How much is a tune up?

Wow, this is a hard question! Short answer: typically $400-$800 on average. I know that does not help, right? First, let’s start with what a tune-up is anyway. A tune-up is a scheduled maintenance item on a car or truck that has to do with the fuel and ignition system. It is not a repair; these are things designed to wear out or stop up. These include spark plugs, distributor caps and rotors, coils, and coil boots. Fuel filters and air filters, and on newer cars, induction service is very important. If it sounds like a lot… it is. Cars today are more complex and require less frequency on tune-ups, but that comes at a cost. Spark plugs of the past used copper and a resistor, but today platinum and iridium are common. Copper plugs retail for about $4.99 per plug, while some iridium plugs can cost $35. Cars are also packed into tighter engine compartments, making it harder to access tune-up parts. Some need the intake manifold removed to gain access to spark plugs and boots.

So what do you do? How do you know? You really need to get your car checked by a professional technician. In most cases today, this is not a DIY project. Get set up on a maintenance schedule with a reputable shop and stick with it. With the cost of cars today, we all have to make them last as long as we can! I hope this helps a little with your knowledge and understanding of the tune-up world we live in today. As always, feel free to give us a call or e-mail your questions. We are here to help. Thanks again from B&B Automotive Services, where we treat you like family!