Need a Car Tune Up? Look out for 4 Symptoms!
Manufacturers now term a car tune up as a "maintenance service." However, the purpose remains the same—to keep your car operating at optimum efficiency and safety. The intervals for this maintenance service (or what many drivers still consider as a tune up), will vary with the various types of vehicle. Today's newer cars with electronic ignition and fuel injection systems can go from 25,000 miles to as many as 100,000 miles without needing a major tune-up. However, older cars with non-electronic ignitions generally require a tune up every 10,000 to 12,000 miles or every year, whichever comes first.
The best way to know the recommended car tune up interval for your specific vehicle is to check your owner's manual. However, if you do a lot of stop-and-go driving, pull heavy loads (like a camper of boat), or make a lot of short trips, it's smart to check the various components of your vehicle's electronic ignition system periodically, even though it may not be time for a tune up.
Any of the four symptoms below are indications that it is time for a car tune up, or maintenance service:
- The engine runs rough when idling, or when accelerating.
- Your vehicle stalls frequently.
- Your vehicle lacks passing power to make a safe overtake of a slower vehicle.
- Your car gets harder to start.
Schedule a full diagnosis with a trustworthy auto mechanic. The correct maintenance service could prevent a future accident.
IN THE NEWS --- GM Announces Connected Car, Automated Driving for 2016
** General Motors will release its first vehicle equipped with "connected car" technology in 2016. According to a report from Reuters, GM CEO Mary Barra made a recent announcement that the company will sell a 2017 model Cadillac CTS equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology, allowing it to communicate with similarly equipped vehicles to help improve road safety. GM will also roll out its "Super Cruise" automated driving system in 2016 that allows for hands-free highway driving through automated lane-following, speed-control and braking technology. There have also been reports that automated vehicle technology could become commonplace in newer vehicles, which could have repercussions in the repair industry. **
Is your car showing signs of a needed tune up? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Clausen Automotive, a certified hybrid shop, by calling (608) 221-8321 for more information. Since 1975, our family-owned auto shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.
Manufacturers now term a car tune up as a "maintenance service." However, the purpose remains the same—to keep your car operating at optimum efficiency and safety. The intervals for this maintenance service (or what many drivers still consider as a tune up), will vary with the various types of vehicle. Today's newer cars with electronic ignition and fuel injection systems can go from 25,000 miles to as many as 100,000 miles without needing a major tune-up. However, older cars with non-electronic ignitions generally require a tune up every 10,000 to 12,000 miles or every year, whichever comes first.
The best way to know the recommended car tune up interval for your specific vehicle is to check your owner's manual. However, if you do a lot of stop-and-go driving, pull heavy loads (like a camper of boat), or make a lot of short trips, it's smart to check the various components of your vehicle's electronic ignition system periodically, even though it may not be time for a tune up.
Any of the four symptoms below are indications that it is time for a car tune up, or maintenance service:
- The engine runs rough when idling, or when accelerating.
- Your vehicle stalls frequently.
- Your vehicle lacks passing power to make a safe overtake of a slower vehicle.
- Your car gets harder to start.
Schedule a full diagnosis with a trustworthy auto mechanic. The correct maintenance service could prevent a future accident.
IN THE NEWS --- GM Announces Connected Car, Automated Driving for 2016
** General Motors will release its first vehicle equipped with "connected car" technology in 2016. According to a report from Reuters, GM CEO Mary Barra made a recent announcement that the company will sell a 2017 model Cadillac CTS equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology, allowing it to communicate with similarly equipped vehicles to help improve road safety. GM will also roll out its "Super Cruise" automated driving system in 2016 that allows for hands-free highway driving through automated lane-following, speed-control and braking technology. There have also been reports that automated vehicle technology could become commonplace in newer vehicles, which could have repercussions in the repair industry. **
Is your car showing signs of a needed tune up? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Clausen Automotive, a certified hybrid shop, by calling (608) 221-8321 for more information. Since 1975, our family-owned auto shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.
