to replace.
Therefore, when replacing parts, users should watch them on the spot, or check the appearance, packaging and manufacturer of the parts to be replaced to confirm whether they belong to the original accessories. If it's no trouble, users can take away the parts they replaced to prevent reuse.
Fourth, steal "oil" or let you change the oil in advance.
Engine oil belongs to the most common consumables of automobiles, and it should be changed basically every time it is maintained. But as we all know, many car 4S shops also take a fancy to this fat oil. What they usually use is to steal engine oil. One is to suck a little of your old good engine oil, and the other is to add a little less when changing the new engine oil, adding 0.5L less each time. You won't know if you don't look. Therefore, when changing oil, it is best to supervise nearby.
There is also a common problem in changing oil, that is, the staff will let you change the oil in advance and say "it is better to change the car in advance", but in fact, the quality of the oil is already very good, just change it according to the replacement cycle in the manual. And the oil is usually more durable than you think, and it is not a problem to change it after 1000 kilometers.
Of course, there are still many routines in the car 4S shop. For example, if a small part goes wrong, you are required to replace the whole assembly, overcharge the working hours, and say that the agreed maintenance items will not be done at all.
On the one hand, consumers should be vigilant, on the other hand, they should remember to find a reputable repair shop or 4S shop to ensure that they will not spend hard money but can't get the corresponding service.