As our vehicles age, we start to notice that they are not running as well as they once were. The fuel mileage will decrease, the engine will run a bit more rough, and you may worry a bit more about a breakdown. As humans we always want to keep everything the same, whether that be us wearing our high school jeans again, or keeping our car in showroom condition. The problem is, without maintenance both our bodies and our vehicles are susceptible to wear and tear. Ways that we combat aging in humans are very apparent when you open see a celebrity on social media. They all use some form of “age defying” technique and all of them include a trip to the plastic surgeon. There is a term in plastic surgery circles that has become a standard for some: the mommy makeover. That’s right, the mommy makeover is a series of surgeries that can renew a tired mom back to her former glory. Okay, we know that sounds ridiculous but people do it on a regular basis. In a sense, a tune up is like a mommy makeover for your car, in other words a fast way to get back some of that lost fuel mileage and power.

A Traditional Tune Up?

The tune up is a term that is thrown around when vehicles start running badly or are not performing as they should. But what exactly is involved in a tune up? Well that is a bit harder to answer, due to the fact that modern vehicles are on a regimented schedule from the factory. Each component is scheduled for a replacement at certain intervals and will rarely need replacement before that, unless of course there are adverse conditions. The modern tune up is much more abstract than it was many years ago, mainly because the components are so much better.

The Cost of Neglect

If you haven’t been following your manufacturer recommended maintenance schedule it will come back to bite you if you are not careful. Components like spark plugs, fuel filters, and timing belts are wear items and if not replaced at the recommended intervals the results could be catastrophic.

Modern Tune Up

These days a tune up generally consists of monitoring your engine with a laptop or scan tool. This will give the technician an idea about how well the components are performing. A qualified technician can also make adjustments to various systems on your vehicle, thus increasing fuel mileage and power. The days of swapping out spark plugs and ignition rotors are long gone. Spark plugs are made to last thousands of miles and ignition rotors no longer exist on modern cars. While you may hear the term tune up used occasionally, the modern tune up is a different type of maintenance. At Kearny Mesa Automotive, we encourage you to bring you car in if you are noticing problems with acceleration, fuel mileage, and starting, especially if your car has been neglected. We are experts at scheduled maintenance and can have you back on the road in no time, just like a reality TV star with a mommy makeover. Schedule an appointment today and keep your car running its best.