What's Included in a Tuneup?

Key Points

• A modern tuneup is different from 50 years ago, as electronic systems in newer cars have eliminated some ignition parts.
• A request for a general tuneup for a modern car is no longer a likely solution for a running problem.
• Maintenance items that may require periodic attention include the engine air filter, fuel injectors and throttle body, among others.

With today’s advancements in technology, a tuneup doesn’t mean what it did 50 years ago. Back then, the spark plugs, points and condenser were often replaced on an annual basis, possibly with the occasional distributor cap, rotor and spark-plug wires added to the mix. Modern cars don’t have many of those items, and unfortunately, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other engine-related issues that might require periodic attention.

Related: Do I Need to Use Engine Oil or Fuel Additives?

Electronic ignitions that came about in the 1970s did away with the points and condenser, and many vehicles starting in the ‘90s were fitted with multiple coils or coil-on-plug ignition systems that took the distributor cap, rotor and conventional spark-plug wires out of the equation. (These are sometimes referred to as “distributor-less ignition.”) 

In fact, spark plugs are the only carryover for most newer cars, and they’ve been updated to often last 100,000 miles or more — usually with their own listing on a maintenance schedule. So asking your mechanic for a tuneup isn’t really a viable request anymore — nor is it likely to be the fix for a running problem.

Maintenance Parts That May Require Periodic Attention

• Takeaway: Some routine maintenance items may include changing the engine air filter, cleaning the fuel injectors and throttle body, replacing the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve and fuel filter, and changing fluids.

Normally, the engine air filter is at least checked at certain intervals. The life of these varies widely by the type of driving environment (dusty conditions equal more frequent replacement, though many are replaced when they really don’t need to be), but the inspection is listed in most maintenance schedules.

What might not be listed is fuel-injector cleaning. Normally, if you use a good grade of gasoline (Top Tier gas is recommended by some manufacturers and is probably good to use regardless), you likely won’t need to have the fuel injectors cleaned as a maintenance item. While shops sometimes recommend the procedure, if needed, you can do something similar just by adding a fuel-cleaning additive to your gas tank — though the “cleaning” function will take longer.

Throttle-body cleaning is another service a shop may recommend. While this has merit, it’s usually only needed if you’re experiencing a running problem. It’s also something you could do yourself if you’re so inclined, though the procedure is more involved than just adding fuel-injector cleaner to your tank. An internet search for, “How do I clean the throttle body on a year/make/model” (e.g., 2020 Toyota Corolla) should give you an idea of whether you want to give it a shot. 

Some other tuneup-related items might include the PCV valve and fuel filter, which may be listed on the maintenance schedule to either check or replace at fairly long intervals. Then there’s also changing the oil, coolant, maybe the transmission fluid and the cabin filter, but those haven’t traditionally been considered part of a tuneup.

Although there are fewer parts to periodically replace on modern cars, numerous computers and sensors have been added that can still go bad. However, they’re usually replaced only when they fail, and some may last the life of the car.

Read More Maintenance Advice on Cars.com:

• Do Fuel Injectors Need Periodic Cleaning?
• Is Oil for High-Mileage Engines Worth Buying?
• How Do I Find Out if a Car Is Still Under Warranty?
• Do You Really Need to Change the Transmission Fluid?
• More Maintenance Advice

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