Table of contents: Minimum settings ↓ General settings ↓
The term "setup" is used in this manual to refer to a set of procedures rather than to a single procedure.
If the routine maintenance schedule is strictly followed from the date of purchase, with frequent checks of fluid levels and condition of high wear components as suggested in this manual, the engine will remain in good working order for a long time and the need for any additional work will be kept to a minimum.
More often, however, it happens that the engine is not working efficiently due to neglect of regular maintenance. This happens even more often when buying a used car, the owners of which did not bother with frequent and regular checks and maintenance. In this case, in addition to performing the usual routine maintenance procedures, it will be necessary to tune the engine.
The first step in any tuning or diagnostic procedure to improve engine performance is to check the compression ratio in the cylinders. Checking the compression (refer to Chapter Engine) will help determine the condition of the internal engine components and should serve as a guide when performing tune-ups and repairs. If, for example, a compression ratio check indicates severe internal engine wear, a simple tune-up will not improve its performance and will be a waste of time and money. Since the compression ratio check procedure is so important, it should be performed by a specialist who has the equipment specifically designed for this purpose.
To get the engine into good working order, the following procedures are most often required.
Minimum settings
- Checking all fluids related to engine operation (Section Checking fluid levels, leak control).
- Checking the condition of all engine compartment hoses (Section Checking the condition and replacing engine compartment hoses, localizing leaks).
- Checking and adjusting the tension of drive belts (Section Checking the condition of the ribbed belts of the serpentine drive of auxiliary units and Chapter Engine).
- Cleaning, inspecting and checking the battery charge (Section Checking battery condition, care and charging).
- Replacing spark plugs or glow plugs - on a diesel engine (Section Checking and replacing spark plugs. Checking the condition of high-voltage wires and Chapter Engine electrical systems)
- Checking the Air Filter (Section Replacing the engine air filter element).
- Checking the cooling system (Sections Checking fluid levels, leak control and Checking the functioning of the cooling system and frost resistance of the coolant).
General settings
- All the above minimum setup points, plus...
- Checking the ignition or pre-glow system - on a diesel engine (refer to Chapter Engine electrical systems).
- Checking the charging system (refer to Chapter Engine electrical systems).
- Checking the fuel system (refer to Chapter Fuel, exhaust and emission control systems).