Tuneup, or is it Checkup?

2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car

The days of tuning up your car is becoming a thing of the past, when it comes to car maintenance. Years ago, getting a tune up on a car was a common thing to do once a year, or maybe longer for some folks. But whatever the schedule was, it was something that needed to be done regularly, if you wanted your car to keep running smooth. In the earlier years, automobiles were controlled mechanically. The engine ran on parts that were set to work in unison with one another, by adjusting, and setting all the parts manually by hand, to get the car to perform efficiently. So as the car was driven, some parts became worn, or off set, then a mechanic would have to re-set, or recalibrate the necessary parts, or replace them. This is what was called a tune up. But today’s cars are not the same. Everything is kept in perfect order, and controlled with computers. Controls such as brakes, fuel, shifting of the transmission, and even some accessories. It’s all controlled by one , or more computers. So what that means is that a typical maintenance routine would consist of changing fluids, and looking for worn out parts, that need to be replaced. A technician also has the option of connecting a large computer unit to the diagnostic port on your car, and a display will show any possible problems that may be happening, or can not be visibly seen. The days of manually setting, and adjusting mechanical parts to keep the engine running smooth are a thing of the past. Technology has definitely taken over. It’s amazing what some cars can do, and it just keeps getting better.

So when it comes to servicing your car’s performance, instead of a tune up, consider it to be a check up, replace, or a change-up.

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