A family car priced around 100000 yuan for engine overhaul ranges from 15000 to 25000 yuan, which is the price at a 4S dealership. If it were to be repaired outside, it would be cheaper, with cheaper labor and parts, but the parts are not original. Buying a new engine costs only 40000 to 50000 yuan, and a major overhaul can almost buy half a new one. So why is a major overhaul of an engine so expensive? What exactly are they fixing? Today we will talk about the issue of major repairs.

A car only needs major repairs if it has a malfunction. Nowadays, cars usually need to travel over 300000 kilometers under normal driving conditions before undergoing major repairs. Actually, many family cars are sold before reaching this mileage because their lifespan is too long. A car that has been in use for over a decade is considered an old car. It can travel 20000 kilometers a year, but only 200000 kilometers in ten years. If the vehicle is used frequently or for a long period of time, it must undergo a major overhaul. The most common reasons for requiring major repairs are: 1. The engine burns oil, which is the most common occurrence. 2. Power drop or severe shaking caused by insufficient cylinder pressure, which prevents normal driving and requires major repairs. 3. The internal bearing shells of the engine are severely worn and produce abnormal noises, requiring major repairs. 4. In special circumstances, the valve has been pushed and requires major repairs.

Originally, major repairs were aimed at repairing a specific malfunction, such as engine oil burning, but in fact, replacing small components such as valve seals and piston rings can solve the problem. However, due to the need to thoroughly disassemble the engine, other seals must also be replaced at the same time, as they are disposable and may be damaged if removed. Even if they are not damaged and reinstalled, they may not be tightly sealed and leak oil. Other components, such as timing chains, sprockets, etc., are generally replaced together. In short, there are quite a few components that have been replaced. Although there is no damage or malfunction, the 4S dealership will recommend replacing all of them after a major engine overhaul. Otherwise, replacing them again in the future will incur additional labor costs. After replacing all of them, the engine's performance will also recover better.

The replacement of multiple components is one reason, and another important reason is the replacement of large components. For example, replacing the crankshaft and camshaft would cost five to six thousand yuan for a single crankshaft. Of course, only these large components that are worn or damaged need to be replaced, otherwise they do not need to be replaced. As long as major components are replaced, the cost of major repairs will be relatively high. Without replacing major components, only some oil seals, piston rings, and even pistons, lower cylinder liners, etc. will be added, and the total cost will not be too high. It can be done around 15000 yuan, which also includes high labor costs, with a unit labor cost of 5000 yuan.

So the main components that need to be replaced during a major engine overhaul are actually not many, some of which are just relatively expensive. If you don't want to spend too much money on a major overhaul, for example, only solving the problem of oil burning. You can only replace a few oil seals. For major repairs, there is a complete overhaul package that requires replacement. Simply replacing the accessories in the overhaul package can solve most car problems, such as oil burning and insufficient cylinder pressure. If the engine produces abnormal noise, it may be necessary to replace large components, which will increase the cost. Generally speaking, vehicles are maintained on time and genuine engine oil is used, and even major repairs do not require the replacement of major components.

From: WONDEE Autoparts

2024-3-11