If the owner of a new car from the date of purchase strictly adhered to the schedule of routine maintenance procedures (see Section Schedule of ongoing maintenance), performed checks of critical parameters quite often, maintained the required level of lubricating fluids, the engine will very rarely need to perform additional maintenance and refurbishment (beyond the replacement of wear-prone components and consumables).
On the other hand, in the case of a careless attitude to the implementation of regular maintenance procedures and frequent violations of the established deadlines for inspections, the efficiency of the engine's output will inevitably decrease sooner or later. The likelihood of such a situation is especially high in the case of purchasing a used car. In such cases, it becomes necessary to perform a set of settings for the power unit in excess of the amount of work on the current maintenance of the car.
The first step in tuning or troubleshooting an underpowered engine is always to check the compression pressure in the cylinders (see chapter Engines), the analysis of the results of which allows you to assess the general condition of the internal components of the engine and outline a plan for future adjustment and / or restoration work. For example, if a compression test reveals signs of serious internal engine wear, a simple set of adjustments will not be enough to correct the situation and will be a waste of time and money. Because of the value of information obtained from a compression test, it should be performed by a suitably experienced and qualified mechanic who has the necessary diagnostic tools. Below are lists of basic tuning procedures that allow you to achieve maximum efficiency of return from an engine that is in good mechanical condition.
List of the minimum set of checks and adjustments
- Checking all fluids associated with engine operation (see Section Fluid level checks);
- Check of a condition of all hoses of an impellent compartment (see Section Check of a condition and replacement of the hoses located in an impellent compartment);
- Checking and adjusting the tension of drive belts (see Section Checking the condition and replacing the accessory drive belt and Chapter Engines);
- Cleaning, inspecting and checking battery voltage (see Section Checking, maintenance and charging);
- Replacing spark plugs (see Section Replacing spark plugs and Chapter Engine Electrical Systems);
- Checking the air filter (see Section Filter element replacement);
- Checking the cooling system (see Section Checking the Status of Components and Chapter Engine cooling, interior heating and air conditioning systems).
List of checks and adjustments for general purposes
All of the above minimum setup items, plus:
- Checking the ignition/preheat system (see chapter Engine Electrical Systems);
- Checking the charging system (see chapter Engine Electrical Systems);
- Fuel system check (see chapter Power supply systems, release and reduction of toxicity of exhaust gases);
- Replacement of explosive wires of spark plugs (see chapter Engine Electrical Systems).
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