A motor vehicle service or tune-up is a series of
maintenance
Maintenance may refer to:
Biological science
* Maintenance of an organism
* Maintenance respiration
Non-technical maintenance
* Alimony, also called ''maintenance'' in British English
* Champerty and maintenance, two related legal doctrine ...
procedures carried out at a set time interval or after the
vehicle
A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), wa ...
has traveled a certain distance. The service intervals are specified by the
vehicle manufacturer
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...
in a service schedule and some modern
car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as ...
s display the due date for the next service electronically on the
instrument panel. A tune-up should not be confused with
engine tuning
Engine tuning is the adjustment or modification of the internal combustion engine or Engine Control Unit (ECU) to yield optimal performance and increase the engine's power output, economy, or durability. These goals may be mutually exclusive; a ...
, which is the modifying of an
engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
to perform ''better'' than the original specification, rather than using maintenance to keep the engine running as it should.
Common tasks involved in maintaining a vehicle
* Inspection - vehicle components are visually inspected for wear or any leaks. A diagnostic is performed to identify any electrical components reporting a failure or a part operating outside of normal conditions.
* Replacement - Given certain lubricants break down over time due to heat and wear, manufacturers recommend replacement. Any parts that are close to their expected failure are replaced too to avoid a failure while operating the vehicle.
* Adjustments - as vehicle components wear, they may need adjustment over time. Example: parking brake cable.
The completed services are usually recorded in a service book upon completion of each service. A complete service history usually adds to the resale value of a vehicle.
Scheduling
The actual schedule of car maintenance varies depending on the year, make, and model of a car, its driving conditions, and driver behavior. Carmakers recommend the so-called extreme or the ideal service schedule based on impact parameters such as
* the number of trips and distance traveled per trip per day
* extreme hot or cold climate conditions
* mountainous, dusty, or DE-iced roads
* heavy stop-and-go vs. long-distance cruising
* towing a trailer or other heavy load
Service advisers in dealerships and
independent shops recommend schedule intervals, which are often in between the ideal or extreme service schedule.
Common maintenance
Maintenance tasks commonly carried out during a motor vehicle service include:
* Change the
engine oil
Motor oil, engine oil, or engine lubricant is any one of various substances used for the lubrication of internal combustion engines. They typically consist of base oils enhanced with various additives, particularly antiwear additives, deter ...
* Replace the
oil filter
An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. Their chief use is in internal-combustion engines for motor vehicles (both on- and off-road ), powered aircraft, r ...
* Replace the
air filter
A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous, or porous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. Filters containing an adsorbent or catalyst such as charcoal (carbon) may als ...
* Replace the
fuel filter
A fuel filter is a filter used to screens out foreign particles or liquids from the fuel. Most internal combustion engines use a fuel filter, in order to protect the components in the fuel system.
Filters for foreign particles
Unfiltered fuel m ...
* Replace the cabin or a/c filter
* Replace the
spark plugs
A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...
* Check level and refill
brake fluid
Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake and hydraulic clutch applications in automobiles, motorcycles, light trucks, and some bicycles. It is used to transfer force into pressure, and to amplify braking force. It works be ...
/clutch fluid
* Check
Brake pad Brake pads are a component of disc brakes used in automotive and other applications. Brake pads are composed of steel backing plates with friction material bound to the surface that faces the disc brake rotors.
Function
Brake pads convert the kin ...
s/Liners,
Brake discs/
Drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
, and replace if worn out
* Check Coolant Hoses
* Check the charging systems
* Check the
battery
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
* Check level and refill
power steering fluid
A hydraulic fluid or hydraulic liquid is the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. Common hydraulic fluids are based on mineral oil or water. Examples of equipment that might use hydraulic fluids are excavators and backhoes, ...
* Check level and refill Automatic/Manual Transmission Fluid
* Grease and lubricate components
* Inspect and replace the
timing belt or
timing chain
In a piston engine, either a timing belt (also called a ''cambelt'') or timing chain or set of timing gears is used to synchronize the rotation of the crankshaft and the camshaft. This synchronisation ensures that the engine's valves open and clo ...
if needed
* Check condition of the
tires
A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineering), t ...
* Rotate Tires
* Check for proper operation of all lights, wipers, etc.
* Check for any error codes in the ECU and take corrective action.
* Use a scan tool to read trouble code.
Mechanical parts that may cause the car to cease transmission or prove unsafe for the road are also noted and advised upon.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, few parts that are not inspected on the
MOT test
The MOT test (or simply MOT) is an annual test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness aspects and exhaust emissions required in the United Kingdom for most vehicles over three years old. In Northern Ireland the equivalent requirement applies after ...
are inspected and advised upon a Service Inspection, including
clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
,
gearbox
Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), differe ...
,
car battery
An automotive battery or car battery is a rechargeable battery that is used to start a motor vehicle. Its main purpose is to provide an electric current to the electric-powered starting motor, which in turn starts the chemically-powered intern ...
, and engine components (further inspections than MOT).
See also
*
Auto mechanic
An auto mechanic (automotive technician in most of North America, light vehicle technician in British English, and motor mechanic in Australian English) is a mechanic who services and repairs automobiles, sometimes specializing in one or more ...
*
Automobile repair shop
An automobile repair shop (also known regionally as a garage or a workshop) is an establishment where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and technicians.
Types
Automotive garages and repair shops can be divided into following categor ...
*
Bus garage
A bus garage, also known as a bus depot, bus base or bus barn, is a facility where buses are stored and maintained. In many conurbations, bus garages are on the site of former car barns or tram sheds, where trams (streetcars) were stored, and ...
*
Car ramp
A car ramp is a structure or device used to raise an automobile from the ground in order to access its undercarriage. Along with using a jack or jack stands, using a ramp is reportedly one of the easiest ways to elevate a car. Car ramps also offe ...
, a means of accessing the underside of a vehicle
*
Engine tuning
Engine tuning is the adjustment or modification of the internal combustion engine or Engine Control Unit (ECU) to yield optimal performance and increase the engine's power output, economy, or durability. These goals may be mutually exclusive; a ...
*
Exhaust gas analyzer
*
Italian tuneup
Italian tuneup is a slang automotive term for attempting to restore engine performance by driving a car at high engine speed (RPM) and load.
The term originated from Italian mechanics in the 1950s using this practice to burn off carbon deposits fr ...
*
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...
References
Sources
*
External links
Maintenance
Maintenance
Maintenance may refer to:
Biological science
* Maintenance of an organism
* Maintenance respiration
Non-technical maintenance
* Alimony, also called ''maintenance'' in British English
* Champerty and maintenance, two related legal doctrine ...