tune up

[gom01]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, I got my '99 solara with 49k miles this june and I dont know if the previous owner had any services before he gaave the car up... when should i have a tune up? I'm dont know much about cars, sorry, what do they do in a tune up? spark plugs? what kind of things do they do and when should I do it? thanks guys... sorry if its a stupid questions... thanks

[Missay]

you know..i never i thought about that before. what do they do in a "tune up" anyways. i think a tune up is one of those things that everyone knows your car needs, but most people don't really know why or what it is.

[ericatdallas]

Different mechanics have different definitions for tune-ups. At least they did when I went to get one. One mechanic I called even replaced your belts for you. He was slightly more expensive than the others.

This is a tune-up as defined by Haynes Toyota Camry Repair Manual:

Clean, inspect and test the battery
Check all engine related fluids
Check and adjust drivebelts
Replace spark plugs (some places will just re-gap)
Replace air filter
Replace the spark plug wires (some places won't)
Check hoses
Check cooling system
check charging system
check fuel system (should replace fuel filter too)

*notes in () are my comments

They also check other stuff that they do anyway when you bring it in for any other type of service - to milk you for more money.

You should get a tune-up every 18k miles. I think the service manual says your fuel filter lasts for the life of your car (change it anyway). Air filter is easy to replace and costs like $10 (for the cheap kind and that's what the mechanic will give you anyway and charge you a multiple of that).

My car is certified so in theory they should have done all the maintenance early at the time they received the car, Just in case though, I'm going to go by the regular maintenance schedule as if I've owned the car all along and the previous owner did all they should have done.

Did you buy it from a private party or a dealership? You should contact the previous owner and ask, else, assume the worse just to be safe.

[ericatdallas]

Btw, I've become a huge proponent of DIY auto work. I used to get ripped off frequently, the mechanic tricked me into changing my brake pads every 3 months. I know I didn't drive that bad. I consulted with a friend and then I changed them with him and they lasted 2 years!

Anyway, you save a lot of money. I remember I once asked a mechanic how much it would cost him to change my headlight while it was in his shop for routine maintenance and he quoted me $40. I knew I could do it for like $10 and declined it.

Basic oil change $20 right? You can do it with equivalent quality parts for $10.

If anything, being knowledgeable about your car saves you money in the long run and keeps you from being suckered or stranded on the highway.

Right now, I can do basic maintenance on my car and I'm working my way up to doing more.

[onefiend]

I thought a tune-up should be done every 30,000 miles...but some things need attention at 15,000 miles such as flushing of transmission fluid

[ericatdallas]

I thought a tune-up should be done every 30,000 miles...but some things need attention at 15,000 miles such as flushing of transmission fluid

I couldn't find it in the Haynes and so I looked it up on the net and found it at 18k somewhere. You might be right, I don't actually remember. Just go by the owner's manual is the best thing to do.

I thought that number wsa kind of low too but my instructor says that ideally you should change sparks every 20k-40k miles so I figured 18k why not?

I think you're right and you do like a minor tune-up (Haynes had two lists up) every 15k or so which consists of checking everything instead of replacing everything.

[Flipside909]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, I got my '99 solara with 49k miles this june and I dont know if the previous owner had any services before he gaave the car up... when should i have a tune up? I'm dont know much about cars, sorry, what do they do in a tune up? spark plugs? what kind of things do they do and when should I do it? thanks guys... sorry if its a stupid questions... thanks

You should have a tuneup at 60k miles. Now if your car is running sluggish, missing or hesitating, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to give it a tune up earlier. In a tuneup, usually the timing is adjusted, idle speed is checked/adjusted, plugs replaced and that's about it. The dealer will rip you off on a basic tune up. Any qualified mechanic can do this job.

[206Raincrow]

when you go to a Toyota dealer there is a 15K wich is basically an oil dump, change your air filter, and pcv. 30K service you would basically do the same things as the 15K service, but for automatics, you would change the tranny fluid and gasket and depending on your vehicle you can have your spark plugs changed at this time. 60K service is the most important service, that's when you might consider changing your timing belt, drive belts, spark plugs, air filter, pcv, coolant drain and flush. The parts aren't that expensive you just gotta watch what the labor rate is at the shop your taking your vehicle to.