Basic Car Tune Up

When was the last time you got a tune up?  If you’re like most drivers, it can be hard to remember when the last time was that we had a basic car tune up performed on our vehicle.  Changing your oil is easy to remember as many new cars alert you to when that is due and many oil change shops will provide you with a sticker on your windshield, but tune ups can often slip our minds.

Older cars used to provide you with indications that they were in need of a tune up in the form of poor performance, hard starting, and even backfires.  Newer vehicles can often go for a very long time without a tune up, but that doesn’t mean everything is functioning properly.  For example, many new cars won’t let you know that they need new spark plugs until the computer registers a misfire in one of the cylinders.  If you’ve got a cylinder misfire from worn spark plugs, then your spark plug is so worn down that the coil is unable to provide enough energy to get a spark to jump across the gap.  In this case, the spark plug gap is probably so big that it’s been causing inefficient combustion and poor fuel mileage for tens of thousands of miles.  Also, the large spark plug gap has been demanding extra power for your ignition system causing premature wear and possible failure there.

Changing your spark plugs at the manufacture’s recommended intervals can help your vehicle get better mileage and performance as well as protect your ignition system, so check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for when to change your spark plugs.

Similarly, as you drive your vehicle your fuel system and combustion chamber will accumulate deposits and build ups from particles in the fuel and from the combustion process.  These deposits come from the tiny amount of impurities that are in the hundreds of gallons of fuel you put in your vehicle as well as wear products from your fuel system.  These unwanted deposits can build up in your fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel lines, injectors and in your combustion chamber on your valves, pistons, and spark plugs.  The deposits can increase the stress and wear and tear on components in your fuel system like your fuel pump and fuel injectors.  The buildup in the combustion chamber can cause inefficient combustion and abnormal pressures which can lead to poor fuel mileage and even bigger problems like knocking.

The best way to keep your ignition system safe is to regularly replace your spark plugs.  The best way to keep your fuel system safe is to regularly clean it.  Every time you get your oil changed, you should add BlueDevil Fuel System Cleaner to your fuel.  BlueDevil Fuel System Cleaner is a powerful cleaning agent that can help reduce stress on your fuel system and increase the efficiency of your engine.  BlueDevil Fuel System Cleaner does this by attacking deposits both in your fuel pump and fuel lines as well as deposits in your combustion chamber.  Removing these deposits will allow your fuel system to operate at full capacity and will keep your engine running smoothly and at peak efficiency saving you both fuel and money.

For more information about BlueDevil Fuel System Cleaner, visit our product here: BlueDevil Fuel System Cleaner

You can purchase BlueDevil Fuel System Cleaner at any of our partnering local auto parts stores like:

• AutoZone
• Advance Auto Parts
• Bennett Auto Supply
• CarQuest Auto parts
• NAPA Auto Parts
• O’Reilly Auto Parts
• Pep Boys
• Fast Track
• Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Specialists
• S&E Quick Lube Distributer
• DYK Automotive

Pictures Provided By:

spark_plug.jpg – By Lbarn – Licensed by Thinkstock Photos – Original Link
fuel_injector.jpg – By Simazoran – Licensed by Thinkstock Photos – Original Link