Tmoose, I'm a "tuner" by that definition.
I can read plugs, tailpipes...
I can hear what the "heartbeat" is telling me.
I can "sense" what the engine is doing.
Yes sir, I CAN do all these things. I've always been able to do all these things. I have NOT been able to teach others how I do it, not for not trying.
My oldest boy, the painter/artist/mechanic is fair, but misses the little stuff.
My youngest son is a "reader". If it's in a book, he knows all about it. He is, however a very talented race car driver.
My daughter loves cars. She also loves computers, Ipods, cell phones and, is for the most part very intelligent...she is also a space cadet when it comes to cars.
Even my wife, just after we were married enrolled in a basic automotive maintenance course after she graduated high school.
If you want to follow me around, maybe it will rub off a bit. The last of the "black arts"?
Rod