Car Maintenance Tips: 5 must-know key items
In the daily use of the car, there are 5 key points to pay special attention to:
1. Warm up the car before driving:
After starting the vehicle, wait for about 30 seconds to warm up the car, let the engine oil and engine idle speed stabilize before driving.
2. Avoid frequently driving short distances:
Long-distance driving is beneficial to recharging the battery and removing carbon deposits. Frequent driving for short distances, or driving only once in a long time, will not only fail to achieve the above effects, but will easily damage the car.
3. Avoid prolonged sun exposure:
Avoid exposing the vehicle to the sun for a long time, which will easily accelerate the aging of the interior; also avoid parking in places with a lot of fallen leaves and bird droppings, which may easily cause damage to the vehicle's air intake system.
4. Avoid washing your car in the hot sun:
Washing the car under the scorching sun will easily cause the paint to lose its luster. In addition, waxing should be done in a straight line, and avoid waxing in circles, which will easily cause concentric halos on the surface of the paint.
5. Maintenance according to time & mileage:
The car should be maintained at the factory according to the specified time or mileage. If there is a problem with the car, it can be found and repaired as early as possible during the maintenance process.
What are the correct maintenance cycle (Mileage + Time) of the car?
There are many types of car maintenance items, among which the most basic regular maintenance items are the "five oils and three waters" known to all drivers. The car owner can check the condition of the five oils and three waters by himself before going on the road or after a long-distance driving to avoid problems during the driving. The so-called five oils refer to items such as transmission oil, engine oil, brake oil, power steering oil and gasoline. Sanshui refers to the tank water, battery water and wiper water.
More about "five oils and three waters":
Which five oils are five oils and three waters?
- Transmission oil (ATF Oil): Transmission oil is what we commonly call gear oil. It is a cleaning product that can clean the transmission system. The quality of the transmission oil will directly affect the performance of the transmission. It is recommended to use the original genuine oil. In order to prolong the service life of the gearbox.
- Engine oil: Lubricating oil specially used in internal combustion engines. The main function is to lubricate, reduce the wear of engine parts, and prolong the life of the engine. However, it also has functions such as cleaning, rust prevention, cooling, and air tightness.
- Power Steering Oil: It is mainly used to ensure the health of the power steering pump and power steering. In addition to providing hydraulic pressure, it also has the function of cooling and lubricating the steering system.
- Brake oil: Generally, the brake system of a small car mainly relies on the hydraulic principle, using the incompressibility of the liquid to transmit power, and the brake oil is the liquid in it.
- Gasoline: Fuel for cars, divided into 92, 95, and 98 unleaded gasoline. It is recommended to use the gasoline recommended in the car manual; however, for older cars, the engine compression ratio will increase due to engine carbon deposits. The demand for octane will also increase, and at this time it is recommended to increase the use of octane.
What are the five oils and three waters?
- Water in the water tank: In order to prevent the engine from exploding or burning due to high temperature, the cooling system is used to suppress the temperature in a stable state, and the water in the water tank is the heat exchange medium of the cooling system.
- Battery water: There are two types of batteries, one needs to be maintained with water, and the other is not used; batteries that need to be maintained with water are mainly used in lead-acid batteries with water to increase the service life.
- Wiper water: The main function is cleaning, in addition to lubrication, antifreeze, anti-fog and anti-static functions to reduce dust adhesion, reduce friction between wiper and glass, and prevent glass from being scratched.
And how often should the "five oils and three waters" be replaced? When a car owner buys a new car, suppose the car factory tells him that he needs to return to the original factory for maintenance if he “drives 5,000 kilometers in half a year”. In terms of safety, maintenance must be carried out when 5,000 kilometers or half a year is reached first, that is to say, when one of the conditions of mileage or time is met, it should enter the factory for maintenance once.
Even if you do not drive frequently, the opened engine oil will still oxidize and deteriorate after a long time in contact with the air. Even if the mileage has not been reached or the car is not used frequently, if it meets the replacement standard based on time, it is still recommended to enter the factory for maintenance. For car owners with high frequency of use, car parts or accessories are easy to consume and age. Therefore, when the car reaches the mileage specified for car maintenance, it must be sent to the factory for maintenance.
Car maintenance items, mileage and time consolidation table and suggestions
Most people think that buying a car is easy and difficult to maintain, but as long as regular maintenance is done so that the car can have a complete overhaul and normal operation, the car can usually accompany the owner for a long time. The 12 key items of car maintenance are listed below for your reference. Car owners can also check the car maintenance items and detailed suggestions in the original technical manual!
| Items | Suggestion | Mileage(km) | Replacement |
| Engine oil | When the engine oil is insufficient and appears opaque black or dark brown, it means that it is time to replace it. In addition, when the recommended mileage of a new car reaches 1,000 kilometers, it should be replaced. | 5,000 | 6-mths |
| Brake fluid | When the brake fluid reserve is less than the minimum scale (Min), it should be added to the maximum scale (Max); in addition, remember that different numbers of brake fluid cannot be mixed. | 20,000 | 2 years |
| Self-draining oil | When the self-draining oil is light brown, it should be replaced immediately, and it is recommended to choose fixed oils and avoid mixing them. | 20,000 | 2 years |
| Power oil | The car owner can draw out the oil volume of the oil storage tank and add new oil by himself. | 20,000 | 2 years |
| Gear Oil | Gear oil is the so-called transmission oil. It is recommended to use the original genuine oil to prolong the service life of the gearbox. | 50,000 | 5 years |
| Tank water | If imported water tank essence is used, which usually contains corrosive antifreeze, it must be diluted with water according to the instructions. | 20,000 | 2 years |
| Air filter | If you often go to places with a lot of suspended matter in the air (such as near the construction site), or in seasons with serious air pollution, you should replace them frequently. | 10,000 | - |
| Fuel filter | Replace according to the mileage recommended by the original manufacturer. | 20,000 | - |
| Spark plug | When replacing spark plugs, replace with a suitable brand of spark plugs according to the original manufacturer’s recommendations, and avoid changing the model by yourself. | 20,000 | - |
| Battery | Regularly check whether there is white powder accumulation on the appearance of the battery. When the accumulation is too much, it should be replaced in advance instead of waiting until the battery is out of power. | 10,000 | - |
| Tire | Normally, you should check whether the tire pressure is normal. When the tire is found to be severely worn and damaged, it should be replaced immediately. | 40,000 | 4 years |
| Belt | When the belt is cracked or has rough edges, it can be considered to replace it in advance. | 70,000 | - |