Your Complete Guide to Car Maintenance: Keeping Your Car Running Smoothly

Meaning:

Car maintenance refers to the technological process of providing brand new care for your car, according to the different materials used in parts of the car, with special care materials and products of different properties.

The current modern car maintenance mainly includes the maintenance of the engine system, gearbox system, air conditioning system, cooling system, fuel system, power steering system and so on.

Significance:

In the process of driving, many components are in a very harsh operating environment: high temperature, high speed, dusty, bumpy roads and so on. Some parts are constantly worn out due to high-speed operation, and some parts may accidentally bump into something. Regular check-ups, adjustments, or replacements are required.

Regular maintenance mainly involves checking and adjusting, and routine inspections of systems such as brakes, steering, transmission, and suspension are provided for every type of maintenance, creating a safe driving environment. Regular checks and maintenance can also identify and solve existing problems and prevent more significant failures.

Objects:

The common ones are nothing more than engine systems, gearbox systems, air conditioning systems, power steering systems, etc., which are also the most critical in maintenance projects.

Content:

Car maintenance is divided into internal and external maintenance:

Exterior refers to the surface of the car, maintenance of the aging of the car body paint and the bottom paint, such as car coating, car waxing, car tires, tire pressure testing, car cleaning and washing, car film, etc. can all maintain the bottom paint or car.

Interior refers to inside the car, such as interior cleaning, car sauna disinfection, engine cleaning, air conditioning cleaning, oil change, windshield washer fluid, car chassis armor etc. are maintenance methods for cars.

There are also regular maintenance items:

Change engine oil every 5000km/time, change fuel filter every 25000km/time, change spark plugs every 25000km/time, change brake fluid every 40000km/time, change air conditioning filter once a year, automatic transmission oil and filter and manual transmission oil 80000km/time, battery for 2-3 years, clean fuel injector every 25000km/time, check brake pad every 50000km/time, throttle every 15000km/time, check and lubricate door lock, hinge, sunroof, engine hood lock, trunk lock etc. every 1000km/time.

Generally speaking, changing transmission oil, boiling car water tank, steering wheel shaking, changing wheel rim, using engine oil etc. contain more moisture.

Maintenance Products:

Inevitably, car maintenance involves using the corresponding maintenance products (also known as car care products). As the name indicates, these are products for car maintenance. Choosing appropriate car care products can achieve "preventive maintenance, maintenance instead of repair", save a substantial amount of repair costs, and extend the lifespan of the vehicle, which is the reason why car care products exist. Common ones include: fuel system non-dismantling cleaner, intake system non-dismantling cleaner, air conditioning system purification cleaner, three-element cleaner, power steering system cleaner, power steering system all-effect protector, gearbox cleaner, gearbox protector etc.

Common Misconceptions:

The more engine oil, the better. If there is too much engine oil, the crankshaft pins and connecting rods will be severely disturbed during engine operation. This will not only increase the internal power loss of the engine, but also due to the increased splashing of engine oil onto the cylinder walls, this will cause the malfunction of oil burning. Therefore, the amount of engine oil should be controlled between the upper and lower scales of the oil gauge.

The tighter the drive belt, the better. The car engine's water pump and generator are driven by the V-belt. If the drive belt is adjusted too tight, it is easy to stretch and deform, and the pulleys and bearings can easily be broken and damaged. The tightness of the drive belt should generally be adjusted so that when the middle of the belt is pressed, it sinks between 3% to 5% of the center distance of the end pulleys.

The tighter the bolt, the better. There are many fasteners on the car that are bolted with bolts and nuts, which must have enough pre-tension, but it can't be over tightened. If it's too tight, on the one hand, it will cause the connected parts to deform permanently under external forces; on the other hand, it will cause permanent stretching deformation of the bolt, and the pre-tightening force will decrease or even cause slipping or breaking.

Taboos in maintenance:

One, avoid running the engine for a long time in an unventilated garage. The exhaust gas emitted by the engine contains carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled. Being in low concentration carbon monoxide gas for a long time can cause headaches, rapid breathing, nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, mental confusion and even brain injury. If the engine is started in the garage, the garage door should be opened or the exhaust device opened to discharge the exhaust gas from the garage at any time. Even if you work in the open air, don't stay near the exhaust pipe of a working engine for a long time.

Two, avoid sucking the oil pipe with your mouth. Gasoline is not only flammable and explosive, but also toxic. In particular, leaded gasoline can damage the human nervous system, digestive tract and kidneys. In addition, there are high concentrations of sulfides in gasoline. Hydrogen sulfide also has a certain toxicity. If gasoline is sucked into the stomach, it may cause poisoning or death. If this happens, you should induce vomiting and go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Three, avoid being contaminated with carburetor cleaner. Most carburetor cleaners contain methyl chloride, aromatics and ethanol, which are all somewhat toxic, so it's dangerous if these substances are inhaled into the nose or splashed on the skin and eyes.

Four, avoid mechanical injuries. Car maintenance is related to many aspects. During maintenance operations, obvious work markings should be set to prevent other people from accidentally operating and being injured. When starting a car, pay attention to the gear position of the transmission to prevent the car from being accidentally moved and hurting people. When operating under the engine hood, other people should be kept away from the driving compartment, to prevent the engine from turning suddenly or others from manipulating the organization, causing accidental injury. If you need to work under the car, you should set a clear mark and prop the car well with a car shield. When using a jack, the jack must be placed firmly. Prepare the right driving tools (driving stool), and avoid using fragile objects like bricks. When assembling assemblies, be careful not to probe screw holes, lock holes, etc. with your hands to avoid breaking your fingers. During engine testing, do not work under the car.

Five, avoid fire. When maintaining a car, it is often necessary to use flammable and explosive items such as oil and cleaning agents, at this time, never forget the fire prevention measures, prepare a fire extinguisher, just in case. Do not smoke near the fuel tank and battery, because the flammable gas released by the fuel tank and the hydrogen gas released by the battery are easily ignited.

Six, avoid burns. The engine that has just turned off because the temperature of all parts of the engine (water tank, exhaust pipe, power steering fluid tank and spark plug etc.) is relatively high, must be careful to touch, to avoid burns. If the engine is hot, do not take off the water tank lid or loosen the drain switch, to prevent burns.

Seven, avoid damaging the car. Brake fluid has a damaging effect on the paint of the car (including the paint of leather shoes), it can be soluble instantly on the paint. Brake fluid is harmful to the eyes, if splashed into the eyes, must immediately use clean water to wash it up.

Eight, avoid not paying attention to rotating parts and car road test protection. When the engine is running, pay attention that hands, clothing and tools must be kept away from rotating fan and fan drive belts (you'd better take off the rings, watches, and ties that you're wearing). For the test car, the condition of all parts of the car should ensure that it can be parked safely and steer effectively. The test car must have obvious test car signs. When test driving, the staff must be safe to ride and drive on special test lanes.

Nine, avoid not paying attention to the cleaning of the workplace. When closing the engine hood or other assembly caps, check whether tools, rags and disassembled parts are left behind, and close it after confirming that there is no error.

Precautions:

One, the maintenance of the car engine:

The engine of the car needs to be cleaned at an appropriate time. Because long-term use will form a thick layer of carbon deposits on the surface of the engine, thereby greatly corroding the rubber parts in the engine.

Two, to prevent gasoline and water from evaporating:

In summer, the temperature is generally high. So gasoline and water are more likely to evaporate than usual. Because you should frequently check the water tank and the fuel tank, and add gasoline and water in time when they are less.

Three, pay attention to the sanitation inside the car:

Summer is the fastest season for bacteria to breed, so the car should be kept clean, especially car cushions, car steering wheel covers, and car foot pads that are easy to dirty.

Four, car wipers need to be replaced:

When driving in the rain, you must pay attention to whether the wiper is good. The rubber leaves on the wipers that have been used for a long time will age, in order for rainy day driving to have a good view, car wipers are best replaced once every one to two years.

Five, car mats need to be updated:

A good car cool pad is an important choice for car sun protection in hot seasons. Choose cool and not too slippery pads, so as to avoid traffic accidents caused by body sliding while driving.

Six, car body also needs maintenance:

Ultraviolet rays can also cause great damage to the car, such as the infiltration of the car paint. You may notice that the body color of a white car will be significantly lighter and yellow after being exposed to sunlight for a long time. Therefore, in the summer, you need to wax and glaze your car, which can protect your car.

Maintenance Skills:

One, how to place things that are not often used but must be carried in the car: Open the trunk and look at the spare tire, which is the largest storage compartment.

Two, how to improve the air circulation and defrosting effect of the car: Change the dust filter filter (in the engine compartment) to the same size sponge, which increases the air intake, can be disassembled and washed, and the defrosting in the car is particularly fast in winter, and it is not necessary to turn on the fan when running long distances, and at the same time save fuel.

Three, how to keep the clutch easy for a long time: Ask the maintenance staff to discharge the waste oil from the clutch sub pump each time the brake oil is replaced. Because the clutch and the brake use the same storage oil cup, so although it might be difficult, it should be done this way.

Four, what to do when you feel that the brakes are not as good as before: When waiting for the red light, step on the brake hard a few times, and you will see the result.

Five, how to extend the use of the muffler: Drill a small hole in the lowest point below the muffler. The reason is simple: drain water to prevent corrosion.

Six, how to speed up the start: In the case of empty load or less load, directly use the second gear to start (don't worry about damage to the vehicle, because the first gear and the clutch are designed to overload, and most cars switch from first to second gear unsmoothly), rush to above 3000 rpm then quickly push into the third gear, again rush to above 3000 rpm, at this time most cars will fall behind you, safely switch to the fourth gear, fifth gear, you can also directly switch to the fifth gear (suitable for highway toll), and it does not increase fuel consumption, just try it.

Seven, how to eliminate the vibration and noise of the wiper blade: Use pliers to adjust the clearance at the joints and the place where the rubber blade is, and that's it.

Eight, how to extend the life of the bulb: After buying the car or replacing the new bulb, wipe the bulb with alcohol to remove fingerprints and oil, so far, not a light bulb has broken.

Nine, how to reduce tire noise: Stick a layer of black felt or velvet on the inner wheel protection plate. (Carefully experience the reduced tire noise after the rain, and increased noise after washing the car, because there is mud on the inner guard plate to absorb noise)

Ten, how to eliminate the noise caused by uneven wear of individual tires: After four-wheel alignment and balance, find a repair bicycle and borrow or buy a wood file, and file the high and low uneven areas of the tire surface to stop the noise.