If the routine maintenance schedule is strictly adhered to from the date of purchase of the vehicle, frequent checks of fluid levels and the condition of wear components as suggested in this manual are carried out, the engine will remain in good working condition for a long time, and the need for any additional work will be reduced to a minimum.
More often, however, it happens that the engine runs inefficiently due to the 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 normal 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. Compression test (contact the head Engine) will help determine the condition of the engine's internal components and should serve as a guide when tuning and repairing. If, for example, checking the compression ratio indicates serious internal wear on the engine, a simple adjustment will not improve its performance and will be a waste of time and money. Since the procedure for checking the compression ratio is extremely important, it should be carried out by a specialist who owns equipment specially designed for this.
To bring the engine into good working condition, the following procedures are most often required:
Minimum Settings
- Checking the level and condition of all fluids associated with engine operation (see Section Checking fluid levels, leak control).
- Checking the condition of all hoses in the engine compartment (see Section Checking the condition and replacing the engine compartment hoses, localizing leaks).
- Checking the condition and adjusting the tension of the auxiliary drive belts (see Section Checking the condition of the multi-ribbed accessory drive belts and Chapter Engine).
- Cleaning, inspecting and checking the battery level (see Section Battery check, care and charging).
- Replacing spark plugs (petrol models - see Section Checking and replacing spark plugs, checking the condition of high-voltage wires (petrol models)) /incandescent (diesel models - see section Replacing glow plugs (diesel models)).
- Inspection of VV electrical wiring (see Section Checking and replacing spark plugs, checking the condition of high-voltage wires (petrol models)).
- Checking the Condition of the Air Cleaner Filter Element (see chapter Power supply and exhaust systems).
- Checking the Condition of the Cooling System Components (see Sections Checking the condition and replacing the engine compartment hoses, localizing leaks and Checking the functioning of the cooling system and frost resistance of the coolant, changing the fluid).
General settings
In addition to the settings listed in the previous list:
- Check of a condition of components of system of ignition (petrol models) /preheat (diesel models) (see chapter Engine Electrical Systems).
- Checking the status of charging system components (see chapter Engine Electrical Systems).
- Checking the status of power system components (see chapter Power supply and exhaust systems).
- Replacement of explosive wiring.