Do you need a car tune-up? If you don’t know hopefully your dad does.
One 37-year-old mom is going viral after admitting she didn’t know her car might need some care after hitting 150K miles on the odometer. And now she’s standing in line at an AutoZone.
Cici Gos (@queeen_peee) posted her admission on her TikTok account Monday and now has over 2 million views.
She didn’t even know
In her caption Gos jokes, “I mean, I’m just a girl. Aint no one told me any of this when I left the dealership back in 2018.”
Fast forward six years and she finds out that her car needs more maintenance than just filling up the gas tank.
The video shows Gos waiting in line at AutoZone. The screen text reads, Just a dad at AutoZone with his teenage 37-year-old daughter didn’t know her car needed a tune-up at 100k miles and I’m at 150k now.”
Later, in the video comments, Cosi refers to getting a lecture about neglect from her dad. “Before getting told to get in the damn truck to get some things here and there for my car.”
What’s a car tune-up?
According to Kelly Blue Book, a tune-up is “a suite of preventive maintenance services performed on a vehicle to ensure it continues to perform well.’
Common car tune-up services include an oil change, tire rotation, filter change, and brake inspection.
Before the 1990s, most cars used carburetors to distribute fuel to the vehicle’s engine cylinders. This involved “several components—ignition points, a condenser, a rotor, and the distributor cap—that required regular replacement,” per Cam’s Automotive.
Since modern cars use a fuel injection system to distribute gas, many of the components are no longer used in newer engines.
However, that doesn’t mean that tune-ups are a thing of the past. Cars still require regular maintenance. As most dads will remind you.
Should you get a tune-up?
Albion Michigan’s Hometown Automotive notes several signs that your car may need a tune-up.
These include unfamiliar smells and sounds coming from your car, a noticeable reduction in gas mileage, and difficulties starting the engine.
Of course, your “Check Engine” light is also a major sign to see your mechanic but hopefully, you’ve performed regular maintenance before it comes to that.
According to AutoZone, “It’s a good idea to check the car’s filters, belts, hoses, and fluids. Also, it’s a good idea if you don’t know the last time you replaced your spark plugs and/or wires/coil boots, now could be a good time.”
The Daily Dot reached out to AutoZone via email for a statement.
@queeen_peee 🤷🏻♀️ i mean, im just a girl 🤪🤣 aint no one told me any of this when i left the dealership back in 2018 🚗💨 • • • #carstuff #tuneups #toyota #corollaLE #daughtersof TikTok #fyp #foryoupage #autozone #DIY #LashesByFlutterbyLash👀 #youtubelearning ♬ What Dreams Are Made Of – Hilary Duff
Viewers speak up
Several adult “teenagers” responded sympathetically to Gos’s confession.
“It’s okay girl I’m 32 and I still do this with my dad. He stays lecturing me how I’m so irresponsible with my car maintenance,” Jahaira (@yaya.102192) wrote.
Another viewer commented, “I went through what I needed at 100k and did all the work myself thanks to my dad and YouTube. I only take mine in when it requires specialized equipment I don’t have.”
“I was at the dealership today and had to tell them to call my dad 😂 the service lady understood haha,” another added.
Gos responded, “Because Dads know best. They’ll YouTube it and do it them damn selves at a fraction of the price… free.”
One viewer had a surprisingly undad-like solution. No tune-up at all.
“Dealership wanted $500 for the 100k service. I said I will pass. Now I am at almost 200k and still running great.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Gos via TikTok messenger and comment for a statement.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
