Tune Up

Whether you own a brand new model or a faithful old clunker, every driver needs a car tune-up from time to time. Proper maintenance will keep your vehicle operating safely and maximize fuel efficiency. And if you notice any of the 4 warning signs listed below, don’t hesitate. A delay could lead to significant damage (which means costly repairs). Instead, bring your car in for a tune-up ASAP.

Modern technology — like fuel injection and computerized onboard monitoring — has simplified routine automobile maintenance for newer cars. However, there are still some critical issues that need regular attention.

1. WHAT DOES A TUNE-UP CONSIST OF? 1. REPLACE PLUGS, WIRES, AND OTHER IGNITION PARTS The ignition system consists of spark plugs, plug wires, coils, and other electrical components that ignite the air/fuel mixture in your combustion chamber. The system has changed drastically over the years, where newer ignition systems require only spark plugs and wires/coil boots to be changed at a certain mileage. Older vehicles, as stated before, can have a distributor cap and rotor, and even older, can have breaker points.

2. LET YOUR ENGINE RUN CLEAN WITH NEW FILTERS Filters in your vehicle consist of: oil, fuel, air, and cabin air filters. Filters keep contaminating particles from reaching vital components in your engine and related systems. Having a clean filter improves engine performance and efficiency. Dirty filters make your vehicle work harder to get the air, fuel, and oil that it needs. This can choke off your engine or decrease the ability to deliver air, oil or fuel at the proper pressure.

3. CHECK BELTS AND HOSES Belts connect the pulleys of your accessory drive system which transfer the rotating force of the crankshaft pulley to the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, and other systems. Hoses transfer vital fluids throughout the engine. Over time, belts and hoses wear down due to the elements they are exposed to such as heat and cold as well as the constant use they see with day to day operation of the vehicle. They eventually wear down, glaze over, turn brittle, crack and even break.

4. MAINTAIN YOUR CAR WITH THE RIGHT FLUIDS Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid are necessary for your vehicle to operate properly. Contaminated fluids can lead to excessive wear on internal components. You can save money in the long run by servicing these fluids before expensive damage occurs. Regular change intervals exist for each type of fluid and as such, they need to be replaced at recommended service intervals.

<You can get great benefits from performing a tune-up on your vehicle. It’s one of the best ways to maintain original performance. In fact, fixing a car that is badly out of tune can give a noticeable boost to both engine performance and fuel economy.