Car Tune-Ups: Basic Things You Need to Know

A car tune-up is one of the maintenance procedures you can do to extend the life of your vehicle. It serves to rectify prevailing problems with your car and as a preventative measure to common engine problems in the future.

When you take your car for a tune-up in an auto repair shop, a mechanic will check for issues in the following parts; filters, belts, car fluids, spark plugs, brakes, headlights, and wipers. The car tune-up professional will then recommend cleaning, mending, or replacing the components.

Signs Your Car Needs a Tune-Up

• Warning Lights on Your Instrument Cluster
• Poor Fuel Mileage
• Unusual Noises and Vibrations
• Engine Stall
• Slow Acceleration and Loss of Power

As your vehicle runs for many miles, it’s prone to wear and tear, which affects its performance. Staying alert to notice when your vehicle’s performance drops is crucial for a tune-up.

Here are the signs that indicate that you need to do a car tune-up in a professional auto shop like AutoGalleryChevyBuickGMC.

Warning Lights on Your Instrument Cluster

Modern cars have computerized systems that indicate when the car has a malfunctioning component. It will usually display the problem as a warning light on your dashboard instrument cluster.

At the time the warning light shows, the problem may not be severe but continuing to ignore it may make the situation more severe.

Poor Fuel Mileage

To detect poor fuel mileage in a vehicle, you’ll need to have driven the car for a while and observed its fuel consumption rate per every mile.

If you notice high consumption, the problem may result from faulty or dirty fuel filters, fuel injectors, air filters, or even a bad wheel alignment.

Unusual Noises and Vibrations

Your vehicle comprises many interconnected parts that are securely fixed together. You may notice new, unusual noises if these parts become loose or damaged. The noises may be in the form of thumping, rattling, or screeching.

Engine Stall

A stalling engine is a nuisance to drive as it brings your moving vehicle to a dead stop. Reasons for stalling include issues with your ignition, low voltage in your car battery, or a faulty fuel pump.

Slow Acceleration and Loss of Power

If you notice that your vehicle doesn’t accelerate as it used to, faulty spark plugs may be the issue. As much as it’s a nuisance not to accelerate properly, it can be hazardous when climbing a hill or overtaking on the highway.

Why Does a Tune-Up Help?

The most obvious advantage of doing a tune-up is that you get to improve the efficiency of your vehicle since all the vehicle parts will operate at optimal levels as you drive.

Tune-ups also help to improve the vehicle’s lifespan, meaning that you retain the car’s functionality for a long time. It’ll also help with the resale value of your vehicle when you decide to sell your car.

Other reasons to tune up include decreasing harmful emissions from your vehicle, improving gas mileage, and generally improving your vehicle’s performance.

8 Things That Require Routine Tune-Ups

• Air Filter
• Fluids
• Oil and Oil Filter
• Battery
• Belts and Hoses
• Windshield Wipers
• Wheel Bearings and Alignments
• Headlights, Tail lights, Brake lights, and Blinkers

Your vehicle has many functional parts and components. Of these parts, several can be diagnosed, repaired, or replaced in a car tune-up. They include;

Air Filter

An air filter has the function of sieving contaminants and preventing them from getting into the engine. When this component is faulty or dirty, you risk driving an inefficient and underperforming engine.

Though it’s possible to do an air filter replacement yourself, a professional mechanic will know which air filter is best for your car and how to install it properly.

Fluids

Car fluids have different functions ranging from cooling, lubricating, cleaning, and maintaining ideal working pressure for some parts. Common car fluids include oil, coolant, brake, transmission, power steering, differential, hydraulic clutch, and washer fluid.

The correct way of tuning up the vehicle is to replace the fluid. It involves draining all of it and putting in new fluid.

Oil and Oil Filter

Oil is crucial to lubricate the engine’s moving components, while an oil filter prevents debris from mixing with the oil. Both work to ensure the engine is running smoothly.

Battery

A car battery provides power for running the electrical components of your vehicle. The battery voltage decreases as you continue using your vehicle for several years. During a car tune-up, the technician may recommend a battery change.

Belts and Hoses

Belts help to run some engine functions like the alternator and water pump. Hoses carry around fluid and air in the engine. Mechanics usually repair the minor wear and tear of these components. Severe damages may require replacement.

Windshield Wipers

If you have faulty windshield wipers during a rainy or snowy day, you may be unable to drive your vehicle due to a lack of visibility.

During a routine car tune-up, the technician will also include the wipers in their diagnosis. The recommended solution for faulty wipers is a replacement.

Wheel Bearings and Alignments

Wheel bearings allow the spinning of the vehicle’s wheels with minimal friction. Wheel alignment involves adjusting your vehicle’s suspension and steering.

During a car tune-up, a mechanic will diagnose the vehicle’s wheels and recommend a replacement of the bearings if needed. They will also optimize your wheel alignment for optimum driving on the road.

Headlights, Tail lights, Brake lights, and Blinkers

Did you know that it’s an offense to drive with faulty lights? During a car tune-up, a mechanic will ensure that all the lights in the vehicle are working as needed. Repair and replacement are the options for faulty lights.

What’s Included In a Tune-Up

• Air Filter Replacement
• Spark Plug Replacement
• Ignition Component Renewal
• Fuel Filter
• PVC Valve
• Computer Diagnostics
• Oil Change Service

The proper functioning of your vehicle is important, which is why the mechanics at AutoGalleryCevyBuickGMC will ensure that they properly diagnose your car. They’ll check for prevalent issues and analyze all vehicle components to capture faulty ones early on.

Here is what you’ll get when you bring your vehicle for a tune-up.

Air Filter Replacement

The mechanics will check the state of your air filter and replace it with a compatible one for your vehicle’s model. An air filter replacement is crucial after every 12,000 miles.

Spark Plug Replacement

The technicians will recommend a spark plug replacement if they notice poor acceleration or an engine misfire. They’ll replace your car’s spark plug with original ones for the make and model of your vehicle.

Ignition Component Renewal

If the car has a serious start-up issue, the mechanics will completely change the ignition components. It includes the induction coil, battery, distributor, and spark plugs.

Fuel Filter

Fuel filters are also part of tune-ups and involve replacing the old one with a new one. After the change, you may notice an increase in fuel efficiency and better acceleration.

PVC Valve

The tune-up will also include changing the PVC valve of your vehicle to get better air and fuel routing from the crankcase to the cylinders. The mechanics will recommend doing the replacement, especially if you have driven for more than 20,000 miles.

Computer Diagnostics

Most cars nowadays have onboard computer systems that can pinpoint problem areas in your vehicle. Car tune-ups also include running a diagnostic analysis on your vehicle’s system.

Change Engine Oil and Filter

A mechanic will replace the engine oil and oil filter (oil change service) during a car tune-up, especially if you have driven your vehicle for over 6,000 miles. After the tune-up, your vehicle will move smoothly.

Where to Visit in LaGrange for Car Tune-Ups?

Most auto repair shops will offer incomplete car tune-up services. It means they may fail to detect issues requiring minor fixes before they escalate to severe problems.

So if you’re looking for a car tune-up service in LaGrange, Georgia, that offers a complete car tune-up service, AutoGalleryChevyBuickGMC is the auto repair shop for you.

Apart from getting a comprehensive car tune-up service, it’ll be timely. Car tune-ups can take two to four hours, depending on the vehicle. Schedule an auto-tune-up service today and visit our auto repair shop at your convenient time.