Signs Your Car Tune-up is Long Overdue

Your car just broke down the other day. Now, the AC isn’t working and if feels like you’re in a sauna in the middle of traffic. You’re scratching your head asking what’s wrong.

One question: When was the last time you had your vehicle tuned up? 

Can’t remember? Then that’s probably the reason why you’re having these problems.

The Importance of Regular Maintenance

Periodic maintenance is essential in keeping the overall health of your vehicle. It helps prevent the emergence of more serious damages in the future.

Moreover, a vehicle tune-up costs a lot lesser than damage repairs. It doesn’t cost so much to check the car’s fluids, assess its parts and make smaller repairs. These small tweaks, modifications, and tests are important in keeping major and expensive repairs at bay.

More importantly, regular maintenance keeps you safe. Any unrepaired and undetected damage to your vehicle may lead to serious road accidents that may cost your life. To prevent these accidents from happening, a periodic tune-up must be done.

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How often Must You have Your Car Tuned-up?

Ideally, you need to bring your car to the auto shop every six months for its maintenance. However, some vehicles may need more frequent visits to an auto mechanic. If you use your vehicle for heavy-duty purposes or if it’s old, it will be wise to have it tuned-up more often.

Signs You’ve been Procrastinating on Bringing Your Car in for a Tune-up

Some of us are guilty of forgetting or procrastinating on vehicle tune-up. When you’ve been postponing it for too long though, your vehicle will start to show signs that you really need to bring it in.

Here are some signs you’ve been skipping regular maintenance for too long:

It’s Hard Starting the Engine

If your engine didn’t start on your first attempt, no big deal. It must have been too cold, the engine didn’t fire up immediately. But if you’re having difficulty starting the engine after several tries, this could be some problem.

It could be the spark plug. Misfires can prevent the car engine to start. By simply replacing it with a new one, you can fix the problem. Other common problems would be a defective starter or a weak battery.

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Warning Lights Illuminate

You see those little lights on the dashboard? They’re not just there to make the dashboard look cool or cute. These are indicators, and they light up for a reason.

These warning lights indicate a potential problem with your vehicle. If you’re not car expert and you don’t understand every single indicator on your dashboard, get help from a professional auto mechanic. 

If these warning lights illuminate, take your car to the shop and get it diagnose as soon as possible. Neglecting these lights won’t just cost you more on repairs, it can put you at risk while driving on the road.

Stalling

Vehicles aren’t supposed to stop all by themselves. Unless, of course, it’s the automatic brake system (Thank god for this invention). If your car starts stalling in the middle of the road, at an intersection or when you accelerate, you may have some problems to fix your vehicle. 

Vehicles are designed to perform reliably. However, regular maintenance must be done to keep its performance.

Low Fuel Mileage

Filling the tank more frequently may mean two things; you’ve been driving your car more often than ever or you’ve been skipping tune-ups for too long. 

So, if you’ve been driving the same distance, bring your car in for a checkup. Reduced fuel mileage may mean that the car isn’t functioning as efficiently as it should. If this problem occurs have someone check it.

Strange or Unexplained Noises

Brakes that squeak loudly, swishing sounds from nowhere, or any unwelcome noises may signal trouble. This can indicate that steering fluids are low, bolts or screws are loose, the belt is loose or worn. Don’t take these squeaks and shrieks for granted if you don’t want to scream in horror because of the damages your vehicle has sustained.

If you’re not an expert on the inner workings of your car, leave the tuning up to the professionals. If you notice any of the signs above bring in your vehicle for a tune-up. But, hey, who says you have to wait until to see these signs? You’re doing yourself and your car a huge favor if you schedule regular maintenance.

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