What is a Tune-up? The 100,000 mile Tune-up. Seized Spark Plugs
Why Does The Cost of a Tune Up Vary So Much?
Read the newspaper and chances are you'll find a special on Tune-Ups. That price may differ from what you're used to paying. So are you paying too much, or is something wrong with the less expensive Tune-Up?
For the most part, "tune-ups" are recognized as a maintenance service performed to maintain the optimum performance of a vehicle. In the long distant past it was fairly straightforward, change the plugs, clean the points, inspect the cap and rotor and adjust ignition timing and make carburetor adjustments.
With today's vehicles, the on board computers are constantly adjusting the
fuel mixture, timing and idle speed and monitoring for misfire and other
problems, so the word "tune-up" has mostly been rendered
meaningless.
That is why today, all "tune-ups" are not created equal, and the price you pay will reflect
the quality of "tune-up" your vehicle is receiving. Before comparing prices, compare
what is included in the "tune-up". Many of your coupon
"tune-ups" include spark
plugs and a minor inspection only. By the time you add everything that should be
done for preventative maintenance; the price may be more than other shops charge to begin with.
Tune-up costs also vary enormously because of all of the different types of spark plugs now used, which can vary from around $4.00 to $20.00 or more each. On some applications it can take 20 minutes to replace the spark plugs and the next car may take 4 hours because of where the plugs are located.
Check your owner's manual for a guideline on spark plug replacement intervals and use original equipment spark plugs for best performance. Fuel filters, distributor caps and rotors and PCV valves should be replaced every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Spark plug wires should be replaced every 60,000 miles.
Based on this you may want to just ask for these specific services on a newer car. to get a comparable price estimate. Many new cars do not have distributor caps or spark plug wires. On some vehicles, fuel filters are part of the fuel pump and are only changed when they plug up and ruin the fuel pump. Always ask for original equipment parts when available.
The word "Tune Up" is probably the most misused and
misunderstood Automotive term. According to the Merriam-Webster's
dictionary under the term "Tune-up" it says:
"general adjustment to insure operation at peak efficiency"
A tune-up by this definition could be whatever it takes to bring the vehicle to peak efficiency; whether it is a few adjustments or maybe a whole new engine.
The very first car's magneto ignition systems were very simple with one ignition coil for each spark plug. Each coil needed to be adjusted to provide the same spark intensity for better idle and acceleration. As these coils worked, they made a buzzing sound. When adjusted properly, they all buzzed in tune, thus coining the term "tune-up".
Later, before electronics came into the picture the term "tune-up" was applied to the maintenance operation of replacing the spark plugs, distributor points, inspecting or replacing the cap and rotor and possibly replacing the fuel and air filters. There were many adjustments to be done on these cars; point gap, ignition timing and idle mixture and dwell. This was a preventative maintenance operation that usually needed to be done about every 12,000 miles.
Most cars made now do not have a distributor cap and rotor or distributor. Even plug wires are missing from many applications. Forget those adjustments, the onboard computer handles fuel mixture, timing and idle speed control. On many of the newer cars, just spark plugs and fuel and air filters remain of the items that we used to consider part of a "tune up". Someday the spark plugs might disappear also.
Because the word "tune up" can mean so many different things the manufactures don’t list tune ups in their maintenance schedules anymore. They list the items individually at specific miles or duration of time.
Due to the electronics and newer technologies the recommended mileage between "tune-ups" or spark plug replacement has gone up to 30,000, or 60,000 miles or more! This means that a $250 tune-up now, is cheaper than the 2 or 3 tune-ups in the same amount of mileage that were done for $100 25 years ago. Especially when you compare what $100 was worth then.
Every repair shop determines what their particular meaning of a "tune-up" consists of. What parts are replaced and what types of tests are done. One shop may consider a "tune-up" as throwing in a set of spark plugs and parking it on the lot, while the next may replace spark plugs and other ignition components, fuel and air filters, PCV valve and include testing to verify the electronic engine management system (if equipped) is doing its job.
So always ask what is being done for your "tune-up" before comparing prices and don't expect a "tune-up" to cure your performance problems. A "tune-up" is a maintenance procedure and if it makes your car run better, you waited too long for the service. Performance problems on today's cars are usually caused by something that is not normally replaced during a maintenance tune-up.
Best Option
Check your owner's manual for a guideline on spark plug replacement intervals
and use original equipment spark plugs for best performance. If you do much
city driving, extended idling, towing or high speed driving, reduce that recommended mileage by
at least 10 - 15%.
Fuel filters, distributor caps and rotors and PCV valves should be replaced
every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Spark plug wires should be replaced every 60,000
miles.
Many new cars do not have distributor caps or spark plug wires. On some
vehicles, fuel filters are part of the fuel pump and are only changed when they
plug up and ruin the fuel pump.
A 30, 60 or 90 thousand mile service is not a "tune-up", it may include tune up
items but will also include many other services.
If you are wanting the scheduled services, ask for a price and
breakdown on the scheduled service. (such as a 60,000 mile service) Asking for a
60,000 mile tune-up may not get you what is needed.
Some car manufactures are recommending 100,000 miles between tune ups.
Under ideal conditions (which usually means no town driving, no stop and go driving, no high speed driving and temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees F) a set of Platinum/Iridium spark plugs can easily make it to 100,000 miles.The problem; as the spark plug electrodes wear, voltage demands to create a spark keep increasing, leading to burned-out modules, coils, spark plug wires and other ignition components. Poor spark plug performance can also cause poor engine performance, mileage loss and hard starts. We see quite a few cars drive or towed in with these problems between 80,000 and 100,000 miles.
Another possible problem is seized spark plugs that take the threads right out of the aluminum cylinder heads when you try to remove them after 100,000 miles and 7 - 10 years. A cylinder head is really going to drive up the cost of a "tune up"
Often forgotten are the fuel and air filters which still have to filter the same dirt out of the gasoline and air to prevent expensive repairs to the fuel injection system and engine.
Today’s computers are able to hide many problems that would cause an older car to have a serious performance problem, but if those problems aren’t detected before they multiply or worsen a highway breakdown may be imminent.
The 100,000 mile tune up may be a great selling tool for the manufactures, but it leads to a lot of dissatisfaction down the road when owners discover their car won’t make the 100,000 miles without a lot of bumps in the road.
We recommend spark plug replacement at 30,000 miles with normal spark plugs, 50,000 to 60,000 miles on normal Platinum plugs and 70,000 to 80,000 on Iridium or "100,000 mile" plugs. Performance and mileage degradation usually starts shortly after these recommendations on spark plugs with average driving.
Spark Plugs can seize in the engine due to metal transfer from dissimilar metals, heat and carbon. The best preventative measure is using anti-seize on the spark plugs, especially on aluminum cylinder heads and not leaving the spark plugs in the engine more than 60,000 miles. Unfortunately this will not help much if hard carbon deposits form on the spark plug in the cylinder. This may destroy the threads as the spark plug is removed, requiring repair.
If you encounter a spark plug that will not come out, first soak it with a good penetrating fluid for about 12 hours. If the spark plug turns out a little and then seizes don't try forcing it out any further. Spray the exposed threads with penetrate and turn the plug back in a little and then back out to where it stops. Continue this process of a little in and a little out, hopefully you will gain a little each time you turn it out until the plug comes lose. This procedure takes time but may save the threads in the cylinder head or breaking the spark plug off in the engine.
| Wayne's Garage | |
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27 E 27th Eugene, Oregon 97405 |
333 Q St. Springfield, Oregon 97477 |
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Our staff has over 200 years of experience to serve your
automobile needs and with our dedication to
Integrity, Quality and Exceptional Service, Wayne's Garage can service
or repair your car or truck
to give you dependable transportation and "peace of mind". Our office staff will
explain the needs or
problems with your car in a language you can understand. We use original
equipment parts whenever
possible and offer an 18 month warranty. Visit us in Eugene or Springfield
Oregon.
