Tune-ups on modern smart vehicles are far different than they ever have been. They are still required maintenance – only the need for this is usually 50,000 to as much as 100,000 miles on most vehicles.

As much as the $400 (approximately) may seem to be a required – even mandatory maintenance issue – modern cars like the Smart have largely eliminated the need for tune-ups being so critical. Fuel injection systems and electronics that have much longer service intervals make what the mechanic may refer to as a tune-up far less mandatory.

Additionally, much of what a mechanic is paid to do, you can largely handle in your garage.

Routine maintenance like oil and filter changes and many other kinds of fluid changes can often be done by a third-party mechanic, just as they are handled on other cars.

The key point here is: You don’t have to pay top dollar to a dealership for services you can either perform yourself or have done using a far less pricey alternative.

As important as mechanics are for critical care or maintenance issues, it is rarely a good idea to trust any mechanic blindly. Follow scheduled maintenance like the Smart owner’s manuals. These will be your best guides to follow for any maintenance issue.

As is always a good practice, ask to see parts that are to be replaced. Until you are convinced it is a mandatory or critical issue, there is no need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to have work done that was not necessary.

Good care of your Smart fortwo isn’t as much about what the dealership will often tell you – but the owner’s manual should be as close to an owner’s bible as you need to make good, informed judgments about what is a required maintenance or repair issue.

Remember, when in doubt about anything related to your Smart – ask lots of questions and make sure you completely understand the answers.

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