Wednesday 14 March 2012

Tune Up: Is a Car Tune Up still necessary?

Are you concerned about the appropriate care of your vehicle? In today’s newer models of vehicles, advanced technology requires meeting emissions standards put in place since about 1996. Cars no longer have the same components that were included as part of the traditional car tune up.

If you are looking for quality tune up Princeton MN your search can be over with our Rum River automotive repair Princeton MN shop. Meet our mechanic Princeton MN to solve any of your vehicle problems.


In older model vehicles, a traditional car tune up consisted of…


  • Recalibrate the carburetor: The carburetor was responsible for creating an air and fuel mixture which was then pulled into the cylinders.
  • Reset or replace the points: Points were moving parts responsible for timing the spark to ignite the air and fuel mixture.
  • Replace worn out high voltage wires: Wires which ran from the distributor and points to the individual spark plugs.
  • Replaced spark plugs: or reset the gap if the spark plugs were not replaced.

The technology involved in a car tune up today involves…


  • Carburetors were replaced by fuel injection systems which use electronics to measure the fuel added to the intake.
  • Distributors and points were replaced by electronic ignition systems.
  • High voltage wires have been replaced by coil/plug ignition systems. This means that the high voltage is created at the spark plug. There are no high voltage wires that need to be replaced.
  • Most cars today have the spark plugs buried underneath the overhead cams. This makes them hard to replace. Accordingly, many cars and trucks use platinum tipped spark plugs which are good for 100,000 miles or longer.

Thanks to advances in technology, a regular "tune up," as we remember it is no longer required. However, it is still important to follow the recommended service intervals for your vehicle. Not only does this honor the vehicle’s warranty, but will also ensure that your car performs at optimum efficiency.

Need a professional car tune up? Contact our ASE-Certified Technicians today by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at http://www.rumriverauto.com/ for more information about any of your car problems. Since 1997, our auto repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN, and in the surrounding areas of Milaca and Zimmerman, MN.

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