Is Car Maintenance Based on Time or Mileage?
2 Answers
Car maintenance can be based on either time or mileage. Car maintenance items include: 1. Changing the engine oil and oil filter; 2. Replacing the oil filter element, air filter element, fuel filter element, cabin air filter element, and transmission oil filter element; 3. Adding windshield washer fluid, coolant, and air conditioning refrigerant; 4. Checking for wear on the drive belt; 5. Cleaning throttle valve and cylinder carbon deposits; 6. Inspecting the chassis for damage; 7. Checking the body and tires. The benefits of car maintenance: 1. Ensuring the car maintains excellent performance; 2. Improving driving safety; 3. Reducing engine noise; 4. Extending the vehicle's service life.
I've been driving for twenty years and seen too many people get the maintenance intervals wrong. Just follow whichever comes first between the manual's time or mileage recommendations – that's always the safe bet. For example, semi-synthetic oil typically needs changing every six months or 5,000 km. If you drive 10,000 km in three months, you'll obviously need an early oil change; conversely, if you only cover 3,000 km over two years, the oil will still oxidize and deteriorate, requiring replacement. Fluids like brake fluid and coolant degrade with time regardless of mileage – I once saw a two-year-old new car with just 2,000 km on the odometer whose brake fluid had dangerously high water content. Remember this rule: mileage matters for high-use vehicles, but time is critical for cars that sit idle.
