All About Tune-Ups

Question:

Answer:

Actually, there's no such thing as a "tune-up" anymore. It's really preventative maintenance and involves changing the spark plugs, air and fuel filters, PCV valve, and checking engine performance.

Webster's Dictionary defines a tune-up as "an adjustment to assure efficient functioning." Back in the early 1970s when many cars still had point ignition systems, checking and adjusting the points and ignition timing every 12,000 to 15,000 miles was usually necessary to compensate for wear. Fiddling with the carburetor idle speed and idle mixture adjustments was also part of the job. Every engine back then also ran on leaded gasoline, which meant the spark plugs rarely lasted more than 12,000 to 15,000 miles before they became fouled with lead deposits. So annual tune-ups were an established ritual. Put off getting one too long and fuel economy, emissions and performance would all suffer. Getting a tune-up usually restored engine performance and was often credited for being a "cure-all" for what ailed your engine. Not so, anymore.

The arrival of electronic ignition systems eliminated wear and the need for any type of periodic adjustment. Once set, ignition timing would remain unchanged unless something failed (in which case the engine usually wouldn't run). "Anti-tamper" carburetors with sealed adjustment screws eliminated the need for most adjustments. The switch to unleaded gasoline stretched plug life to 30,000 miles or more, so the annual "tune-up" became a thing of the past.

Today, virtually everything from idle speed to ignition timing is computer controlled. Since there's nothing left to "tune" in the traditional sense, all that's required is to replace the spark plugs, filters and other wear items periodically to keep the engine in good running condition.

WHAT IS A TUNE-UP TODAY?

The public still associates the word "tune-up" with engine maintenance, so most service facilities continue to use the word in their advertising and promotions. What a "tune-up" actually includes, however, may run the gambit from replacing the spark plugs to a thorough engine diagnosis that also includes scanning the computer system for fault codes, checking engine compression and dozens of other items that may need replacing due to wear. In states where annual emission inspections are required, a tailpipe emissions check may also be included

Brakes 
 

Question:

Answer:

You may also need a brake job if you're having brake problems such as grabbing, pulling, low or soft pedal, pedal vibration, noise, etc., or if some component in your brake system has failed. But if the problem is isolated to only one component, there's no need to replace other parts that are still in perfectly good working order.

There is no set mileage interval at which the brakes need to be relined because brake wear varies depending on how the vehicle is driven, the braking habits of the driver, the weight of the vehicle, the design of the brake system and a dozen other variables. A set of brake linings that last 70,000 miles or more on a car driven mostly on the highway may last only 30,000 or 40,000 miles on a vehicle that is driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic.

Getting the Most Out of Your Repair Shop

Today's cars, light trucks, and sport-utility vehicles are high-tech marvels with digital dashboards, oxygen sensors, electronic computers, unibody construction, and more. They run better, longer, and more efficiently than models of years past.

But when it comes to repairs, some things stay the same. Whatever type of repair facility you patronize--dealership, service station, independent garage, specialty shop, or a national franchise--good communications between customer and shop is vital.

The following tips should help you along the way:

Do your homework before taking your
vehicle in for repairs or service.

Today's technician must understand thousands of pages of technical text. Fortunately, your required reading is much less.

• Read the owner's manual to learn about the vehicle's systems and components. Follow the recommended service schedules. Keep a log of all repairs and service.
  

When you think about it, you know your car better than anyone else. You drive it every day and know how it feels and sounds when everything is right. So don't ignore its warning signals.

Use all of your senses to inspect your car frequently. Check for:

• Unusual sounds, odors, drips, leaks, smoke, warning lights, gauge readings
• Changes in acceleration, engine performance, gas mileage, fluid levels.
• Worn tires, belts, hoses.
  Problems in handling, braking, steering, vibrations.
  

Note when the problem occurs.

• Is it constant or periodic?
  When the vehicle is cold or after the engine has warmed up?
• At all speeds? Only under acceleration? During braking? When shifting?
• When did the problem first start?
  

Professionally run repair establishments have always recognized the importance of communications in automotive repairs.

Once you are at the repair establishment, communicate your findings.

• Be prepared to describe the symptoms. (In larger shops you'll probably speak with a service writer/service manager rather than with the technician directly.)
• Carry a written list of the symptoms that you can give to the technician or service manager.
• Resist the temptation to suggest a specific course of repair. Just as you would with your physician, tell where it hurts and how long it's been that way, but let the technician diagnose and recommend a remedy.
  

Stay involved... Ask questions.

• Ask as many questions as you need to, to understand the problem. Don't be embarrassed to request lay definitions.
  Don't rush the service writer or technician to make an on-the-spot diagnosis. Ask to be called and with a description of the problem, course of action, and costs before work begins. Before you leave, be sure you understand all shop policies regarding labor rates, guarantees, and acceptable methods of payment. Leave a telephone number where you can be reached.

 Keeping Your Vehicle in Tune
Save Money and Help the Environment
 

Car care is definitely a win-win situation. Besides helping the environment, a properly maintained and operated vehicle will run more efficiently, will be safer, and will last longer--up to 50% longer, according to a survey of ASE certified technicians. The following tips should put you on the road to environmentally conscious car care.

. A misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30%. Follow the service schedules listed in your owner's manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended.

• Check your tires for proper inflation. Under inflation wastes fuel, your engine has to work harder to push the vehicle. Wheels that are out-of-line (as evidenced by uneven tread wear or vehicle pulling) make the engine work harder, too. Properly maintained tires will last longer, meaning fewer scrap tires have to be disposed.

Every ten days, motorists who drive with under-inflated tires and poorly maintained engines waste 70 million gallons of gasoline.

Car Care Council says:

• Keep your air conditioner in top condition and have it serviced only by a technician certified competent to handle/recycle refrigerants. Air conditioners contain CFC's, gases that have been implicated in the depletion of the ozone layer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, almost one third of the CFCs released into the atmosphere come from mobile air conditioners; some simply leaks out, but the majority escapes during service and repair, so it's important to choose a qualified technician.
  Do-it-yourselfers: dispose of used motor oil, anti-freeze/coolant, tires, and old batteries properly. Many repair facilities accept these items. Or call your local municipal or county government for recycling sites. Never dump used oil or anti-freeze on the ground or in open streams.

Each year twenty times the amount of oil spilled by the tanker Exxon Valdez in Alaska is improperly dumped into America's environment by do-it-yourselfers.

Automotive Information Council says:

• Observe speed limits. Mileage decreases sharply above 55 mph.
• Drive gently. Avoid sudden accelerations and jerky stop-and-go's. Use cruise-control on open highways to keep your speed as steady as possible.
• Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends and family. Today's vehicles are designed to "warm up" fast, so forget about those five-minute warm ups on cold winter mornings.
• Remove excess items from the vehicle. Less weight means better mileage. Store luggage/ cargo in the trunk rather than on the roof to reduce air drag.
• Plan trips. Consolidate your daily errands to eliminate unnecessary driving. Try to travel when traffic is light to avoid stop-and-go conditions. Join a car pool.

Remember, how your car runs, how you drive it, and how its fluids, old parts, and tires are disposed of all have serious consequences on the environment.