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I
love that I can find every part
I need at affordable prices! Parts
I thought only the dealer had are
available through you guys at half
the price!
I will definitely
recommend you to all my family and
friends.
Daniel in Texas
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Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details. |
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50's Cruise Car Show
4/28/2012
Astoria, OR
e-mail
Iowa Street
Rod Association Car Show
4/29/2012
Boone, IA
e-mail
CCNJ Annual
Spring Show
4/29/2012
Wyckoff, NJ
e-mail
Iowa Street
Rodders 15th Annual Spring Fling
Show & Shine
4/29/2012
Brooklyn, IA
e-mail
College Park
Turning Spring Meet for Charity
4/29/2012
College Park, MD
e-mail
MG Car Club
Events
4/30/2012
Crossford, UK
e-mail
6th Annual
Car Show - Hot Rods & Academics
5/12/2012
Seymour, IN
e-mail
2nd Annual
All Mopar Show
5/12/2012
Mantua, NJ
e-mail
2012 Wounded
Warrior Regional All Camaro
Car Show
5/12/2012
Stafford, VA
e-mail
Loafers Car
Club Annual Car Show
5/12/2012
Hannibal, MO
e-mail
School is
Closed Fun Day & Car/Truck/Bike
Show
5/12/2012
Panama City, FL
e-mail
Streethawks
Germany
5/13/2012
Roseau, Germany
e-mail
Mint Wheels
2012
5/13/2012
Jefferson, OR
e-mail
Anna Jarvis
Birthplace Museum Fundraising
Car Show
5/13/2012
Grafton, WV
e-mail
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RockAuto Goes Mobile |
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Not
by your home or business computer,
but need to research or order a part
now? We are pleased to announce that
the RockAuto catalog is now optimized
for mobile devices!
Simply browse to
RockAuto.com
on your mobile device to use this
handy, new mobile site. However, if
for some reason your device is not
recognized there is a link on the
bottom right of our homepage that
will bring you to the mobile site.
With a few quick
swipes and taps you can find the parts
you need for your upcoming repair
in no time at all, no matter where
you happen to be. We aim to deliver
a faster, easy to use experience and
hope the mobile version of the RockAuto
catalog helps do just that!
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Gift Certificates |
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Gift
Certificates are useful for more than
just birthdays and Christmas! Celebrate
Earth Day on April 22nd by giving
a RockAuto
Gift Certificate to help
a friend or relative keep their car
running efficiently and cleanly. Give
a RockAuto Gift Certificate to recognize
Administrative Professionals Day on
April 25th. Surprise a friend or loved
one with a gift at any time of the
year!
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Forum of the Month |
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Northeast
Ohio 4x4 is home to the area's
off road adventures. The founder,
Mr. Chipka, identified a need to form
a community that was more centrally
located to the Northeast Ohio area.
Events and outings are held on a regular
monthly basis, and continue to grow
in size every season. NEO4x4 partners
with other 4x4 clubs and event organizers.
This gives the NEO4x4 club the opportunity
to meet new off road fanatics they
may not have come in contact with
otherwise.
NEO4x4 has a vast
array of members that have different
life experiences, from mechanics,
teachers, software engineers, college
students and everything in between.
When it's time to hit the trails,
it doesn’t matter what they
do during the week since they all
share in the same common off road
passion on the weekend.
See you in 2012
at:
Spring NEO Off Road Jamboree
Southington Offroad
River Raiders Spring Thaw
Wellsville Offroad
Bantam Jeep Festival
Harlan Offroad
Rausch Creek Offroad
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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I
Bought my 1979 Chevy Blazer new and
rarely used the parking brake. Several
years after I purchased it, I parked
on a particularly steep hill and thought
it wise to engage the parking brake.
After my errand, I released the brake
but it didn’t seem to return
with its usual snap and vigor (it
was the dead of winter). The pedal
kind of came up but not quite all
the way, so I pulled it up with my
foot. I drove off as nothing seemed
amiss.
Fast forward a few
months to when I started to hear the
scraping of the brake shoe rivets
on the rear drums when I hit the brakes.
I knew the shoes weren’t that
old, but cheap enough to change out.
Bought a set of shoes, removed the
old drums and shoes (they were down
to the rivets), threw the new shoes
up on one wheel and no way, no how,
would the brake drum go over the shoes,
even with the adjuster turned all
the way in. Tried the other wheel,
same thing. Double checked everything,
even matching the old and new shoes.
Filed down the ridge inside the drums
- still no go. After a few hours of
frustration, harsh language, using
the big hammer, and scratching my
head - that winter day came back to
mind.
A quick check of
the parking brake showed it was partially
engaged and wouldn’t budge –
the cable was forever rusted in place.
No amount of WD-40 or penetrating
oil was going to free it. After I
disconnected the cable, the brake
drums installed easily. I cut the
rusted (more like fused) parking brake
cable out of the vehicle.
Lesson learned: When
you do a brake job, make sure first
the parking brake pedal and cable
are freely moving and fully releasing.
Lesson two: Road salt can be evil.
Joe in Pennsylvania
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 Tools & Universal Parts
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! |
Automotive Trivia |
|
Which
safety feature was introduced as a
$225 option on some 1974 Cadillac
models?
A. airbags
B. backup camera
C. three-point safety belts for outer
backseats
Answer
below
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Can You Give Me a Jump?
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“Do
you have jumper cables?” is
a question I get asked by strangers
at least several times a year. Maybe
I get the question more than most
because I drive old cars or perhaps
it is my RockAuto logo hat, t-shirt
and tote bag. Thirty plus years ago,
jumpstarting was the same procedure
on about every car. Wear safety glasses,
avoid creating sparks that might ignite
hydrogen gas coming off of the dead
battery and hook up/disconnect the
booster cable leads in the correct
sequence. The cars were pretty forgiving
and lasting damage was usually unlikely
even if you made a mistake and there
were a few sparks.
These days, cars
and their jumpstart procedures vary.
Some new cars should not be jumpstarted
at all. Reading the owners manual
is now a sign of wisdom rather than
inexperience. Modern cars may have
their batteries hidden (Chrysler PT
Cruiser) or stowed in the trunk (Cadillac
CTS). Not reading and following the
specific instructions for both vehicles
can damage costly alternators, computer
control modules, wiring and other
electronics. The worst electrical
damage might be that which leads to
intermittent problems. The fun quickly
goes out of a car if it becomes as
buggy as a ten-year-old personal computer.
The biggest changes
might be to the jump starting social
ritual. The traditional way, two car
owners simultaneously tugging at cables
trying to be helpful without being
bossy can lead to serious mistakes
like accidentally reversing polarity
while hooking up the leads. There
really needs to be one person in charge.
Below is roughly what I try to say
in response to the “do you have
jumper cables” question.
1. “Yes, I
have jumper cables. Let’s see
your car’s owners manual to
see if a jump start is possible.”
2. “Now I need to read my car’s
manual to refresh my memory.”
(Even 25 year old cars likely have
engine computers and other possibly
sensitive parts.)
3. “Would you please stand over
there. I want to make sure I carefully
follow the rules I just read and do
this correctly.”
4. If you ask the other car owner
to do anything, then be very specific.
“Turn your key just once to
try and start the car.” “Turn
your car off now so I can disconnect
the cables.”
Do not think it is
rude to just say “no”
at any time. You have already been
a good Samaritan by talking to the
person and not lying about the jumper
cables hidden in your trunk! With
modern cars there are many legitimate
and smart reasons to say no. “After
reading the instructions, I do not
feel comfortable jump starting your
car.” “I am afraid we
might damage the cars’ electronics.”
“My booster cables are too thin
gauge wire.” “Your car’s
manual says this is a bad idea.”
On the other side
of the coin, it is equally important
to follow the right steps or be ready
to say “no” if you are
the one with the broken down car that
needs the jump. Read your car’s
owner’s manual before you ask
anyone for help. Say “no”
if you attract the attention of an
eager person that wants to be helpful,
but has no interest in knowing or
following the correct procedures.
It is OK to say “no” if
the other person wants to take charge
and you just are not comfortable with
that. “Thanks, but on second
thought I had just better let the
tow truck get it. This is not the
first time the car has stranded me.”
Years ago, I replaced
the old, family heirloom battery
booster cables with the balky
clamps, tangled wire and frayed insulation.
I also carried and occasionally charged
a portable jump starting battery for
a couple of years, but it was usually
dead when I needed it.
A useful tool
I got to help determine if a jumpstart
is worth even trying is the DORMAN
84502 - Auto Charging System Analyzer
(see photo in sidebar). It has an
impressive name and looks that help
make it appear that I should be the
person in charge, but it simply measures
the car battery voltage. There are
lights that indicate if the battery
is absolutely dead, low or normal.
It is often recommended to not try
to jumpstart a car with a completely
dead battery. The analyzer also has
lights that indicate if the alternator
is working (battery voltage increases)
once the car starts. Repeatedly jumpstarting
a car with a bad alternator is a waste
of time and unnecessary risk. My handy
analyzer costs less than even inexpensive
jumper cables and is about the size
of the smallest garage door opener
remote.
Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com
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Robert's 2000 Dodge Dakota R/T |
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I
have been a RockAuto customer for
a while now, and am pleased to submit
for review my 2000 Dodge Dakota 5.9
R/T. Numerous parts from RockAuto
have been utilized which include complete
brakes, Rancho shocks, and various
maintenance parts. Your parts, prices
and service are fantastic!
Interesting tidbit
on this daily driver: For this particular
body and color combination, only 117
were built.
Robert in Florida
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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
safety feature was introduced
as a $225 option on some 1974
Cadillac models?
A. airbags
B. backup camera
C. three-point safety belts
for outer backseats
Answer:
A. airbags
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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