What’s Involved in a Tune-Up?
Even if you’re unfamiliar with automotive maintenance, you’ve probably heard about taking a car in for a tune-up. While what’s involved in a tune-up has changed over the years since engine technology has advanced, the tune-up is still an essential part of regular maintenance that can help your car last longer and perform better. Here’s what typically happens when you bring your car to a service center for a tune-up.
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Ignition parts
A properly functioning ignition system is essential for optimal performance and efficiency. During a tune-up, your vehicle’s spark plugs, coils, and wires will be checked and replaced, if needed. Due to their constant exposure to high temperatures and electrical arcs, the metal on your spark plugs can get worn down. And if they’re too worn, your vehicle’s fuel won’t be able to ignite properly — leading to engine misfires. Ignition wires are also subject to wear and tear. Bad wires can also lead to misfires, as well as rough idling, weak performance, and possibly even a dead cylinder in your engine. Coils can also be exhausted over time, leading to poor acceleration and lousy efficiency.
Filters
As long as they’re clean and well maintained, filters keep your vehicle’s systems free from debris that could gum up the works. A typical tune-up will replace your car’s engine air filter, which could boost your car’s performance and increase its fuel economy by as much as 14 percent. A clean cabin air filter prevent allergens from getting into the cabin, so this aspect of a tune-up is especially helpful if you or your passengers have respiratory issues.
There are also filtration systems for the oil and gasoline. The oil filter is particularly important to maintain — when it’s clogged, it can lead to high oil pressure that could damage your engine. And when the fuel filter isn’t maintained, it can lead to weak acceleration or even excess wear and tear on the fuel pump. Your vehicle’s tune-up should also check or replace the positive crankcase ventilation valve. If it’s clogged, it can lead to reduced efficiency, misfiring, and in severe cases, blown gaskets.
Belts and hoses
Hoses and belts are easy to take for granted, but they wear out from exposure to extreme temperatures and regular usage, just like every other component. Belts are constant tension, and hoses can crack from dry rot. Bad belts can lead to the failure of other car parts — for instance, a malfunctioning timing belt can cause major damage to the pistons. The inspection during a tune-up can spot these signs of an issue before they ground your car and leave you on the hook for expensive repairs.
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Fluids
A good tune-up will involve checking and topping off all of your vehicle’s essential fluids, or replacing them if necessary. These critical fluids include motor oil, transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid, and power steering fluid. However, each of these fluids has its own recommended service interval for a full flush, so keep track of your service records and request a flush if needed.
For more information on helping your car achieve peak performance, check out our article on essential routine car maintenance.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.