When you hear the phrase “tune up”, you are hearing a definition that has changed mightily in the last generation. Generally speaking, a tune up is the adjustment or modification of one or more of several working parts of internal combustion engines to yield optimal performance. Tune ups did not change much at all for the first seven or so decades in car engines, but then the computer control module came along, and the old ways were done for. Now, few elements of the old Tune Up remain, save for the changing of spark plugs and wires, maybe. Everything else you have to leave to a car repair professional that you trust. There are plenty in Austin, Texas, you just have to know where to look. The simple fact is, when driving in the Texas heat, you are putting yourself, your family, and your car’s future at risk if you don’t keep your car maintained properly, and a good Tune up is a big part of that. Your chickens come home to roost at the worst of times when you do not maintain your car correctly.
“Tune Up” can describe a wide variety of adjustments, but generally deals with the way the engine takes in air and the routine adjustment of the fuel injection and ignition system. At the other end of the scale, performance tuning describes a level of tuning that involves sometimes revisiting some of the design decisions made at an early stage in the development of the engine, but we won’t be addressing any of that today.
Setting the idle speed, fuel/air mixture, spark plug and distributor point gaps, and ignition timing used to be regular maintenance tasks with older engines. Modern engines are equipped with electronic ignition and fuel injection, and some or all of these tasks are automated by the onboard computer. Though they still require periodic calibration, it is not ever something you want to try to tackle yourself. Nor is it something to trust to a shadetree mechanic. You want a trained auto repair professional to handle this delicate process.
These days, a tune-up usually refers to the servicing of the engine so that it meets the manufacturer’s specifications. Tune-ups for your car are needed periodically, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, so that you can ensure that your car runs as expected. Because of the advances in computer technology, modern vehicles typically require a few tune-ups over the course of a 160,000 mile (approximate), 10-year lifespan. This means that you can get a lot of life out of your average car, if you take care of it. If not, poof. One day it will just not work anymore.
Tune-ups can include:
- Re-fastening of cylinder head bolts
- Replacement of the air filter and other filters
- Inspection of emission controls
- Valvetrain adjustment
- Replacement of spark plugs.
(In the old days, mechanics finished a tune up on a performance car, like a Ferrari, and would take it around a track several times at high speeds so that it would burn out any built-up carbon; this is known as an Italian tuneup.)
In today’s modern engines, they have what is called an engine management system, and it can be modified to different settings, producing different performance levels. What this means for you is still the same: maintenance. If you do not maintain your car properly, including tune ups, you can not expect that your engine will last.
