The 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 factory services include tuning the ignition system if it needs it. For example, if your spark plugs are worn out, we will replace them at this time to ensure they continue generating sparks in the combustion chamber. If you are uncertain when you had your car tuned last, look for the following signs that indicate your car is overdue for a tune-up.
Starting Difficulties
In order to get your car to start, it needs air and fuel in the cylinders for the spark plugs to ignite. If the spark plugs are wearing out, one, two, or more of them may not generate sparks. This means you will only end up with ignition in some of the cylinders. Depending on the total ignition, your car may or may not start. This is your first sign that the car needs to be tuned up.
Misfiring/Stalling
The car will also tell you that it needs a tune-up when it is running. If one or more of the spark plugs is not creating sparks, the cylinders in which those spark plugs are located will not fire. Consequently, the engine will misfire. It may also stall frequently. In addition, you will have a stuttering engine that does not want to accelerate. The engine will feel rough and unsteady.
Rough Idling
Speaking of rough, the idling will be rough, also. In order for the engine to run smoothly and efficiently, it needs all cylinders firing in the correct order. The engine cuts out when a cylinder does not fire when it is its turn. You can feel the cutting out while you are sitting at an idle because your vehicle will shake. You will also hear a temporary pause in the engine noise.
Lagging/Surging
As we mentioned above, if the engine is misfiring, it is not going to want to accelerate. In fact, it isn’t going to want to run at all. Your performance may lag, especially at higher speeds. There is also a sign that the timing needs to be adjusted: engine surges. This suggests that the plugs are firing too often, out of sequence, or one or more of the plugs is firing multiple times.
Unfortunately, all of the above is going to wreak havoc on your fuel economy. The advantage to having your engine tuned every 30,000 miles is it keeps the engine running efficiently, and this saves you money at the pump.
