A lot of drivers and car owners may not be aware of what all is involved in a tune-up, or why one is a good idea. A good way to think about tune-up is to imagine it like a yearly physical for your car. When you go into the doctor for a complete yearly physical it can be quite extensive in regards to blood work and labs that get ordered. The doctor asks about any issues, checks your labs to make sure there are no lurking issues, and modifies medication orders. For cars a tune-up is designed to check over and freshen up common systems in the car that wear down with use. Just about any auto repair shop in St. Paul MN can offer a tune-up, but at Signal Garage they can invite you to watch and discuss any issues they may notice during the process.

Common procedures done during a tune-up:

Most shops define a basic tune-up as: fluids, filters, and plugs. This means they check and top off, if needed, all the fluid levels including the oil, coolant, transmission, wiper, and power steering. They replace the air filters and can even do a full oil change and replace the oil filter if needed. Then they replace the spark plugs, and wires if needed.

In thorough auto repair shops around St. Paul MN,  such as Signal Garage, checking the air pressure of the tires and looking over the wiper blades is included as well. In some instances minor diagnostics to check breaks and lights in the vehicles are done as well.

The difference between at home and professional tune-ups.

For those more mechanically incline, a lot of what is done during a traditional tune-up can be done at home. The big difference though between taking your car to an auto repair shop in St. Paul MD and performing maintenance at home, is that they are more likely to catch potential issues. When technicians are performing a tune-up they are also keeping an eye out for other visible issues and listening to the engine when they pull the car in and after they are done. Often times they can spot, or take time to look over the belts, as well to ensure there are no cracks are signs of impending snapping.

It is good to be able to perform your own maintenance from time to time.

Knowing how to perform simple upkeep on your vehicle is a good way to help ensure you get the longest life out of your car. Checking the fluids regularly and paying attention to changes in performance or sounds that are not common are advisable to help you identify problems. If  you are not always able to remember about taking regular care of your vehicle, or are very busy, letting professionals handle the regular maintenance can be as good an investment as having your yearly physical. Problems don’t always come up suddenly, or make sounds. Letting a professional auto repair shop in the St. Paul MN area perform tune-ups and inspections annually can be a good way to make sure problems are spotted and fixed before they become real issues.