Should I Stay and Watch During the First Maintenance?
3 Answers
Yes, here are the reasons and items involved in the first maintenance: 1. While observing, you can also take a look at the workshop environment, assess the skills of the maintenance workers, and see if their operations are standardized and professional. You can even follow the entire process to clearly observe some operational steps, such as changing the engine oil and oil filter. During this time, you can discuss daily maintenance tips or driving methods with the workers, which can be very practical for handling unexpected situations in the future. 2. The first maintenance requires changing the engine oil. Engine oil plays roles in lubrication, cleaning, sealing, cooling, and reducing friction in the engine. Changing the oil helps reduce engine wear. 3. Replace the oil filter. Since the oil may contain various impurities during operation, the oil filter must be used to filter them before the oil flows into the engine, preventing blockages and other issues. 4. Clean the air filter. When a large amount of air enters the engine, it carries dust. If this unfiltered air directly enters the engine, it can cause cylinder wear and even severe issues like cylinder scoring.
As a veteran driver who has owned five cars, I genuinely think it's worth spending time in the maintenance bay. It's not that I distrust the 4S店, but mainly because you can learn something useful. That time when I watched the mechanic use a borescope to inspect engine carbon buildup, his explanation made me realize turbocharged engines require extra attention to oil quality. Standing next to the lift, you can also casually ask the mechanic to check for underbody scratches – free inspections like this are too good to pass up. Of course, if you're in a hurry, you can always wait in the lounge with coffee. But for those who want to understand their car better, observing the 15-minute oil change process is quite educational.
Over the years working as a mechanic at 4S shops, honestly speaking, I feel more at ease when customers observe nearby. Recently, I served a lady driving a new energy vehicle who recorded the entire process with her phone, asking about the purpose of gear oil replacement. I genuinely appreciate such conscientious customers and took the opportunity to teach her how to inspect hidden damages on the chassis guard plate. Of course, certain critical operations require workshop safety protocols, during which we'll ask customers to wait in the rest area. I'd advise new car owners to at least observe fluid replacement procedures - it allows them to verify product authenticity while picking up vehicle inspection tips, making them more confident during next maintenance.
