Essentials for a Tune up?

spaceman

Lifer
Dec 4, 2000
17,617
183
106
ok,i have a pickup truck...it runs great but shes getting up there in age(92) and just rounded the 100k line.
im planning on running it into the ground before i buy something new.
I need to know what the best things to buy for a good tuneup.....but do not want to buy snake oil products that dont really give any benefits or add to its longevity.
so far i know OIL/Oil Filter.Air Filter,plugs(?).....
 

4824guy

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
3,102
0
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How about a new set of plug wires. If it has a carberator, clean that out with some carb spray. If it has a Distributor cap, replace that was well.
 

etech

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
10,597
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A lot will depend on the specifics of your vehicle. I'm probably going to miss something obvious but here's a list to get started.

Spark Plugs
Spark plug wires
Distributor and rotor
Check and clean the battery and posts, a little baking soda used carefully to clean of the top of the battery.

Air filter
PCV valve
Check the power steering fluid
Check the belt/s, if any cracks or if they look worn, replace, carrying a spare is a good idea anyway.
New O2 sensor if your gas milage is down significantly

Change and flush the brake fluid, you can do this with two people and a little time
Brake pads and rotors checked and or replaced.
Have the wheel bearings repacked.

Transmission fluid and filter.
Flush and change the coolant and hoses.
Check and or replace all the vacuum hoses.

Changing the oil is not part of a tune up but should be done every 2 to 7k miles.
Lube ball joints, should be done at each oil change




 

BlackOmen

Senior member
Aug 23, 2001
526
0
0
Spark Plugs
Spark plug wires
Distributor and rotor
Check and clean the battery and posts, a little baking soda used carefully to clean of the top of the battery.

Air filter
PCV valve
Check the power steering fluid
Check the belt/s, if any cracks or if they look worn, replace, carrying a spare is a good idea anyway.
New O2 sensor if your gas milage is down significantly

Change and flush the brake fluid, you can do this with two people and a little time
Brake pads and rotors checked and or replaced.
Have the wheel bearings repacked.

Transmission fluid and filter.
Flush and change the coolant and hoses.
Check and or replace all the vacuum hoses.

Changing the oil is not part of a tune up but should be done every 2 to 7k miles.
Lube ball joints, should be done at each oil change


And if you go to a quickie lube place, they prolly didn't even grease your joints. Be sure they are greased at every oil change, especially at this age. At 100k, I would probably replace the O2 sensor anyways, I do it religiously every 30k, as per manufactuer recommendations. Also, in addition to cap and rotor, adjust timing if necessary on your vehicle. Otherwise, etech's list is pretty complete.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
You got a great list there from etech. I'd just go ahead and replace the belt(s), all hoses and filters while you're going at it. Be careful NOT to use any spray or sealer with silicon near the O2 sensor.

Shop at Walmart for as many of the fluids and filters as you can. Nobody can touch their prices, especially if they're on sale. I buy all my parts from AutoZone for the same reason. Hope you have one near. Don't forget to grab a gallon of PERMATEX® FAST ORANGE® Fine Pumice Lotion Hand Cleaner. That stuff is great!

Good Luck!
 

rival

Diamond Member
Aug 19, 2001
3,490
0
0
lube it up yourself, i need to get a grease gun for my truck, i had to replace the tie rods and u-joints awhile ago, and tie rods are NOT cheap...buy a Chilton book for your truck make and model, i got one a few days ago, its got every damn thing in it about my truck...how to take everything apart, where everything is...it was around $10 at kragen
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
Good point about the Chilton's manual, rival, but if you want the real thing in service manuals, get a Helm's Service Manual. You're looking at about $130.00 for the set, but it is thorough. Each part is identified by a part number, which can be ordered from your local dealer's parts department. There's a separate manual for Chassis, Engine, Body, Electrical, Emissions and more.
 

yakko

Lifer
Apr 18, 2000
25,455
2
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Spark Plugs check
Spark plug wires check
Distributor and rotor That should be distributor cap but check
Check and clean the battery and posts, a little baking soda used carefully to clean of the top of the battery. Also make sure you put a nice layer of grease on the battery terminals to prevent corrosion

Air filter check
PCV valve Only if yours is broken.
Check the power steering fluid check
Check the belt/s, if any cracks or if they look worn, replace, carrying a spare is a good idea anyway. check Although depending on how it installs a spare can be pointless if you don't carry the tools as well with the knowledge how to replace it.
New O2 sensor if your gas milage is down significantly Thankfully O2 sensors almost never go bad.

Change and flush the brake fluid, you can do this with two people and a little time check But be very careful on this. If you are not 150% sure don't mess with it since I don't want you coming up behind me at 50 mph at a red light and then realizing you screwed it up.
Brake pads and rotors checked and or replaced. check and see above comment.
Have the wheel bearings repacked. Most front wheel bearings are sealed and back ones rarely need repacking unless they need replacing.

Transmission fluid and filter. check The filters are only on automatics from what I have seen.
Flush and change the coolant and hoses. check This should be done every few years no matter what the mileage since the coolant breaks down and your engine starts to corrode. Newer coolants can usually get about 5 years of normal use though.
Check and or replace all the vacuum hoses. BIG CHECK I hate it when they start leaking and you got no more power or the damn thing just won't idle.

Changing the oil is not part of a tune up but should be done every 2 to 7k miles. check
Lube ball joints, should be done at each oil change All the ones I have seen are sealed. Domestic stuff may be different.



Also don't forget to check your engine for any kind of fluid leaks. Most of the rubber and plastic parts in your engine do not like oil and will break down prematurely and when you run out of a fluid the engine doesn't always continue working. Make sure you shocks and struts are not worn as a worn out suspension can affect handling and braking. Make sure you check all electrical contacts that you can get to like around lights for corrosion. If your car uses rubber parts to suspend the exhaust make sure they are not worn or broken.
 

evergreen96

Senior member
Sep 2, 2000
609
0
0
It your truck is a foreign, you better change the timing belt on it



<< im planning on running it into the ground before i buy something new. >>



Its is a toyota or honda good luck, I had a friend who had a early 80 civic w/ 300,000 miles on it and it just wouldn't die

My friend decided just to get a another car since it was kind of pathic driving a 20 yr old car that just wouldn't die

 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,954
577
126


<< And if you go to a quickie lube place, they prolly didn't even grease your joints. Be sure they are greased at every oil change, especially at this age >>

Ain't that the truth. I was taking my Bonneville in to a Quicky-Lube joint, getting the "full" service (lube/oil/filter/fluids/air pressure/etc.) and presumed they were hitting the grease points, since I was paying for that.

My front end began making some hideous 'creaking' noises so I had a friend of mine check it out. He said "Christ when is the last time you hit these service points with grease? Its dry as a bone under there."

I took the car back to the oil change joint and told them what my friend had said. The "technician" replied 'there are no servicable grease points' on my car. The manager immediately knew he was wrong, and proceeded to look-up my car on their computer. He informed the tech there are EIGHT servicable grease points on my car, and the tech just looked at him with a dumb-founded expression. "Really? Eight of them? I thought they were all factory sealed on these newer cars." DOH!

So my chassis hadn't been lubed for about 25,000 miles (neither had anyone else's). They gave me the next full service free, but I still didn't feel that was enough. I took the free service but never returned.