Yes and No! Vehicles need regular maintenance to all of the systems to prolong the life of the vehicle and keep the car running in optimal condition. But the definition of a tune up is a little more ambiguous now a days.
Years ago when a tune up was routinely performed your mechanic would check, and replace the vehicles ignition system including distributor cap, spark plugs, adjusting the ignition timing as well as the carburetor.
Now a days, most vehicles do not have many of the components listed above. With electronic ignition system and fuel injection systems the definition of a “Tune Up” has changed.
Vehicles do still have spark plugs, and routinely replacing these will help to prolong the life of your engine and will keep your vehicle running smoothly. The change interval for spark plugs can vary between 30,000-100,000 miles depending on the vehicle. Additionally, along with spark plugs, you would want to change out the wires or the coils boots, depending on the system. These items help prevent a misfire in the engine.
While replacing these above items can still be considered a tune up, other people use the phrase to simply mean checking over the fluids, filters, belts and hoses. These items should also be routinely checked and replaced, but that could be at different intervals from the spark plugs, wires and coils.
It today’s cars, with so many electronic components working together to control the balance of the combustion engine, it is important to communicate with your shop any issues you are experiencing with your vehicle as well as any previous maintenance you may have performed. This way they can better tailor the service to meet your needs as opposed to simply performing a service you may or may not need.