Correctly Performed Tune-ups Keep Cars Driving Longer by Guy's Automotive in Tampa Florida

Dec. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Tune-ups are one of the most common services known by all drivers besides an oil change.  Auto drivers of all ages know that a tune-up is a service on a car, but do all drivers understand the importance of the tune-up?  The answer is simple.  Most auto drivers do not know the importance however they rely on their auto mechanic to let them know they need a tune-up.  Mechanics and auto shop owners may know what a tune-up is, but not all mechanics and shop owners agree on performing a proper tune-up.  So what is a proper tune-up on your car?

To answer this question, one must know what is required by the year, make , model and engine size of their car.  Old cars from the 1970’s and below used parts like spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, distributor rotor, ignition points and condenser as a proper common ignition tune-up.  These mechanical ignition systems required frequent tune-ups and more often then others.  In fact, auto owners performed many these tune-ups on their own cars since they were much easier to perform on these older engines.  Many of the 1980’s to mid 1990’s were not to hard to tune,  but the work areas seemed to get smaller and tighter .  After the mid 1990’s, many auto manufacturers have tried to make the tune-up process more difficult.  Everything from small areas to work in to special bolts make tune-ups much more difficult.  The art of tuning today’s cars starts with using the correct types and brands of parts as well as using the correct tools and computer scanners.

Basic tune-ups start with the sparkplugs.  Sparkplugs are required on all gasoline engines to create spark for the explosions within the combustion chambers inside the engine.  The brand and the type of metal the sparkplug is made with is the main ingredient of a basic tune-up.  Most people do not even realize that a car manufacturer designs their ignition systems to work with specific brands and metals of sparkplugs.  This means that the metals inside the ignition coil, module and computer is designed to work with their recommended brand of sparkplugs and using the wrong ones may cause undesired results of your engine performance.

Other items required are the parts between the sparkplugs and the coil(s).  These parts may include spark boots, sparkplug wires, distributor cap and distributor rotor.  Usually, these parts should be replaced when the sparkplugs are changed to ensure durability.  Premature tune-ups will be needed if any of these parts were not changed during the service.  More often than others, auto mechanic shops do not perform the tune-ups correctly probably to keep customers coming back for frequent service, but this can be costly to the auto owners and even create other repairs.  In fact many new cars can get ignition coil damage, ignition module damage and even engine computer damage just from driving with a bad tune-up for a long period of time.  In some cases, just a computer failure can exceed over $1,000 between buying, installing and reprogramming a computer in your vehicle.

Service items like fuel filters, PCV valves, air filters, cabin air filters, oxygen sensors and air fuel ratio sensors also have their life expectancy.  Each one of these auto parts should be changed when needed or required to help with the longevity of your vehicle and your fuel economy.  Driving with poor fuel economy not only hurts your wallet for the high prices of gas, but leads to other repairs such as catalyst converters, sensors and engine failure.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZBmuhBN4iM]



Basically, do your homework on your car and get all of the facts before you take your car in to a auto repair shop.  Ask questions about your tune-up with your mechanic and read your owner’s manual for help.  Take your car to a well qualified mechanic for all your car’s services.  Do the research online to make sure that the car is not being neglected and it is getting the best service that lasts the longest.

by Guy's Automotive

http://tuneuptampa.com
http://guysautomotive.com

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