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I would like to take this opportunity
to compliment you on the quality
of the parts that you supply, the
reasonable cost of these parts,
the speed of dispatch, and the totally
professional manner in which the
company is managed.
I fully intend
to source any further parts that
my Ford E-350 may require from RockAuto.
Rick in the UK
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Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details. |
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Carolina Collector Auto Fest-Spring
3/9/2012
Hillsborough, NC
e-mail
Arizona's Dream
Machines
3/10/2012
Phoenix, AZ
e-mail
Bay British
Car Show
3/10/2012
Panama City, FL
e-mail
Southern Drag
Racing Association 27th Annual
Car Show
3/10/2012
Bonneau, SC
e-mail
Tuning Flohmarkt,
Messe, VW & Opel Treffen
3/11/2012
Lohne, Germany
website
Slant Six
Club 25th Annual Meet
3/11/2012
Metuchen, NJ
e-mail
Ultimate Dub
Shows
3/11/2012
Kinmel Bay, UK
e-mail
Dave Davidson's
9th Annual PT River Run
3/14/2012
Glen Avon, CA
e-mail
Eisenhower
PTO-Fundraisers
3/16/2012
Picataway Township, NJ
e-mail
55th Annual
Portland Roadster Show
3/16/2012
Vancouver, WA
e-mail
Car Show &
Sound
3/17/2012
Douglasville, GA
e-mail
Highland Ave
Auto Show
3/17/2012
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
e-mail
Strawberry
Festival Car Show
3/17/2012
Palm Bay, FL
e-mail
Thunder in
the Desert Show & Shine
3/17/2012
Buckeye, AZ
e-mail
Battle of
the Bulldogs
3/17/2012
Royse City, TX
e-mail
Barndogs CC
Ilmenau
3/17/2012
Martinroda, Germany
website
4th Annual
Southern Pines Car & Truck
Show
3/17/2012
Dublin, GA
e-mail
5th Annual
Car Show
3/17/2012
Lampasas, TX
e-mail
Customer Appreciation
DIY Class
3/17/2012
Big Bear Lake, CA
e-mail
Skips Swap
Meet
3/18/2012
Oswego, IL
e-mail
Lake Dora
Classic
3/18/2012
Mount Dora, FL
website
8th Annual
Corvette Car Show
3/18/2012
Port Charlotte, FL
e-mail
Horsepower
in Horse Country Classic Car
Show
3/19/2012
Ocala, FL
e-mail
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Shop Faster while Minimizing Total Cost |
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Thoughts
of a RockAuto Shopper: “I
want either the GE Nighthawk or Wagner
TruView headlight bulbs. Hmm, Autolite,
Bosch, Champion…any one of these
three brands of platinum spark plugs
would be fine. Now I’ll try
to minimize the shipping locations
by looking for the headlights and
plugs with a truck icon next to them.
Truck icons mean those parts can ship
from the same location as the Moog
idler arm already in my cart. But
on second thought, I really do not
care if the idler arm is the Moog
Problem Solver or the Raybestos Professional
Grade. I like ACDelco too… What
happens to the shipping locations
and truck icons if I switch idler
arm part numbers?”
Thoughts
of a RockAuto Engineer: “The
customer is shopping using logic like
a computer! Total cost is often the
final determiner for customers choosing
between the parts they prefer. Whittling
down the customer’s approved
part choices on their draft shopping
list to minimize the cost of parts
and shipping is something our software
can help with.”
Thus, the new “Alternate”
catalog feature came to be! Checking
the “Alternate” boxes
in the catalog can cut down shopping
time while still ensuring you are
getting parts you prefer at the lowest
total cost. Basically, toss all of
the parts you would be happy with
in the shopping cart and let the catalog
recommend the final selections that
best minimize your costs! Read more
details below and/or just open the
RockAuto
catalog and give it a try.
New “Alternate”
Feature Details
These two simple
steps will help optimize your order
totals and help to reduce the number
of shipping locations.
1. Use the check
boxes in the “Alternate”
column to check all parts that you
would approve of purchasing.
2. Click the “Add Part”
button for one of the selected parts.
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Once
those two steps are complete, the
RockAuto
catalog does the rest of the work
for you! On the shopping cart page
all parts selected will be displayed
as a group, with an editable quantity
field for the entire group. The parts
chosen for you as the most cost effective
by the optimization logic will have
a quantity displayed, while those
that will not be shipping out will
have blanks in those fields.
Note that the Alternate
feature can choose only one part per
group. For example, clicking the Alternate
boxes for both front and rear brake
pads means you will get one or the
other, not both. Instead, try clicking
the Alternate boxes for just the front
brake pads you prefer and then go
back and pick your rear brake pad
choice manually (using the truck icons
to minimize shipping locations).
Take advantage
of this new feature and let our shipping
optimization logic help ensure you
are getting the parts you desire at
the lowest possible total price (parts
+ shipping).
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Free
Carlisle Car Show Tickets? |
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Due
to overwhelming response, we are out
of free Carlisle Car Show tickets.
Thank you for your interest!
Want
to attend a Carlisle car show at the
Carlisle, PA Fairgrounds? RockAuto
has a limited number of free tickets
available for customers. If you have
purchased parts in the last 12 months
and would like up to two free tickets,
please complete this form. Tickets
will be distributed on a first come,
first served basis. If we have tickets,
we will let you know and put them
in the mail.
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Forum of the Month |
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3000GT/Stealth
International - Driven by Enthusiasts
3si.org
is a hang-out for owners of all things
3000GT. Our Modifications and Technical
Support Forums include extensive discussions
for all 3000GT enthusiasts. Here you
can find topics about Tires, Wheels,
Brakes & Suspension, Audio/Video
Systems, Body & Paint, Interior,
All Wheel Drive - DriveTrain, Engine
- Naturally Aspirated to Forced Induction,
Front Wheel Drive - Drivetrain, Advanced
Technical Discussions, and information
about the ECU Tuning.
If you are not already
a member of 3si.org, join today and
become a part of a forum driven by
enthusiasts!
If you are the
administrator or member of a forum
and you would like to see your website
featured in an upcoming newsletter
and receive a discount code to share
with your members, contact cynthia@rockauto.com.
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Repair Mistakes & Blunders
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A
few years after buying a new, 1971
Toyota Corolla (total price was a
little less than $1800, remember those
days?), it needed a valve job. With
two young children and a stay at home
mom, I decided to save money by doing
it myself. I also decided that while
I was at it I would do a total overhaul.
Near the end of the project, I was
under the car wiping out the oil pan
prior to putting it back on the engine.
While I was doing this my wife came
to the garage and announced that I
had a phone call. I took the call
then crawled back under the car to
resume what I was doing.
Finally finished,
I put in new oil, buttoned every thing
up, started the engine and started
on a test drive. The oil light stayed
on the whole time! I knew I had oil,
so I kept driving thinking there was
air in the capillary to the gauge.
That was my thinking then. Eventually,
the engine started laboring and the
temperature light came on. I limped
back home and called the Toyota dealership
to come and get the car. Whatever
the problem, it was beyond my capabilities.
A few days later
I got a call at work from the service
manager who said, "Are you sitting
down? There was a diaper wrapped around
the oil pick up."
I instantly had
a flashback of wiping out the pan
with a (clean) diaper, which we had
a lot of since my youngest was newly
potty trained, and being interrupted
by the phone call.
Gus in Illinois
Tell us about
your most infamous auto repair blunder
or unconventional fix. Use your woe
to help others avoid similar mistakes
or share off-the-wall solutions that
worked (at least for a while!). Please
email your story to flamur@rockauto.com.
Include your mailing address and if
you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt
(please let us know your shirt size)
or Hat if we publish your story. See
the T-Shirts and Hats under Extras
in the catalog.
The story will be credited using only
your first name and your vague geographic
location (state, province, country,
continent, etc.) so you can remain
semi-anonymous!
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Automotive
Trivia |
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Which
automaker was the first to have true
4-wheel ABS, and what year was it?
A. Chevrolet, 1979
B. Mercedes-Benz, 1974
C. Ford (European), 1975
D. Chrysler, 1971
Answer
below
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Success the First Time
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My
first few home plumbing projects taught
me to always err on the side of replacing
too many parts. More new hoses, new
washers, new valves, new pipes, etc.
meant fewer trips back to the hardware
store, less time wedged in some dark,
spidery cranny and increased odds
for success. Nobody wants to waste
time and money doing a plumbing job
twice. The same basic rule, err on
the side of replacing too many parts,
also applies to automotive air conditioner
work.
The A/C compressor
is the heart of the A/C system. The
compressor pumps a mixture of refrigerant
liquid and compressor lubricant from
the condenser mounted in front of
the engine’s radiator into a
receiver-drier (or accumulator) that
acts as a reservoir and removes any
water before it can form corrosive
hydrochloric acid. From there the
liquid is metered by an expansion
valve (or orifice tube) into the evaporator
in the car’s interior. The refrigerant
turns to gas in the evaporator, which
cools the car’s interior. The
compressor sucks the hot refrigerant
gas out of the other end of the evaporator
and pumps it back to the condenser
where the gas cools to liquid and
the cycle starts all over again.
The A/C compressor
is the moving part so when it stops
moving it might seem reasonable to
blame it for a failed A/C system.
It is not that simple. There are always
reasons for a broken compressor. A
common reason is contaminants in the
A/C plumbing. Contaminants cause clogs
that starve the A/C compressor for
lubricant. If those contaminants are
not removed, then they will be there
to destroy the next A/C compressor.
Even if the A/C compressor simply
dies of old age, it is likely to spew
contaminants into the A/C plumbing
during its death throes. It is logical
to always assume there are contaminants
in a failed system that need to be
eliminated.
Common places for
contaminants and clogs to collect
are the receiver-drier or accumulator
(remember, this part also prevents
acid formation) and the expansion
valve or orifice tube. The A/C compressor
manufacturer warranties (ACDelco,
Denso, Four Seasons, Motorcraft, Spectra
Premium, etc.) specify that those
parts must be replaced along with
the compressor. On some cars it might
be hard to get to parts like the expansion
valve if it is buried behind the dash,
but the parts still need to be replaced.
Nobody wants to do a plumbing job
twice.
Clogs may also occur
in other parts of the system such
as the condenser or the hoses. The
common modern “dual pass”
condenser has two or more routes for
the refrigerant to pass through. Pressure
readings might indicate adequate flow
through the condenser, but partially
clogged paths could be harboring contaminants
waiting to cause future damage. Refrigerant
lines might contain noise mufflers
or filters that become clogged. Advanced
diagnostic work, such as using a pyrometer
to measure excessive temperature drops
from one end of a hose to the other,
can reveal clogs. It is still usually
best to “err on the side of
replacing too many parts.”
There are other reasons
for a compressor to not get the lubricant
it needs. Lubricant circulates with
the refrigerant. A refrigerant leak
also is a lubricant leak. On the other
hand, too much refrigerant (overcharging)
can lead to the lubricant pooling
in the condenser or drier rather than
flowing through the compressor. A/C
compressor manufacturer warranties
specify that the A/C system must be
properly flushed, the correct type
and amount of lubricant and refrigerant
must be installed and other vehicle
specific requirements.
While planning an
A/C repair be sure to read the “Info”
pages in the RockAuto
catalog to learn more about the
A/C parts and A/C system in your vehicle.
The A/C compressor manufacturer warranties
are also accessible from the Info
pages and are surprisingly easy to
read and a good source of information.
Of course, also read any installation
instructions that come with A/C parts.
Everybody wants the A/C repair to
be a success the first time!
Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com |
Ray's BMW M3R |
|
Hi
there,
This is my BMW E36 M3R during the
Targa Tasmania 2011. The Targa Tasmania
is a 5 day Tarmac Rally - possibly
the toughest of its type in the world.
The pictured car is #2 of 15 built
in 1995 for BMW Australia by Frank
Gardiner Racing (the then BMW Australia
race team) and Paul Roche of BMW's
M Division. The cars were destined
for competition duties in Australia.
BMW kept 4 of the cars, with the remaining
11 sold to private buyers.
Whilst trawling the net recently for
a new Mass Air Flow sensor for the
car's 3.0L Euro engine, I came across
RockAuto. My parts arrived in Australia
well below the competitors' prices,
even when shipping and handling charges
were applied.
Great work - keep it up.
Many Thanks,
Ray in Australia
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Share Your
Hard Work |
Do
you purchase parts from RockAuto?
If so, RockAuto would like to
feature you & your car or
truck in our monthly newsletter.
New, old, import, domestic,
daily driver, trailer queen,
classic, antique, we want to
see them all! Please e-mail
flamur@rockauto.com
with your vehicle's history,
interesting details, your favorite
images, and what parts from
RockAuto you have used.
|
Let
RockAuto Help |
|
Are
you organizing a car show or
other auto related event? From
goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...we
can help. We can even publicize
your event in our newsletter.
Just
send us an email
with information about your
show.
|
Automotive
Trivia Answer |
|
Which automaker was the first
to have true 4-wheel ABS, and
what year was it?
A. Chevrolet,
1979
B. Mercedes-Benz, 1974
C. Ford (European), 1975
D. Chrysler, 1971
Answer
D. Chrysler, 1971 Called
Sure Brake, it was true computerized
4-wheel ABS, optional on the
1971 (and later) Imperial. It
was co-developed with Bendix.
Submitted
by Richard Ehrenberg, SAE, Engineering
Editor Mopar Action Magazine
Back
up to trivia question |
© 1999-2012 RockAuto,
LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto
name and logo are registered trademarks
of RockAuto, LLC. Manufacturer names
and logos in the RockAuto catalog
are trademarks of their respective
companies and are used only to identify
their products. All rights reserved.
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