When most people think of a tune up they associate it with mechanical maintenance done on a vehicle that is older and not running at its peak. This myth couldn’t be further from the truth. A tune up is something that is done as preventative maintenance on your vehicle to insure that it runs at its peak performance 100% of the time. It is something that is done on a car from the day that it is new and something to help you avoid costly repairs.
I like to break tune ups into two categories, minor tune ups and major tune ups. Minor tune ups typically don’t cost any money to perform unless you uncover a problem. Major tune ups are a little more rigorous. Here is what both involve
Minor Tune Up
Minor tune ups consist of checking the following on your car or truck:
Check your engine fluids
- This includes your engine oil, transmission, coolant, brake, clutch, washer fluid and anything else that your vehicle may have.
- This check should be done weekly or every 250 miles (400 km)
- Checking your fluids regardless of whether your vehicle is brand new or older will help insure that you catch a possible leak or other issue before it causes a costly repair. It could also be the difference between you finding a problem in the warranty period versus out of it. It would suck to have to replace a motor or other major component on your brand new car because a rock bounced up on the highway and caused an oil leak that you never caught and your warranty cover.
Clean, test & inspect your battery
- This should be done every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or every 6 months – whichever comes first.
- This is really easy to do. A battery brush costs about $4 at the parts store. Undo your battery terminals, clean off your connections and bolt it back together. You can leave the battery in the car to do this. This will help insure your connections remain strong to avoid starting and charging problems. As an bonus, spray your battery terminals with a product like fluid film to help prevent corrosion build up.
Check your cooling system over
- This should be done every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or every 6 months – whichever comes first.
- Do this when your engine is cold and you haven’t run the engine in a couple of hours to avoid injury. Undo your radiator cap to check the fluid level in the radiator. Check the coolant level in your reservoir. Check over your radiator and heater core hoses and clamps to insure there is no leaks and the clamps have not loosened with the vibration of the car.
Check the fuel system
- This should be done every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) or every 12 months – whichever comes first.
- Remove your gas cap and inspect the rubber seal for damage or corrosion. Replace it if you find any. Check your fuel lines for any cracks or deterioration.
Check your drive belt
- Your drive belt is also known as your serpentine belt
- This should be done every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or every 12 months
- Belts are prone to wear. Inspect the belt for any cracking or uneven wear in or on the grooves. Twist the belt so you can inspect both sides (do this with the car off). Replace it if there is cracking or uneven wear.
Major Tune Up
Major Tune ups consist of checking the following on your car or truck:
Check and replace the air filter
- This should be done every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 2 years – whichever comes first.
- This is generally pretty easy and cheap, there isn’t much to check. I recommend just replacing it. If you live or drive in a dusty environment I encourage you to do this sooner.
Check PCV valve
- This should be done every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 2 years – whichever comes first.
- Pull out your PCV valve and give it a shake. If you hear it rattling the PCV valve is still good and you can reinstall it. If you do not hear a rattle it is clogged and needs to be replaced.
Replace the spark plugs
- This should be done every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or when the maintenance schedule in your manual outlines.
- The more miles on the spark plug the bigger the gap on the plug gets contributing to harder starts, poorer gas mileage, poor performance and stumbling issues.
Inspect the spark plug wires
- This should be done every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or when the maintenance schedule in your manual for your car outlines.
- If they are damaged at any point, replace them.
Replace the spark plug wires
- This should be done every 60,000-100,000 miles (96,000-160,000 km) or when the maintenance manual for you car outlines
Routine Maintenance
The above outlines what both a minor and major tune up involves, but it is still important to keep in mind that your vehicle will also have a routine maintenance schedule. This schedule will cover things such as when to rotate your tires, when to change your brake fluid, transmission fluid, differential fluid etc. If you stay on top of your routine maintenance and tune ups from the day you buy the car new, you will decrease the chances of having costly repairs and a unreliable vehicle. If you do these checks yourself, you’ll go into the mechanics more knowledgeable and with less of a chance of being scammed. You’ll also save yourself more money!
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