This is a difficult question. The real question should be, how much is a quality tune-up worth to you? Do you want to all the cheap low grade parts? Or do you want to go a couple of steps up for the longer lasting higher quality products? Do you want your mechanic to just throw everything in quickly so you don’t have to pay them as much? Or do you want them to take the time to do it properly so you don’t have any near future problems with any of it? So, ask yourself, how much is that tune-up worth to you and your vehicle? The relevance of how much a tune-up “should” cost depends on many things. How much you would like to spend on your parts, how long it will take a skilled mechanic to tune-up your vehicle, and how many other conveniences you would like. There are also different views as to what tune-up consists of. A basic light tune-up might only consist of an oil change, coolant change, new air filter and battery cleaning. A more thorough tune-up would include things like, spark plugs and wires, a new battery, tranny flush and filter change, new coolant hoses, new fuel filter, and a brake check up or change. There are also extra things that can be done with a fully detailed tune-up, such as cleaning electronic parts with a special cleaner. Using degreaser to clean of the gunk and build up on your engine. Carb rebuilds are done on older cars, and are extremely helpful as part of your tune-up. Timing and serpentine belts are a big one that hardly anyone thinks about or actually chooses to get done, and they are a part of your car that can cause serious damage when not properly maintained. Before you start asking how much that tune-up “should” cost, sit back and think about what all you would like to be tune-up. Do you just want a light tune up and maintenance? Or would you like to make sure you thoroughly cover every part of your vehicle and make sure it lasts as long as it can? Getting a full tune-up will save you time, energy and money in the long run. By putting out the invest to get everything taken care of before it breaks or starts to ware down to much, will save you from having to come in when something breaks when you didn’t replace it in your tune up. That being said, I am hoping to leave you with some helpful tips when you go out to price shopping for your next tune-up. Note* It must be taken into consideration that every shop has a different labor rate, the most important thing for you to keep in mind, is how long that labor should be. Then you use that to gauge how long they are saying it takes and if that holds up their labor rates. If they charge 60 an hour, for a two our job it should only be 120, not 150 or 300 or anything above the cost of two hours time. Not all mechanics go by the book pace, however, by having a general idea of how long each item on your tune-up list takes to repair, you can keep yourself from getting hoodwinked. Oil change — 15 minutes to 30 minutes Transmission flush and filter change — 30 to 45 minutes Coolant flush and refill — 15 to 30 minutes Fuel filter — 10 to 20 minutes Air filter — 5 minutes New batter — 10 minutes Spark plugs and wires — 1 to 2 hours (depends how long its been since you changed them) Timing belt — 6 to 8 hours (depends on year and model) Serpentine Belt — 20 minutes to 1 hour Disc Brake change (rotor) — 30 to 45 minutes Disc Brake change (pads) — 15 to 30 minutes Drum Brake change — 45 minutes to 2 hours When you feel it is time for a tune-up on your automobile, take into consideration the age and condition of your vehicle, and the last time you had any of this done. If you have never had anything done on your car and it has 150,xxx miles on it, it is going to be more difficult for the mechanic to get the tune-up completed with out breaking parts along the way. Likewise, if your car is riddled with oil and other fluid leaks, it makes it harder to get a proper grip on anything and it also makes it easier to strip a bolt or screw here and there. Older vehicles also have a way of rusting on any metal parts that get exposed to moister frequently. If you have an older car that has not been properly maintained, your mechanic would be smart to charge you a little extra, and you should expect it and appreciate that they are even going to put the quality effort into it. Now, I am not saying that gives anyone the right to take you wallet to the cleaners, I just feel that a lot of mechanics that take on older cars are under appreciated for even going through it. There is not enough money you could really pay anyone to cover the blood, sweat and tears of working on an old, greasy, oily, rusty, difficult vehicle. The price they are giving you probably doesn’t even pay them for the amount of hours they will be struggling to get your automobile back into shape just to do the tune up. There are a few ways you can help yourself from being over charged for a tune-up. First, do your research, and be a smart buyer. There are plenty of online sites that will give you reviews or just generally show you how much parts are going for on your particular vehicle. www.partsamerica.com is a favorite of mine. There is always going to be a wide variety of product you can purchase. Get reviews on your parts, find out which brands are best for your car. A lot of them have specific ratings for each vehicle and its needs. You can, of course buy the one-size-fits-all cheap products, and I don’t want to give them a bad name, but the better quality you put into your vehicle, the better quality you will get out of it. Once you have researched all the parts and pieces you will need for the tune-up you would like done, you can use that knowledge in one of two ways. A. You can haggle with the shop or mechanic over the prices they are charging for they’re parts and see if they will come down. or B. Buy and bring your own parts. Most shops or mechanics are not opposed to you bringing your own parts. In fact, it usually saves them the time and energy of doing it, as well as relieving them of any warranty to the parts themselves. They still owe you if a problem arises because of a labor mistake, but when you bring your own parts, you are responsible for replacing them if they fail or are not the right parts. This is also part of the convenience you pay for. Do you want your mechanic to take care of finding and purchasing your parts? Or do you have the time and knowledge to do it? The price of a tune-up could also depend on how much you value this car. If it is an old junker you just want to get running again so you can sell it quickly, it may not be worth that much to you. However, if you are looking to get your daily driver tuned up, or you don’t want the vehicle you just sold to come back with problems, it might be totally worth it to you to pay to have a full and proper tune up done. “If its worth doing at all… Its worth doing right…” Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil
