What Items Are Included in a Major Car Maintenance?
2 Answers
Major car maintenance includes servicing the engine, transmission, chassis, body accessories, and electronic components. Below is a detailed breakdown: Engine Maintenance: Cleaning tasks involve removing carbon deposits, gum, and scale buildup. Additionally, inspections are conducted on the fuel system, oil pan, valves, oil seals, spark plugs, and other components. Any parts showing excessive wear or aging should be replaced. Transmission Maintenance: Inspect the transmission and replace the transmission fluid. Re-tighten the flywheel housing bolts and transmission housing. Chassis Maintenance: Major chassis maintenance primarily covers three major sections: suspension, front and rear axles, and the braking system. Hardware is inspected to ensure there is no wear or other damage, followed by reinforcement and realignment of components. This includes replenishing or replacing shock absorber fluid, brake fluid, and lubricants. Body Accessories Maintenance: Major maintenance for body accessories involves checking for issues such as looseness in tires, fenders, hood, dashboard, seatbelt components, seats, and foot pedals. Inspections also cover aging or cracked fasteners and misalignment. Electronic Components Inspection and Maintenance: This mainly includes routine checks for the onboard computer, air conditioning system, battery, instrument panel, and central control screen. Apart from replacing the air filter for the AC, other components do not require replacement unless obvious faults are detected.
Last time I went for a major service, the mechanic gave my car a comprehensive check-up, which is just as important as a human physical exam. Changing the engine oil and oil filter is a basic procedure, and the air filter and cabin air filter also need replacement, otherwise the air inside the car gets stuffy. The brake system must be thoroughly inspected - if the brake pads and rotors are worn beyond the minimum thickness, they need replacing, and the brake fluid should be changed every two years. Transmission fluid and coolant should be refreshed when they've reached their service intervals, and worn spark plugs directly affect ignition performance. The mechanic also performed a computer diagnostic scan of all electrical systems, rotated the tires and did a wheel alignment, and methodically retightened every chassis bolt. Finally, they checked details like lights and wipers. The entire major service took two to three hours, but the car definitely felt noticeably smoother to drive afterward.
