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In the 1960s and 70s, when vehicles had distributors, carburetors and mechanical ignition, tune-ups were necessary about every 35,000 miles or so. Those days are long gone, and today’s vehicles are more low-maintenance than ever when it comes to tune-ups.

So what does a “tune-up” even involve today?

First off, consider that on modern vehicles, spark plugs only need to be replaced  at about the 100,000 mile mark. It’s really not necessary to replace them before that point; on many vehicles, changing plugs is a difficult job that can equate to many hours of labor.

Since today’s vehicles use processors to govern fuel metering, ignition timing, transmission shift points, emissions and other variables, our starting point for any performance issue is to connect a code reader and troubleshoot what’s going on by obtaining the trouble codes stored in the engine computer. The codes give us the information we need to look at the problem from different angles and determine what caused the code to register in the first place and make the right calls on what to repair or replace. Your dashboard Check Engine light is designed to light up when a trouble code is stored in the computer, but sometimes “pending” codes can be stored without lighting up that indicator.

Other items on a tune-up today might include:

--Replacing the air filter

--Replacing the fuel filter(s)

--Checking belts and hoses

--Replacing the coil-on-plug packs that supply voltage to the spark plugs

--Checking the battery, cables, terminals and charging system

--Checking or replacing the engine’s oxygen sensor(s)

--Checking the exhaust and emissions system

While we’re under the hood, we’ll perform a thorough inspection for wear and tear on other parts of the vehicle. This is the kind of preventive maintenance that can head off problems before they worsen.

At Auto Express of Sacramento, you can count on a thorough and accurate tune-up and straight talk about whatever issues your vehicle might have, with no jargon or shop talk. It’s the way we do things at Auto Express of Sacramento – honest and straightforward, every time. It’s the kind of personalized and honest service that our loyal customers in the Sacramento area have come to expect from us. Got concerns about your vehicle’s performance? Make an appointment with us today.