What Is A Tune-Up? Do You Need One?

Getting a tune-up doesn’t mean the same thing it used to. What’s a tune-up and when do you need one? Click to find out! #tuneup #carmaintenance #carrepair #preventativemaintenance

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:25 What is a tune-up?
02:10 What’s included in a tune-up?
03:48 How much does a tune-up cost?
04:29 How often should I get a tune-up?
05:21 Can I do my own tune-up?

More Bumper channels:

[noartifacts]

As a dental hygienist i always use car analogies hahaha so it'd great to see it the other way around!

[Hobbies]

There is no such thing as a "Tune-up" anymore as everything, except for spark plugs, no longer exists.

A Tune Up used to consist of:
Cleaning and adjusting the choke, adjusting idle mixture, and adjusting idle on the carburetor, which no longer exists.

Inspecting, adjusting, and sanding or replacing, if needed, the points. Replacing the condenser, and replacing the cap and rotor on the distributor, which no longer exists.

Replacing spark plug wires if needed, which no longer exist.

Setting the timing, which is no longer adjustable.

Replacing the PCV valve. This still exists.

Most places charged extra for the air filter and breather filter, and thus was not part of the tune-up.

The only things left of a Tune Up are the spark plugs and PCV valve. Spark plugs now have a change interval of about 100, 000 miles because of iridium spark plugs being used, as opposed to 20, 000 to 24, 000 miles of long ago.

So now it is just a spark plug change at 100, 000 miles, which to me is not a Tune-up. Its only changing spark plugs. I changed the PCV valve in my car at about 120, 000 miles, just so I would feel better. My engine had no running issues. I have 160, 000 miles on the engine now and it still runs like new. It's perfectly clean inside when visually inspected. I am waiting for some warmer weather to put the third set of spark plugs into it. I replaced the originals at 70, 000. It still has no running issues but, again, I want to change them just so that I feel better.

I believe anytime a person is told by a shop "Your car needs a tune-up" that they are trying to rip them off. They are only going to change spark plugs. If they put an air filter into the car it will not be part of the cost of the "tune-up."

I have been preaching this on the internet since distributors went away but there were still spark plug wires on ignition packs. At least they might get new wires too. Nobody is getting adjustments to their carb or adjustments and new parts for their distributor either. And timing is not being touched either.