• What is a Tune-up?

In order to make sure everything is running efficiently and optimally you must take your vehicle once a year to an automotive Technician to do a regular check-up to all of your vehicle`s systems. This way, your properly tuned vehicle will increase your gas mileage, improve its performance, while at the same time protecting the environment. Inspecting and adjusting every system in your vehicle ultimately contributes to efficient fuel combustion and usage and what`s, even more, adds to the lifespan and protects against having to make automotive repairs in the future. Regular tune-up as a part of a regular maintenance schedule, in the long run, it can save you a lot of money.

• The Importance of a Tune-up

First things first, having a regular tune-up performed will save you a lot of money at the pump. Sometimes, something as simple as a dirty air filter can decrease your MPG (miles per gallon- a measure of how far a car can travel if you put just one gallon of petrol/diesel) by up to 20%. Doing mechanic routine maintenance is only one of the many ways to save money on your next trip for gas. Another thing not less important is that when your car is not maintained, you are indeed in danger of having a break down in the middle of traffic or even worse when you are on a road trip. It is much safer to have a tune-up performed to prevent a breakdown in advance. Helping the environment goes hand in hand with doing tune-up hence of the increased emitting of dangerous fumes into the air if you haven’t had one in years. Reducing your emissions will go along with doing a tune-up, this will not only keep you safer but it will protect the environment too. Somewhere along the road if you do choose to sell your car, you would be happy to know, that doing a regular check-up would add to the resale value of your vehicle. Keeping the records of all the tune-ups throughout the years is a must in order to show them to the potential buyer. This would only demonstrate to the buyer that you were Maintenace conscious and took care of your car.

• What’s Included in a Tune-up?

Most commonly there are a few things that get checked during a tune-up. The fuel filter is one of the first things checked and always needs to be replaced at its mileage interval because it can usually be clogged. Valves are the next on the list, they are properly adjusted base on mileage interval according to manufacturers specs and valve-cover gasket is replaced. Belts must be replaced too if they are worn, crack or stretched because they can cause great engine damage or even break while in operation. Oil together with oil filters is replaced especially if there have been more than 3, 000 miles or more since your last oil change. The air filter is important, also changed in the regular tune-up. Fluids like brake fluid, radiator coolant, transmission fluid, and the all-important windshield wiper fluid are checked. If your car has a manual transmission, the clutch can be adjusted, if need be. Electrical system together with the battery must be checked and diagnosed with voltmeter and computer diagnostics. Last but not least, installation of new spark plugs and replacement of positive crankcase ventilation (PVC) valve, to end the regular tune-up.

All of this must be taken seriously, this is not just a laundry or shopping list to be crossed off your schedule, taking care of your car can make all the difference between an expensive breakdown and your car running smoothly for the years to come. Seeing and finding a potential problem before causing permanent damage can play the crucial role in having a safe, beneficial and environmentally-friendly vehicle.