Every car is different, but every car still needs to be taken in for the occasional tune-up. Tune-ups are necessary maintenance of your vehicle, and are good for extending the life of your car and its engine. The difference for vehicles may be in the intervals between tune-ups. Cars that have a lot of miles on them may need to be taken into the shop for a tune up more often. On average though, your car should receive a tune up every two years.
The make and model of the car will determine how often you need to get a tune-up as well. Tune-ups should coincide with an oil change which is the most common tune-up, happening every 3,000 miles or so. Tires should be rotated as well every 6000 miles. But as cars get up into the 15,000+ miles there may be a wider range in the tune-up intervals of some cars. Cars are constantly changing and are probably in less need of frequent tune-ups. Older cars should still receive tune-ups about every 30,00 miles.
The conditions in which you drive your car is also a determining factor for how often you should get a tune-up. Driving in harsh conditions like extreme temperatures and weather will be hard on a vehicle’s parts. A vehicle’s tune-up should not be in response to a problem. They are actually preventative maintenance that will stop expensive repair costs from being needed. Tune-ups are an overall asset to the proper functioning of the car, like with the gas mileage.
Common maintenance is replacement of the fuel and oil filters. Spark plugs may also be changed during a tune-up, although they should be lasting for at least 60,000 miles. As the oil is changed after 30,000 miles, the vehicle’s fluids should all be topped off or replaced.
