Contrary to what some might think, cars are more durable and require less maintenance now than at any point in history. In the Sixties or Seventies, a tuneup was something that came along every 35k or so miles, and meant a mechanic would look at a cars ignition points, spark plugs, plug wires, setting the ignition timing with a strobe light and resetting the idle and mixture on the carburetor. In the Fifties, cars needed even more care; before the advent of oil filters and detergent motor oil, a car’s engine would be fairly worn out and in need of a rebuild by 90k miles!

None of that applies anymore. It’s now not unusual for drivers to get 175k or 200k miles out of a car, with the right auto maintenance and care. Tuneups are usually not necessary before 80k or so, but that doesn’t mean they should be neglected.

So what does “tuneup” even mean now, anyway? What does it consist of?

New spark plugs

New spark plug wires

New air filter

New PCV valve

New O2 sensor, possibly

Diagnostic check of engine computer to look for trouble codes

Tuneups are still important from the aspect of performance, drivability and emissions, just as they always have been. And once the plugs and plug wires, in particular, get to the point of needing to be replaced by an auto repair shop, you’ll know it – you’ll notice sluggish performance, poor fuel economy, and your engine may begin to misfire and run erratically. Also, if your car’s Check Engine light comes on and stays on, that’s a sure sign…it means that somewhere under the hood, a sensor is sending a reading to your engine computer that is far enough out of parameters that it has recorded a “hard trouble code” that can’t be fixed until the problem is fixed.

So…tune-ups may be needed a lot less frequently than they used to be, and they may not involve as many steps as they used to, but that doesn’t mean that they’re something to just blow off!