When the car is being maintained, some money seems to be worth spending, but it is not necessarily useful, just wasting hundreds of dollars. Don't think that a few hundred dollars doesn't matter, a box of gas money. This is a bit like: some health care products advertised online are expensive, but they don't feel the benefits after eating them, and some are also suspected of IQ tax.

1. Tire maintenance

Tire maintenance, this money is not very recommended. Tires really need daily inspection and maintenance. China's recommended national standard GB/T 9768-20 17 "Rules for the Use and Maintenance of Tires" reads. Tire maintenance is divided into primary maintenance and secondary maintenance. What are the main contents? Check whether the tires are improperly assembled and whether there is friction with leaf springs, carriages and fenders; Tire pressure, appearance, puncture and wear, as well as cleaning stones and foreign bodies in the tire groove.

However, the tire maintenance advertised in the store is actually not those things just mentioned. The main thing is to help you clean your tires, remove stains, and then wax them to make them look more beautiful. It's like painting the soles of your shoes with essence to make them look better. Unless you are a very special friend, generally speaking, the meaning is not particularly obvious.

2. Turbine maintenance

Turbine maintenance is actually cleaning the turbocharger, saying that it can clean the dirt on the blades, but this cleaning is a bit redundant. The turbine maintenance given to us by the workshop is generally aimed at the impeller at the inlet end.

Invention patents of Lin Zhifeng and Gao Yaxing. "A cleaning method for automobile turbocharging system" introduces that at least one cleaning agent or flushing agent is injected into the inlet end of the turbine, so that the inlet end of the turbine is disconnected from the inlet end of the engine, and the inner wall of the inlet end of the turbine is cleaned by soaking or flushing. It looks really useful, but in fact, how did the air at the turbine inlet come in? Straight in? It was filtered by an air filter before entering. It's not as dirty as expected, and it doesn't need to be cleaned frequently.

3. Clean the throttle

The money for cleaning the throttle is not called "unnecessary expense", but may be "overspending". Because of normal use, the throttle generally does not need to be cleaned. When it is really necessary to wash, the car fault light jumps out to remind us. Do you meet many people when you jump out and do it again? Generally, after-sales consultants just say, "You're almost done!" Right? Too much has been done.

The paper "Basic Structure, Working Principle and Control Function of Electronic Throttle System" published by Ma in Automotive Application magazine was mentioned above. If the electronic throttle system fails, the EPC failure light on the instrument panel will light up. Unclean throttle is one of the most common causes of throttle system failure. In other words, the EPC“boom "fault light is on. At this time, check whether the throttle really needs washing. If it needs washing, it is reasonable and effective to operate.

But if you don't jump this light, or if it's not particularly dirty, it won't be too obvious to clean it up. And they are usually connected to one set and added together for you. Ah, when I used it, the oil circuit was also cleaned, and the throttle was also cleaned and the oil was changed. It's all done anyway. Oh, I feel comfortable all over. The comfortable part is not necessarily related to the throttle. That's how people make money.

In June 2020, a newspaper in Beijing reported it. A 4S shop cleans the accelerator for customers. A bottle of detergent cost 99 yuan, working time cost 180 yuan. As a result, the cleaning agent was poured out without washing at all. The master didn't realize that he had done nothing. 4S stores earned nearly 300 yuan. The owner also thinks: Well, my car should be better than before. This is a news report.

Clean up carbon deposits

In addition to cleaning the throttle, there is also "carbon removal". Most carbon removal methods commonly used in 4S stores are called "liquid cleaning". In addition to the effect, there are some side effects, such as three-way catalysis may be blocked. Wang Binbin's paper "Talking about the Influence, Prevention and Removal of Carbon Deposits on Vehicles" published in the Journal of Internal Combustion Engine and Accessories said so. There are some problems in the cleaning operation of liquid medicine. If it is cleaned frequently, it is easy to block the three-way catalytic conversion device and cause three-way catalytic poisoning.

This is like: there are some detoxification drugs on the market that can make your face glow, and the effect is not necessarily, but eating them may have the risk of diarrhea and may not be the most suitable. If you really want to watch it forever, you may be happier and sleep better, but this is a better choice.

5. Recommended additives

What kinds of additives are sold in the maintenance shop? Listen to the name. Do you think it is difficult? Engine antiwear agent, engine oil additive, engine oil enhancer and lubricant, don't they all sound powerful? For example, engine oil additives are recommended to us for wear resistance, extra cleaning and anti-corrosion functions. But in fact, oil manufacturers have already considered these problems when producing oil, and have added them.

Originally, a barrel of engine oil sold for 99%, which may be the basis of 90% engine oil, and then 10% additive was added to you, so we put it together. This 10% was sold separately, and it became 99 again. Let you add it again. Will the car break down if you add more? It won't break. But it's actually in the original engine oil. It is better to save money and buy better engine oil.

Pan Jinlian, Chen and others published papers in Science and Technology Communication to share with you. The composition and application of fully synthetic gasoline engine oil are discussed above. Engine oil is mainly composed of base oil and additives, and the proportion of additives is relatively small, generally not exceeding 20%. Moreover, the functions of these additives are clean dispersion, extreme pressure and anti-wear, anti-corrosion and anti-rust, improving friction, anti-oxidation and anti-foaming, and improving fluidity. It sounds like the function will basically not fall. At this time, add another bottle, which is the thing just mentioned. There's no harm in adding it, except that my wallet hurts a little.

6. Car maintenance should follow the maintenance manual.

So, generally speaking, when maintaining a car, just follow the maintenance manual. Items that are not written in the maintenance manual and have been recommended to us by the store, please keep your eyes open and have a good look. Turbine maintenance, throttle cleaning, tire maintenance … really need to see whether it is necessary or recommended.