howdy! i'm a novice when it comes to cars. i have a '98 blazer with 139k miles. i know it needs a tune up, but i'm not sure what's involved. how much does one normally cost? what parts are needed? and would it be less expensive to buy the parts myself and then take them to a mechanic? thanks.

howdy! i'm a novice when it comes to cars. i have a '98 blazer with 139k miles. i know it needs a tune up, but i'm not sure what's involved. how much does one normally cost? what parts are needed? and would it be less expensive to buy the parts myself and then take them to a mechanic? thanks.

Welcome

It is always cheaper to do things yourself - unless ya really screw something up!!

Blazer owners learn that you either need a healthy bank account to pay someone to repair them or ya learn how to do it yourself.

Tune ups are easy..

Plugs(use AC/Delco platinums)
Wires
PCV
Air filter

You don't need to adjust the timming on 98's.

Hope that helps a bit. You can use the search feature and find some pretty detailed help on just about everything.:grinyes:

Also Add to the full Tune up list....

New AC Delco Distributor Cap & Rotor
New Fuel filter
Oil & filter change

I did my tune up for around $225 US in March. BE CAREFUL with the distributor cap screws, they put a bunch of loctite on the things and the cap holes break, its a sumbitch to fix, I ended up JB Welding my cap to my distributor.

Also, and oil change is not a tuneup item, it is a regular maintance item.

Also, and oil change is not a tuneup item, it is a regular maintance item.

My Mistake.
All this time I thought most engines perform a little better with clean oil in them. I must have been wrong.

Also Add to the full Tune up list....

New AC Delco Distributor Cap & Rotor
New Fuel filter
Oil & filter change

Thanks for the catch.. :p

My Mistake.
All this time I thought most engines perform a little better with clean oil in them. I must have been wrong.

It does, but it isn't a tuneup item at all.

Kinda like changing your transmission fluid or flushing your coolant system.

howdy! i'm a novice when it comes to cars. i have a '98 blazer with 139k miles. i know it needs a tune up, but i'm not sure what's involved. how much does one normally cost? what parts are needed? and would it be less expensive to buy the parts myself and then take them to a mechanic? thanks.

Well a tune up or asking for a tune up is getting obsolete in the car repair world.
Not that you do not need to do one it is people usually run them until they are not running right or check engine light comes on before they think about it.
Also car manufactures are pushing the 100K spark plugs.
Which is a bummer because there is a lot of other maintenance ideas that need done before then.
The flat books gives from 1.5 to 2 hrs labor for a minor tune up.
It includes compression check and check or replace and plugs, cap and wires and air filter, adjust timing and idle speed if it applies to vehicle. Plus the fuel filter/fuel pressure check or computer performance is extra.
If you have 139K on it check plugs cap and wires and fuel filter and fuel pressure.
If any check engine light also check computer system.
Also at that mileage there are a lot of other maintenance ideas that probably need checked to.
Do you have a service history of maintenance work done on it?
MT