Re: But, what about the tune up!
JDean55 said:
Really, well, i'll replace the plugs.....what kind of PLUGS should i buy????
Also, SHOULD I GET A TUNE UP?? And where should i take it?? I took it to a dealership last time and it was almost $300.00 for it! What do you guy recommend??
JD, does the car have an owners manual? If so, there should be a maintenance schedule in there. If not, try going to my web site and looking in the "Maintenance" area. I've got most of the usual service items listed there for the 4 and 6 cyl MX6 and PGT. I'm not sure I listed all the 4-banger stuff...if not, let me know and I'll slap it up there.
If you have no proof that the timing belt has been on on the car when you bought it (i.e. no service record or receipts), consider booking it in to have it done. Other typical tune-up items (things like wires, cap, rotor and filters) are generally things you'd do every 30000 to 60000KM, depending on the item; plugs I'd change every 30K, the fuel filter ever 60K and so on.
Since you are just starting out with this particular car, pull the plugs & check them. Personally, I'd simply replace them but if they look brand new, leave 'em. Inspect the plug wires for cracking, corona damage etc and replace if necessary. Pull the cap & rotor and check for carbon tracks, cracking etc. Does the fuel filter look like it was done recently? If so, leave it...if not, maybe get it replaced. The air filter is easy to visual-check.
Once you've got a baseline set (i.e. you are reasonably assured the basics are right and in good shape), you can follow a typical maintenance schedule like on my site. Of course, you might have to replace some parts (plug wires, for instance) sooner than 60,000KM, but you have to expect that when buying a used car.
The O2 sensor doesn't generally require replacement until the PCM says it does (the CEL comes on.)
