General Tune-Up

Tune-up requirements vary from vehicle to vehicle. The age of the vehicle, the type of driving, the quality of fuel used and the manufacturer and options on the vehicle all have an effect on the over-all wear & tear, and need to be considered when performing a tune-up. Typically, a tune-up will consist of changing spark plugs, performing a series of tests on the ignition, fuel, starting and charging systems, and confirming efficient engine operation. In many cases, it is also advisable to replace ignition wires and, where applicable, distributor cap & rotor at the same time as to prevent unnecessary starting & drive-ability problems between tune-ups.

Tune-up or spark plug replacement intervals can be as little as 6 months on much older vehicles to as much as 160,000 kilometers on some late-model vehicles using platinum spark plugs and high tech engine management systems. Recommended intervals may be found in the maintenance schedule of your vehicle owner's manual. Bear in mind, though, when following these recommendations they can not take into account every situation that may affect the spark plug life. Hard acceleration, high speed driving, stop-and-go driving, infrequent or short trips, using low-grade bargain gasoline and other driver-controlled factors may shorten the expected life span of even the most high-tech spark plug.