Tuneup and Maintenance Problems

Tuneup and maintenance items on the older cars that most of us drive include a substantial list of items requiring replacement at particular mileage intervals.

As we pushed into the middle of the 2000 decade we started seeing extended life fluids, platinum spark plugs and long life filters installed at the factory. With that said, nothing lasts forever. We are quickly approaching 2025 so consider the age of your long life originally installed components.

Quick Links: Chevrolet Ignition Tune-Up Kit for V6 or V8 engines 1996 -2011.

Ford Ignition Tune up Kits covering F150 from 1984 through 2016.

Here in this tuneup and maintenance problems section we'll focus the content on neglect service and repair procedures. More importantly, these articles uncover the problems drivers can experience when these items are missed.

Keeping up on maintenance can help support real fuel economy improvements. With the price of gas today this is something we all need to worry about.

Even I can't escape tuneup and maintenance items on my newer sedan. See the five things my Infiniti Q50 needs at only15,000 miles. And some scary Infiniti Q50 problems covered under warranty.

As for the automobiles we focus on here at FixMyOldRide.com the word tuneup becomes a vehicle specific term hinging on the build date. By the time we get to 1996 these automobiles will require less maintenance.


Chevy Blazer 2004 SUVChevy Blazer 2004 SUV

Where is Your Car at Maintenance Wise

When you buy a 10 year old automobile with over 100,000 miles its maintenance history is important. Most older cars and trucks will have large scheduled maintenance services at 30,000 miles, 60,000 miles and 100,000 miles.

Take a look at this example of the factory recommended maintenance schedule for a Chevrolet Malibu. It's a PDF that opens in a new window. Look at all the tuneup and maintenance that might have been missed.

The car you just bought should've had these three major services performed before they handed you the keys. Unfortunately, many consumers will purchase an automobile from a used car dealership where this history is unavailable.

Although you can dig into the vehicle's history with popular services they will not always provide detailed information about an automobile's maintenance background.

ZR2 SE Chevrolet BlazerZR2 SE Chevrolet Blazer

Don't get me wrong, you should run some reports to find out if this vehicle has been in an accident. If you find the last sales transaction was from an auction facility you should double down on your diligence.

Make sure to question the seller about the last service and when the next maintenance procedure is due. Chances are you'll have some kind of problem with this automobile and you will need to seek a mechanic's opinion of the malfunction.

Often some of the first questions they ask relate to the automobile's maintenance history. Not knowing the answer to these questions can lead to a more difficult diagnosis and higher labor charges in doing so.

Think ahead and get as much historical information as possible. Here's a solid question to ask on high mileage units. Does this vehicle have the original fuel pump? Both Asian and American cars are known for fuel pump problems. Absence of these records means you should pay less in my opinion.

Common Problems and Lack of Maintenance

In this section we provide content articles covering some common issues. Things like the Chevrolet fuel pump problem and why you must remove the Cadillac upper intake manifold just to service the spark plugs.

Unfortunately, old rides suffer from a wide variety of problems. But, dig through the list below and see if we cover yours.

If you see information that a friend or relative might find useful we appreciate you sharing with them. This section of the website is growing quickly. Give us a bookmark and come back to see new maintenance and car repair content.

Helpful Articles about Tuneup and Maintenance

Review three simple car maintenance procedures that can help extend the life of your automobile. Learn a few basic services that can reduce the cost of  long term vehicle ownership.

If you buy a car with 100,000 miles on it, this automobile might need to catch up on neglected services. See the top 5 maintenance items due at the 100k mileage mark.

Saying automobiles are to complicated to fix at home is not a valid statement. See how to determine if DIY automotive maintenance and car repairs falls within your skill level.

We've all had a dead battery at some point in our automotive lives. See how you can avoid this going forward by getting the jump on car battery maintenance problems.

Speaking of tune-up problems, if you own a Chevrolet Sonic or any 1.4 L, 1.6 L or 1.8 L 4 cylinder GM engine, read this before replacing the spark plugs. See how to save the Chevy Cruze ignition coil rail.

Speaking of General Motors coil problems, the individual coil over plug models had some issues as well. See which cars suffer from 3.6 Liter GM v6 coil problems.

Chevrolet trucks can last a long time. However, if you own one with a Vortec V8 you should become familiar with removing the Chevrolet intake manifold. See the two reasons why.

Another common coolant leak area on the GMC and Chevy trucks includes the anti-freeze recovery tank. See which years are the worst and how much one of these coolant surge tanks costs.

The fuel filter is an often overlooked maintenance Item. You can only ignore it until the gas filter becomes clogged  with debris. At that point it will stop filtering and prevent fuel from reaching the engine.

If your old ride is making a strange whining noise that increases with engine speed? Here is a video and an explanation on how to tell if it's a power steering noise problem and how to fix it.

They used carburetors up until 1987. If you think yours needs an overhaul let me open your mind to the possibility of doing it yourself. See if you should rebuild a carburetor or replace it.

One of the more popular articles in this maintenance category is this next article about how to protect an old car from high repair bills. Review strategies for controlling repair bills on your high mileage ride.

The pollen filter represents an opportunity for someone with do-it-yourself skills to jump in and get the job done. See what it's like replacing a Nissan cabin filter with a quick article and video tutorial.

What happens when you get tuneup or maintenance services done and the shop messes things up? See how to deal with an oil change service performed incorrectly.

Chevrolet is having an increasing amount of issues with cars loosing heat because of a slow coolant leak. See the issue up close and tell friends about the Chevrolet Cruze coolant leak problem.

I don't mean to disparage or beat up on the Chevy Cruze, but my mom owns one and the list of problems continue to grow. See the latest issue with the failure of the PCV valve cover combination that set a code P0171.

Visit the fixmyoldride.com start page to discover what other kinds of automotive information this site provides.

Author bio : Mark is a retired ASE certified master technician, Chevrolet Professional Service Council member and the founder of FixMyOldRide.com. Watch the video on the about Mark the mechanic page to see his credentials. Mark hand writes all of the articles on FixMyOldRide.com unless indicated otherwise.