What Does an Engine Maintenance Checklist Include?
2 Answers
Engine maintenance includes the following parts: Mechanical Section: Generally includes one set of intake and exhaust valves, one set of piston rings, one set of cylinder liners (4 pieces for a 4-cylinder engine), two thrust washers, and four pistons. Cooling System Section: Generally includes the water pump, upper and lower engine hoses, large circulation metal pipe, small circulation rubber hose, and throttle body hose. Fuel Section: Generally includes upper and lower oil rings for the fuel injectors, fuel filter; Ignition Section: Check high-voltage lines for swelling or leakage and replace if necessary, spark plugs. Intake Section: Generally includes the air filter; Other auxiliary materials generally include coolant, engine oil, oil filter, carburetor cleaner, and engine metal cleaner or all-purpose cleaner. Components to be Inspected: Generally includes checking the cylinder head for corrosion or unevenness, crankshaft, camshaft, timing belt tensioner, timing belt adjustment pulley, timing belt, external engine belt and adjustment pulley, rocker arms or rocker arm shafts. If equipped with hydraulic lifters, additional inspection of hydraulic lifters is required.
I've been repairing engines for over a decade. The maintenance checklist mainly consists of three parts. Basic items include changing engine oil and oil filter, replacing air filter, and cleaning throttle valve carbon deposits – these are mandatory for every service. Core inspections focus on the ignition system, such as checking if spark plug gaps are too wide or if ignition coils are aging; for the fuel system, we need to measure fuel pressure and inspect fuel injector atomization, sometimes requiring fuel system cleaning. Mechanical fault diagnosis is the major part – using a borescope to check cylinder walls for scoring, measuring whether cylinder pressure meets standards, and adjusting belt tension. If oil or coolant leaks are found, there's an 80% chance the valve cover gasket or water pump seal needs replacement. Recently, adding an ECU trouble code scan has become popular to detect sensor issues in advance. In short, the checklist should be dynamically adjusted based on symptoms like abnormal noises or smoke – don't just blindly perform all items.
