WEBVTT - Do Modern Cars Still Need Tuneups?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren Vogel bomb here. If you want to sound knowledgeable.

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<v Speaker 1>The next time your car needs work, don't tell your

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<v Speaker 1>mechanic that your car needs a tune up. That's because

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<v Speaker 1>the term tune ups specifically refers to maintenance that modern

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<v Speaker 1>cars generally don't require anymore. Traditional tuneups on older cars

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<v Speaker 1>can help keep them in good shape and enable maximum

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<v Speaker 1>gas mileage. Getting your car tuned up means having necessary

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<v Speaker 1>adjustments of certain engine components. At the same time, regular

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<v Speaker 1>parts that were out over time, like spark plugs and condensers,

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<v Speaker 1>are replaced, but the engines in many newer model cars

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<v Speaker 1>don't even use those components any longer, and today's engine

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<v Speaker 1>parts are designed to last much longer than those in

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<v Speaker 1>years past. So what you might think is a tune

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<v Speaker 1>up on a new car probably isn't, and that's because

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<v Speaker 1>your car is much more advanced. Consumerist says the cut

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<v Speaker 1>off year for whether or not your car will need

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<v Speaker 1>a traditional tuneup, though there may be a little wiggle

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<v Speaker 1>room on either side of that depending on other factors.

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<v Speaker 1>In general, though, if your car was built in the

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<v Speaker 1>last twenty years, you should use the preferred phrasing routine

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<v Speaker 1>maintenance or scheduled maintenance rather than tune up. You should

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<v Speaker 1>opt to have routine maintenance completed about every thirty thousand

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<v Speaker 1>miles or is recommended by your car's owners manual. So

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<v Speaker 1>let's break down the difference in those terms. Tune ups

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<v Speaker 1>actually involved tuning or physically checking and manipulating engine parts

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<v Speaker 1>that regulate engine timing, idle, and other functions for optimal performance.

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<v Speaker 1>A tune up requires a certain level of mechanical skill

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<v Speaker 1>and an understanding of how an engine works. A traditional

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<v Speaker 1>tune up would involve cleaning or replacing the carburetor, which

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<v Speaker 1>is now obsolete thanks to electronic fuel injection, uh the

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<v Speaker 1>cap rotor and spark plug wires, which have all been

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<v Speaker 1>replaced with ignition coil packs, the fuel filter which is

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<v Speaker 1>obsolute thanks to returnless fuel systems, and the timing belt

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<v Speaker 1>which has been replaced with the more durable timing chain,

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<v Speaker 1>and also inspecting and adjusting the engine timing and idle,

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<v Speaker 1>both of which are now controlled electronically. Modern cars don't

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<v Speaker 1>need most of this manual labor. Instead, they require routine

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<v Speaker 1>maintenance that generally consists of replacing fluids and simple parts,

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<v Speaker 1>changing the engine, oil transmission, fluid break fluid and power

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<v Speaker 1>steering fluid, replacing the cool engine cabin air filter, and

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<v Speaker 1>inspecting and possibly replacing various belts and hoses. Note that

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<v Speaker 1>the newest cars on the market or certain types of

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<v Speaker 1>cars like electric cars, may have eliminated some of these parts,

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<v Speaker 1>especially certain belts and hoses. Consumer Reports cautions that getting

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<v Speaker 1>a tune up is a common upsell by mechanics or charge.

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<v Speaker 1>One might even tack onto your bill indiscriminately to make

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<v Speaker 1>you pay more than necessary. In other words, if your

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<v Speaker 1>mechanic or shops as your car needs a tune up,

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<v Speaker 1>be wary, especially if it's a late model car. That said,

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<v Speaker 1>some trustworthy mechanics or shops may still use that term.

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<v Speaker 1>Amount of habit. Pricing for routine maintenance does vary based

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<v Speaker 1>on several things. Those factors include everything from where you

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<v Speaker 1>live and the type of car some cars might use

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<v Speaker 1>more expensive parts, to whether you're visiting a dealership, a

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<v Speaker 1>chain or an independent shop. The recommended maintenance schedule for

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<v Speaker 1>late model cars takes a lot of the guests work

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<v Speaker 1>out of the equation. If you follow the schedule for

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<v Speaker 1>your car, you should be in the clear, though there

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<v Speaker 1>are always factors that can make a fluid go gunky

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<v Speaker 1>or a part where out earlier than expected. Maintain your

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<v Speaker 1>car according to the schedule laid out in your owner's

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<v Speaker 1>manual and deal with problems as they arise. Just don't

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<v Speaker 1>ask for a tune up unless the term genuinely applies.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode was written by Schre's three Wit and produced

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<v Speaker 1>by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart

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<v Speaker 1>Radio's How Stuff Works. For more on this and lots

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<v Speaker 1>of other in tune topics, visit our home planet, how

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<v Speaker 1>stuff Works dot com, and for more podcasts for my

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