How to Tell if Your Car Needs a Tune-up
Posted by admin at 17 October 2014, at 19 : 19 PM
If you’re asking the question if your car needs a tune-up, then chances are something has changed in the way your car is performing. A vehicle’s performance is based on a number of different factors that are mechanical and computer related. If your issue is more about using more gas or loss of power, then you can bet pretty heavy on a computer related problem.
Computer related problems are the easiest to deal with since your car is programmed to know that It’s not working right. Usually this will turn on the dreaded check engine light. It takes either a very patient person or a trained mechanic to actually read what the computer is saying. A simple diagnostic test and you’ve got a list of potential parts to replace. Thing is, the average person doesn’t care as long as it runs right!
Most of these computer related parts are a part of a routine tune-up. Spark plugs, Wires, oxygen sensor (o2), coil or coil packs, cap and rotor if you have one — Any one of these parts will cause your car to run inefficiency or not at all. If the car is running the same as it was but not as smooth as it used to or using more gas, then you probably just need a tune-up! if, however, you’re hearing a new noise of any kind, then the chances are there’s something going on mechanically.
Every vehicle has a different time table for a tune-up but generally every 30,000 miles is good, unless you let the car sit for an extended period, then you should do it just in case, it might save you a few headaches down the road.
A tune-up is generally easy to do and relatively cheap for the basics, so give it a shot. The worst that could happen is it runs better.