Introduction, Routine Maintenance and General Adjustment Information

Introduction

This Chapter is intended to help the home mechanic keep the vehicle operating at peak performance, economy, safety and reliability. Further in this Chapter you will find a complete schedule of routine maintenance procedures, as well as Sections describing the servicing of individual vehicle systems. The Sections include descriptions of visual inspections, adjustments, component replacement and other useful tips. Illustrations of the engine compartment and underbody views will help you locate individual components. By servicing the vehicle in accordance with the maintenance indicator warnings and the mileage/time schedule, and by following the detailed instructions below, you will have a clear maintenance program capable of ensuring long and reliable service from your vehicle. Remember that this plan is comprehensive, and performing only some of its items while neglecting others will not produce the expected result.

Routine Maintenance

While servicing the vehicle, you will soon find that many procedures can and should be combined, since the actions required to perform them are similar. For example, if the vehicle is raised off the ground to lubricate the chassis, you should, while you are under the vehicle, also inspect the exhaust system, suspension, steering system and fuel system. If the wheels are removed for other work, it makes sense to check the brake components. And finally, suppose you have had to borrow or rent a torque wrench. Even if you need it only to tighten the spark plugs, you can also check the tightening torque of as many critical nuts and bolts as time allows.
The first step in carrying out the vehicle maintenance program is preparation. Carefully study the contents of all Sections relating to the upcoming procedures, then gather all the necessary materials, equipment and tools. If you are concerned about encountering problems while performing certain specific tasks, consult a specialist or a person who has already performed the work.

General Tune-Up Information

The term "tune-up" in this Manual refers to a set of procedures rather than to one individual procedure.
If the routine maintenance schedule is strictly followed from the time the vehicle is purchased, with frequent checks of fluid levels and of components subject to increased wear, as recommended in this Manual, the engine will remain in good working condition for a long time, and the need for any additional work will be kept to a minimum.
More often, however, the engine operates inefficiently due to neglect of regular maintenance. This is even more common when a used vehicle is purchased whose previous owners did not perform frequent and regular checks and servicing. In this case, in addition to the usual routine maintenance procedures, it will be necessary to perform an engine tune-up.
The first step in any tune-up or diagnostic procedure aimed at improving engine performance is checking the cylinder compression. A compression test helps determine the condition of the internal engine components and should serve as a guide when carrying out tune-up and repair work. If, for example, the compression test indicates serious internal engine wear, a standard tune-up will not improve its operation and will be a waste of time and money. Since the compression test is extremely important, it should be performed by a specialist with the equipment specifically designed for this purpose.
The following procedures are most often required to bring the engine into good working condition.

Minimum Tune-Up
• Checking all fluids related to engine operation (Section Checking Fluid Levels)
• Checking the condition of all engine compartment hoses (Section Checking the Condition and Replacing Engine Compartment Hoses)
• Checking the condition of the drive belts (Section Checking the Condition of Drive Belts)
• Cleaning, inspecting and checking the charge of the battery (Section Battery Inspection, Care and Charging. Replacing the Key Fob Battery)
• Replacing the spark plugs (Section Spark Plug Inspection and Replacement)
• Checking the air filter (Section Replacing the Air Filter Element)
• Checking the cooling system (Section Checking Cooling System Operation)

General Tune-Up
All the minimum tune-up items listed above, plus:
• Checking the ignition system (refer to Chapter Engine Electrical Equipment)
• Checking the charging system (refer to Chapter Engine Electrical Equipment)
• Checking the fuel system (refer to Chapter Fuel and Exhaust Systems)