Has Tune Ups changed with newer vehicles?
The “tune-up”, properly speaking, no longer exists. Traditionally it included checking all of the ignition components (such as the distributor cap, points, and plug wires), replacing the spark plugs, adjusting the carburetor, and resetting the engine timing. On newer engines, many of these parts and procedures no longer exist. You cannot “set the timing” on most engines anymore. The auto repair industry has been left confused about what to do when the customer asks for a “tune-up”. For some, it means nothing more than replacing the spark plugs. Spark plugs will last for a long, long time if everything else is functioning properly in your engine. We only suggest replacing them if they need to be replaced. Two things more to note about a “tune-up”: 1) A “tune-up” will almost never cure a running problem. A “tune- up” is for maintenance purposes only. It does not “fix” anything. If you have a problem, please give the facility the symptoms so that they can focus on finding what is causing
