Keeping up with proper maintenance on your Mazda is key to preserving its value, extending its life on the road, and making sure it performs the way you want it to. What about a car tune-up? Is it even necessary with today’s vehicles? Let’s examine what a tune-up actually involves, how often you should bring your vehicle in to your Mazda dealer for a tune-up, and the signs that your vehicle might need a tune-up.
How Often Should You See Your Local Mazda Dealer to Get a Car Tune-Up?
What Exactly Is a Tune-Up?
In older vehicles, a tune-up was recommended about every 30,000 – 45,000 miles. This involved inspecting your engine’s components, adjusting, repairing, or replacing them, or even taking them apart and putting them back together. It was a necessary, but labor-intensive, task to keep your car on the road and running smoothly.
Since modern vehicles are basically controlled by a computer, very little adjusting, visually inspecting, or tinkering goes on. A modern tune-up is considered a major service on your Mazda and usually involves an oil change, replacing the spark plugs and the air filter, as well as a few other items.
How Often Does My Mazda Need a Tune-Up?
The long and short of it is, “it depends”. Many of the items that need to be replaced during what’s commonly known as a tune-up have varying replacement schedules, and those replacement schedules can be different depending on what type of vehicle you have.
Every Mazda won’t even be on the same schedule, and it will depend on what model you drive. Use your particular vehicle’s maintenance schedule as a guide and pay attention to how your Mazda is running when deciding whether or not a tune-up is needed.
How Do I Know That’s Time for a Tune-Up?
Again, you can start by using your Mazda’s maintenance schedule as a suggestion, but if you look and listen to your vehicle closely enough, it will often indicate to you when it’s time to take it to an expert. If your vehicle experiences any of the following, consult your Mazda maintenance technician to see if a tune-up is appropriate:
- An unforeseen drop in gas mileage
- Idling roughly or stalling while idling
- Starting and/or running rough
- Engine has trouble starting
- A misfiring engine, particularly in humid weather
- Lack of power
Of course, as you make a visual inspection of the engine bay, you may observe certain items that are worn or damaged. But with today’s modern, computerized vehicles, there are a lot of issues that will go unnoticed by the everyday car owner and will need an expert or computer diagnostic to uncover.
The nature of tune-ups has changed drastically over the years, but the need to maintain your Mazda is as important as ever. If you think your vehicle needs a tune-up, come see our expert technicians at Flood Mazda right away.
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