Ask the Expert

What's a Tune Up?

While having a conversation with a long time customer I discovered something that I think will interest everyone this month. Jim was asking me about getting a "tune up" done on his 2003 Malibu and wanted to know what it might cost. It was his answer to this question that showed me how confused most vehicle owners are about what the term "tune up" means today.

What I asked him was: Jim, can you tell me what a tune up is? At first I think he thought I was kidding him, but I told him I really wanted to know just what he thought he would get for whatever price I was about to give him. And this is what he finally told me: A "tune up" includes new spark plugs and the other stuff you should replace so my car will run better.

Funny thing was: right after he said that I think he realized why I had asked him what I did. After all, how can I know what to charge for "the other stuff" I was going to replace when neither of us knew what that was.
What I realized was how wide the gap in our ability to communicate was. All because of a difference of opinion about the meaning of the second most common phrase in automotive maintenance. And I am betting that gap is probably the same for most of you as well.

Today's vehicles are engineering marvels that we all accept at face value because so much of what we deal with on a day to day basis is based on those same marvels. Computer control has eliminated the need to "tune" them up. The computer systems are designed to take care of that on an ongoing basis. Only when a component has failed, or is worn beyond the systems ability to compensate for it, will your vehicle run badly.

But you still see the term "tune up" used. And the unfortunate reality is that the term is rather seriously abused. Even Honda has a current television advertisement which extols the fact that the new Accord doesn't need a "tune up" for 100,000 miles.

So just what is a "tune up" anyway?
It all depends on what the person and shop you are talking to thinks it is. There is NO industry standard. It probably always includes new spark plugs and that is the only potential constant. It might include new air and fuel filters, but some new cars don't even have replaceable fuel filters. It might include plug wires, but some new cars don't use them. And very few new vehicles have any kind of distributor cap and rotor. And the biggest problem is the fact that all of these engine parts are maintenance items which do wear out and should be replaced at a specified usage interval. But if your car is running bad, they are very rarely the cause of that condition.

So my advice to Jim, and to all of you, is to look at a "tune up" as simple maintenance of the ignition and fuel system on your vehicle. Don't expect that by asking for this service you are going to solve some poor performance issue. It is simply going to maintain the level of performance which you should expect from your well maintained vehicle. And don't forget to ask what the service is going to include. It will probably be different for every vehicle.