A MECHANIC has urged drivers to be wary of spending their hard-earned cash on a "tune-up" - as it may be a scam. Tune-ups are check-ups that only apply to older vehicles - but modern car owners may be dishonestly told they need to pay for one. Speaking on the Car Care Nut YouTube channel, a Toyota Master mechanic said: "Tune-ups used to be a term referring to tuning up the car back in the olden days.

"But I say every olden days because there's been a long time of cars actually not needing a tune-up. There's no such thing folks. "All you do by going to a shop, saying you need a tune-up, or a shop telling you need a tune-up, is you're basically writing a blank cheque to the shop.

" According to the AutoZone website, tune-ups tend to cost between $40 and $150 but in some cases can cost $800 or more. Read more Motors News However, the mechanic added that some old-fashioned shops may genuinely refer to a necessary spark plug replacement as a tune-up. He added that there are numerous other car scams for modern car owners to be wary of, saying: "Unfortunately, the automotive industry is an interesting one.

"There is a lot of really good shops and dealerships and folks that are really trying to do the absolute best for you, their customer - for your car, for your budget. Trying to do the right thing. "But infused within them, there's a lot of bad stuff, people trying to make a quick buck, they take your lack of knowledge I'm cars as an opportunity to just go to town and scam away.

" Mo.