East Lansing & Lansing Tune-up Professionals, Spark Plugs, Distributer Cap, Ignition Coil, Air, Fuel, Cabin Filters
The term tune up was coined back when Henry Ford was working on his first prototype for the automobile. This first ignition system was very simple; one ignition coil for one spark plug, so if there were four spark plugs there would be four ignition coils. The coil needed to be adjusted to provide the same spark intensity for better idle and acceleration. As these ignition coils worked they made a buzzing sound so when they were adjusted properly they all buzzed the same; they were in tune. That’s how the term tuneup was coined. This term stuck and was associated with the replacement of spark plugs and any performance or rough idle problem that could be associated to engine operation. Once the distributor was developed the term tuneup had no meaning as to how an engine performed, but the consumer who was used to hearing this term around the garage, automatically associated poor running quality with the need to be in tune.
Today’s automobiles do not require tuneups. Automobile manufacturers have set forth in their recommended maintenance schedules, intervals for replacing spark plugs, PCV valves, fuel filters, etc. While recommending that other items related to engine operation be checked for proper operation and/or adjustment such as ignition timing, idle speed, and other emission control related devices. Only when the maintenance has been performed should a performance problem be addressed to correct any given set of problems. If an operating or performance problem is still present after the maintenance has been performed an engine analysis would then be required. Therefore the term tuneup indicates the need for routine maintenance and should not be associated with poor performance. If your vehicle experiences any operating or performance problems between maintenance intervals, that specific problem should be addressed by performing engine analysis to isolate that particular problem.
After 60,000 miles it is highly recommended that spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor be replaced; on ignitions without a distributor only spark plug wires are required. The reason is that under the hood of vehicle the electrical components over time are exposed to moisture, oil, grease, and temperature up to 550 to 700 degrees. As a result the insulation in the spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor breaks down creating an easier or alternative path to ground. Worn spark plugs also cause higher voltage requirements causing the ignition module and coil to produce higher and higher voltages to overcome the resistance. The resulting higher voltage breaks down the spark plug wire’s insulation creating an easier path to ground. This causes the ignition module and coil to produce even more voltage, creating even higher current temperatures within them. Remember, higher resistance correlates to higher current temperatures and electricity always tries to find the easiest path to ground. This higher than normal resistance weakens transistor and electrical insulation within the module, coils, and computers resulting in intermittent and premature failure. As a result you may experience a variety of drive-ability problems. These problems are sometimes hard to diagnose due to the intermittent nature of electrical components as a result of temperature, heat, and moisture; resulting in expensive diagnostic time. If you have already experienced an ignition module or computer failure after 60,000 miles and haven’t replaced your spark plug wires, distributor cap, and a rotor you most likely will experience the same problem again.
Most ignition modules range in price from $200 to $450 plus labor! The same is also true for vehicle computers.
Recent update to this page………
We have found on many newer Ford products 2005 and newer if the ignition coils fail they will short out and spike the main computer and cause it to fail internally resulting in a repair that will cost over $2000.00. This just goes to reenforce the importance of proper maintenance and repair of your vehicle as soon as a problem makes itself noticeable. Do not wait until the vehicle no longer starts runs and drives to perform repairs. Many times it will be too late and the repair cost will be too expensive to repair.
Lansing Professional Fleet Auto Repair provides fast, dependable service as well as responsible advice to help prolong the life of my family's fleet of vehicles. As the father of two....
-Don Waskiewicz, Deep Blue Insights, LLC
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