Does your car need a tune-up? (Not if it's model year 1980 and later)

youtube ^ | 3/2/2018 | Scotty Kilmer

[Signalman]

Car tune up explained and if your car really needs one or not, myth busted with Scotty Kilmer. Older cars actually needed to be tuned up, but newer cars don't really need it. The way modern car engines are designed removes the need for a tune up

[blueunicorn6]

What’s your points?

[cyclotic]

Are you kidding? Cars last longer than ever.

300,000 on my 2006 Vibe. Largest repair besides tires was $95

[familyop]

Scotty is using a play on words, you see. Hot rodders did the real tuning yesterday mechanically, as they do today with computers (timing, fuel and air adjustments to fit engine modifications). Most others work with the original manufacturer specifications.

[eastforker]

What the hell you smoking. Newer cars regularly get 300K plus, my 06 Tacoma has 250K and all I have ever replaced was battery, brakes and U joints, AC still blows cold, and uses no oil.

[Rinnwald]

Tune-up is just a generic term for periodic car maintenance, so yeah, they still need a tune-up.

Cars don’t need points, timing, dwell, and condensers anymore. “Lube jobs” are generally a thing of the past.

Tune-ups mostly consist of oil changes now. I still do my own, in addition to tire rotations. It keeps me in touch with longer term needs, like brake pads. Then there are accessory drive belts, spark plugs, nowadays stretching to 100k mile intervals. Also keep an eye on transfer case and transmission oil. Manufacturers have actually reduced those service intervals to keep high dollar repairs at bay, and save their reputations.

Ford was especially bad with transmission failures. My son’s Focus recently had a transmission replaced at $2500. He bought it used and the service history was unknown. Another Focus we owned from new made it to 135k miles until it was lost through an accident, and I have an Expedition with 205k miles running strong with regular maintenance.

[hanamizu]

Newer cars aren’t built to last that long.

---

I’m going to have to disagree with you here. Although older cars were easier to work on and maintain, the average had nowhere near the ‘life-expectancy’ of what’s being made now. Now, because of advancing tech, people may be more inclined to trade in a car after a couple of years, I’ll grant you that. But putting more than 100,000 on a car used to be a remarkable feat, and now it’s commonplace.

My 2018 Honda CRV practically drives itself on Interstates between active cruise control and lane keeping.

[SkyDancer]

A tune-up on my car just entails changing the spark plugs which are 50k platinum tipped. OTT - regular oil changes.

[JD_UTDallas]

Distributor caps...plug wires what is this 1980. I haven’t owned a car or truck with a distributor cap since 1990 and it was my old 1985 Jeep CJ. Every vehicle I have owned newer than 1995 has been coil on plug or CDI direct fired. Every European import I have owned was fully electronic ignition since the late 1980s points and caps went the way of the Dodo bird in the early 80s or before in Europe. My Saab had Trionic 8 cdi that used plasma over the plug caps as a sensor for knock,compression, boost psi, advancement, and cam position sensor. Volvo had a similar system with CDI and coil on plugs all 3 of my Volvos were and are COP from the 90s onwards. My Jaguar was pointless as was the Range Rover that replaced it. None of those vehicles ever got a “tune up” just oil filters, air filters, and new plugs most at 100k or 65k intervals for the turbos. Tune ups with points, caps, carbs and plug wires went away for European cars in the 80s ha points it would be like looking at a model T now a days.

[WinMod70]

Tune-ups on most cars on the road are a thing of the past. Not to be confused with routine maintenance. However, today’s cars are highly tune-able with the right equipment and know how. A lap top has replaced the timing light, engine analyzer and dwell meter. Which reminds me, I have a three on the shelf under 20 years of dust.

[CommieCutter]

Went 192k on my Civic before the plugs were finally changed. My Ranger is on 160k and hasn’t had a change, only the ignition coil.

[cymbeline]

I’ve wondered whether the low-viscosity oils being recommended are for the purpose of fuel economy at the expense of engine life.

[wally_bert]

I went through my first set of front brake pads on my 16 Tacoma at about 120k.

[fireman15]

Its a little bit of a misleading headline. A lot of people ignore their check engine lights these days because they are typically indicating that either a sensor has gone bad or the seal on their gas cap isn’t sealing well. The sensors some time can mess up your fuel economy, and as others have noted plugs that are worn out, fluids that need to be changed, filters that need to be replaced all constitute what most people would consider a tune-up these days.

[P-Marlowe]

I went 250000 miles on my lastTundra. No tune ups. Engine ran like new when I traded it in on my new Tundra. I only traded it in because I needed the 4 door. I’ve got 150,000 miles on the new one. Still runs like new.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Those Toyota Tacos are unbelievable trucks and they hold value like crazy. My bro had a 2006 he bot at a dealer; so he probably didn’t get the bargain price on it, but I think he sold it maybe 7 years later for about $3500 less than he paid for it. He didn’t put crazy miles on it, in fact, very low miles. Still, $500/year to own it.

[mad_as_he$$]

I don’t miss carbs, points and 12k mile plug changes one bit.

[ClearCase_guy]

There was some sitcom years ago where a woman complained that her car had totally stopped running.
Her friend said, “Your check engine light was on, right? Did you get that looked at?”
“No, why should I? It’s still on. The light is fine. It’s the engine that’s got the problem!”

[Hatteras]

Let me rephrase that... The newer cars fall apart faster. Plastic interiors, fiberglass and plastic bodies, etc... They don’t last long enough for people to care about the motor. They are cheap and disposable and they all look the same. Probably plenty of still worthy motors sitting in junkyards because the cars are crap.

[jaydubya2]

I have read that Oxygen sensors lose their effectiveness over time and though they may not trip a code, that can affect your gas mileage.

[Leaning Right]

> “My last Video ever! ... <

I see you are familiar with Scotty Kilmer’s YouTube videos. The guy knows his car stuff, and I have learned a thing or two from watching his videos.

But Scotty just can’t help himself. Most of his video titles are 100 times more dramatic than they need to be. “Do this now or your car will explode!”

It’s actually unethical, in my opinion.