What is the difference between major maintenance and minor maintenance?
4 Answers
The differences between major maintenance and minor maintenance are as follows: 1. "Minor maintenance" generally refers to routine maintenance items performed when the vehicle has not traveled a long distance to ensure its performance. It mainly includes oil change, oil filter replacement, and routine inspections. 2. "Major maintenance" is relative to minor maintenance. In addition to oil change, it also requires the replacement of the three filters and spark plugs: the three filters refer to the air filter, oil filter, and fuel filter. Filters are used to remove impurities, with the three filters respectively filtering dust in the air, sludge and carbon deposits in the oil, and impurities in the fuel.
As a veteran driver with ten years of experience, I believe the difference between major and minor maintenance mainly lies in scope and frequency. Minor maintenance is like routine upkeep, primarily involving oil and oil filter changes, along with simple checks on tire pressure and lights, typically done every 5,000 kilometers or six months, costing a few hundred yuan. It ensures engine lubrication, improves fuel efficiency, and keeps the car running smoothly. Major maintenance, however, is a comprehensive check-up, performed every two years or 20,000 kilometers, involving more components: replacing brake pads, spark plugs, belts, and checking coolant, transmission fluid, etc. Skipping it can lead to accumulated minor issues causing engine overheating or brake failure—I once skipped it to save money and ended up paying several times more for repairs. Therefore, separating them saves money, ensures safety, and extends the car's lifespan.
I just learned to drive not long ago, and I feel like minor maintenance and major maintenance are like small gatherings vs big parties among friends. Minor maintenance is the most basic, suitable for short trips—just an oil and filter change every 3,000 to 5,000 kilometers. It's quick, doesn't cost much, and takes about 20 minutes. Major maintenance is much more complex, required every 20,000 kilometers or longer, involving replacing brakes and belts, checking the air conditioning and transmission, sometimes taking half a day and costing thousands. If you only do minor maintenance, the car may look good on the outside but is prone to internal issues. I recommend beginners schedule maintenance regularly—don’t delay to avoid breakdowns on the road. Plus, doing major maintenance during seasonal changes helps prevent problems in advance.
As an ordinary office worker, I focus on cost differences: minor maintenance is a routine expense, changing oil and filters costs a few hundred, more frequent but economical; major maintenance is the big expense, two to three times the price, every one or two years, replacing belts, brakes, etc., preventing major repairs and actually saving money in the long run.
