Most vehicle owners are aware that a car tune-up and preventative maintenance services are small investments in their vehicle that will repay them with dividends in improved fuel economy, longer engine life and cleaner air. You can protect that investment by establishing and following a maintenance plan. Check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
Is a Tune Up Still Necessary Today?
Even today’s modern vehicle should have a tune up to ensure you get the maximum reliability and safety from the vehicle you depend upon daily. A car tune up is an orderly process of inspection, diagnosis, testing, and adjustment that is necessary periodically to maintain peak engine performance or restore the engine to original operating efficiency.
Over the years, ignition systems have become much more dependable. Many engines don’t even have distributors anymore, but use a DIS or Direct Ignition System instead. These systems either mount one ignition coil on each spark plug, or they share one coil for two, thus eliminating the need of a distributor. A maintenance schedule is still important for these types of engines.
However, for engines that still use distributors, a car tune up will replace the distributor cap, distributor rotor, and ignition wires in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The spark plugs may be replaced as needed. Ask your local mechanic for professional advice in establishing and following a maintenance schedule for your specific vehicle and type of driving.
Remember: To restore the performance of your truck or car, have a quality tune up performed by a certified auto service center.