What is a standard tune-up these days?

Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
948
Location
Chicago
Let's just say standard 10-year-old car. Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. If someone asks for a 100k tune-up, what do you recommend?

- spark plugs
- serp belt
- brake and coolant flush, coolant at the very least
- A timing belt (if it has one) (Honda V6s)


I often get asked, "get my car is coming up 100k or 10 years old now, what should i get done", obviously assuming its running decent and doesn't need brakes, wheels bearings, control arms, ball joints and etc. I wanna throw the valve cover gasket in there as well. For the most part its easy simple work, i don't mind getting paid to help them do it. Other than no timing belt jobs, too much risk on my end.

Cars these days don't exactly need much to keep on running, other than just replace what is broken. But i only started driving in the early 2000s but my parent's car didn't need much work either, they had like a 88 corolla and a 94 Camry. Just oil changes every 3k.
 
Its typically all in the manual and addresses the exact needs for the specific vehicle.
 
Last edited:
I recommend that you be honest and say that cars don't need tune-ups and haven't for decades, BUT that you will do all the items that are scheduled maintenance, and anything that was already past due at a prior mileage, within their acceptance of the cost. Then it is up to you to prioritize things if they don't want to pay enough to "catch up".

No, do not throw a valve cover gasket in, that's excessive unless they are complaining about excessive leakage/smoke or you are 100% certain that there is too much oil loss there to make it reasonable to top off between oil changes.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by ondarvr
Its typically all in the manual and addresses the exact needs for the specific vehicle.


Most owners manuals state things like "inspect and replace if necessary"

Originally Posted by Dave9
I recommend that you be honest and say that cars don't need tune-ups and haven't for decades, BUT that you will do all the items that are scheduled maintenance, and anything that was already past due at a prior mileage, within their acceptance of the cost. Then it is up to you to prioritize things if they don't want to pay enough to "catch up".

No, do not throw a valve cover gasket in, that's excessive unless they are complaining about excessive leakage/smoke or you are 100% certain that there is too much oil loss there to make it reasonable to top off between oil changes.


And I have been honest with them. Get things done when they break. But they normally ask for a small list of things/ maybe preventative maintenance items. I think the common driver feels they need to do something at the magical 100k or 10year mark other than oil changes.
 
I should also add that it depends on the value of the vehicle. If it's worth $20K, a bit more work is justified to keeps its value up, mitigate losses from a failure, compared to a value of $2K, etc.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by bowlofturtle
Let's just say standard 10-year-old car. Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. If someone asks for a 100k tune-up, what do you recommend?

- spark plugs
- serp belt
- brake and coolant flush, coolant at the very least
- A timing belt (if it has one) (Honda V6s)


I often get asked, "get my car is coming up 100k or 10 years old now, what should i get done", obviously assuming its running decent and doesn't need brakes, wheels bearings, control arms, ball joints and etc. I wanna throw the valve cover gasket in there as well. For the most part its easy simple work, i don't mind getting paid to help them do it. Other than no timing belt jobs, too much risk on my end.

Cars these days don't exactly need much to keep on running, other than just replace what is broken. But i only started driving in the early 2000s but my parent's car didn't need much work either, they had like a 88 corolla and a 94 Camry. Just oil changes every 3k.


100K miles, you may not require a tune-up, since spark plugs may not be due. That's why you refer to the maintenance schedule for the car, not some arbitrary internet recommendations. Yes, there is a lot of "inspections" to do.

Is a brake flush really necessary? See the VW thread on brake flushing. It may be time-based, and depends if the 100K coincides with the time or not. Coolant flush may not be needed yet. Timing belt may be at 120,000 miles, or before 100,000 miles--- again check the owner's manual not some random internet recommendation.
 
On my 83 Silverado with the 305 it's cap and rotor, plugs, wires if do, air filters, pcv valve, timing with computer disconnected and O2 sensor. Qjet gets sprayed over with Gumout carb cleaner and sprayed down the throats at high idle. oil and filter change. This is done every 2 yrs in order to pass the dreaded Cali smog test.
crazy2.gif
 
Modern cars don't need a tune up, things are scheduled and 100k is kind of irrelevant, as spark plugs might be due every 60k miles (so nothing due until 120k) or the coolant is every 120k miles, brake fluid every 30k etc.

I traded my 15' Sonata in last December at 108k. I didn't do a single thing to it at 100k miles, it didn't need anything.
 
On a 10 year old vehicle spark plus are usually 60 to 120k miles. Timing belts are usually 90 to 120k miles. Coolant can be 150k miles. My manual for the Ranger says change front wheel bearings at 120k miles. Some manuals recommend trans fluid at a certain mileage. Everything else is filled for life or inspect. This is, of course, not including severe service or driving through high water. Manufacturers are all over the place so best to check the manual. My lifetime experience dictates a schedule different from the owners manual.
 
100k may be time for fluid exchange in the differential(s)/transmission/transfer case, check the manual.
 
Originally Posted by bowlofturtle
Let's just say standard 10-year-old car. Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. If someone asks for a 100k tune-up, what do you recommend?

- spark plugs
- serp belt
- brake and coolant flush, coolant at the very least
- A timing belt (if it has one) (Honda V6s)


I often get asked, "get my car is coming up 100k or 10 years old now, what should i get done", obviously assuming its running decent and doesn't need brakes, wheels bearings, control arms, ball joints and etc. I wanna throw the valve cover gasket in there as well. For the most part its easy simple work, i don't mind getting paid to help them do it. Other than no timing belt jobs, too much risk on my end.

Cars these days don't exactly need much to keep on running, other than just replace what is broken. But i only started driving in the early 2000s but my parent's car didn't need much work either, they had like a 88 corolla and a 94 Camry. Just oil changes every 3k.


I used to get asked the same thing when I was a service advisor at the garage still. The answer was always basically that spark plugs are the only real tune up item, besides possibly a throttle body cleaning if it's needed. We always recommended them by 80k-100k miles only because if you leave them in too long time wise, they can seize into the aluminum heads.

As far as the throttle body, it probably depends on the vehicle. I cleaned it on my 05 Silverado at 192k miles for the first time and it looked pretty clean prior to that. I did notice that after the cleaning the throttle percent commanded (on my torque pro app) went down from like 10% to 5%.

Wires can be considered tune up, but I wouldn't recommend them until they have a problem. My 2005 Silverado and a 2002 GMC Sierra our company had both are on the original wires with no issues.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Tuneups died when distributor systems went the way of the dinosaurs.


Darn! I miss those 12,000 mile spark plug, points, rotor, capacitor and possibly distributor cap changes. Not to mention using the dwell meter and tachometer to set the point gap and a vacuum gauge for the idle/low speed mixture
wink.gif
.

Whimsey
 
I think a tune-up is equivalent to a major maintenance service that includes an oil change ATF change, brake fluid and coolant change, spark plug and coil replacement, air filter and cabin filter change.
 
Originally Posted by bowlofturtle
Originally Posted by ondarvr
Its typically all in the manual and addresses the exact needs for the specific vehicle.


Most owners manuals state things like "inspect and replace if necessary.



Actually I should have said that now most vehicles tell you exactly whats needed and when by alerts on the dash.

My Honda maintenance minder alerts you about upcoming maintenance needs at the recommended time and/or mileage schedule.

There is no guessing, but, if someone feels the recommended schedule is incorrect, then they can choose their own schedule.
 
Originally Posted by Whimsey
Originally Posted by PimTac
Tuneups died when distributor systems went the way of the dinosaurs.
Darn! I miss those 12,000 mile spark plug, points, rotor, capacitor and possibly distributor cap changes. Not to mention using the dwell meter and tachometer to set the point gap and a vacuum gauge for the idle/low speed mixture
Literal ignition tune-ups died with the Model T. Those other frequent-maintenance items mostly faded away with introduction of unleaded gasoline and electronic ignition in the 1970s. The idle mixture screw on my '81 Mazda was capped to comply with emissions rules, but the cap was easily defeated---by inept dealer mechanics who set it extremely rich in a clumsy attempt to compensate for another mistake.
 
Originally Posted by CR94
Originally Posted by Whimsey
Originally Posted by PimTac
Tuneups died when distributor systems went the way of the dinosaurs.
Darn! I miss those 12,000 mile spark plug, points, rotor, capacitor and possibly distributor cap changes. Not to mention using the dwell meter and tachometer to set the point gap and a vacuum gauge for the idle/low speed mixture
Literal ignition tune-ups died with the Model T. Those other frequent-maintenance items mostly faded away with introduction of unleaded gasoline and electronic ignition in the 1970s. The idle mixture screw on my '81 Mazda was capped to comply with emissions rules, but the cap was easily defeated---by inept dealer mechanics who set it extremely rich in a clumsy attempt to compensate for another mistake.


Both my cars require plugs, cap and rotor every 30k miles (although I've found the plugs can last way longer than that with highway driving), adjust choke and idle mixtures whenever they need it. Timing doesn't really go out for no reason. Only reason I ever adjust it is trying to get better performance or gas mileage, or take care of a pinging issue.

The op however was asking about "these days" so my last post was about what I consider tune up on modern vehicles like my 05 Chevy truck.

Fluid changes are maintenance but I don't consider them "tune up" because the word tune up afaik relates to stuff that affects the " tune" of the engine. Like ignition, adjustments, etc.
 
If periodic service is actually due by the owner's manual, it typically includes the following:
oil change/filter
air filter
spark plugs
clean mass airflow sensor
clean throttle body
new accessory drive belt
computer/code check
FULL inspection and replacement of worn/suspect parts as needed

some models call for timing belt (and water pump while the the engine is apart)

really depends on vehicle, mileage, service type and maintenance history
 
Back
Top