rockauto.com
August Newsletter | Early Edition
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Another Happy Customer!

I have been using RockAuto for years and have referred many friends and even a few people I do not like. Bottom line though, I get quality parts at a price that the local retailers cannot compete with... They Rock!

Michael in Illinois



Upcoming Events

Need goody bag items and a gift certificate for your show? RockAuto can help! Email marketing@rockauto.com for more information.

19 All About Autism Car Show
Columbus, OH Email
Aug
19 8th Annual Veterans Charity Car Show
Gray Summit, MO Email
Aug
19 11th Annual Cops N Rodders Day Event
Hackettstown, NJ Email
Aug
19 Rockburn Open Car Show
Elkridge, MD Email
Aug
20 Downtown Port Coquitlam Car Show
Port Coquitlam, BC, CA Email
Aug
20 Real Church Car & Bike Show
Pataskala, OH Email
Aug
20 Cook Township Community Center Car Show
Stahlstown, PA Email
Aug
20 Midwest Thunder 16th Annual Benefit Car/Truck Show
Pontiac, IL Email
Aug
23 Tennant Employee & Friends Car Show
Golde Valley, MN Email
Aug
25 16th Corvettes at Carlisle NCOA Social
Harrisburg, PA Email
Aug
25 33rd Annual Trans Am Nationals
Fairborn, OH Email
Aug
25 Centerville Archway Days Car Show
Centerville, IN Email
Aug
26 South Haven Classic Car Show
South Haven, KS Email
Aug
26 Summer Fun Rod Run
Bellingham, WA Email
Aug
26 Plain City Classic Car Cruise In
Plain City, OH Email
Aug
26 The Renegades of Western New York Military Vehicle Show
Lancaster, NY Email
Aug
26 Return of The British - 2017
Rugby, TN Email
Aug
27 North Adams Motorama
North Adams, MA Email
Aug
27 10th Annual Show & Shine at Culp Lake
Springfield, OH Email
Aug
27 Beja Shriner's Car Show
Green Bay, WI Email
Aug
27 Special Day Cruise for Special Kids
Latrobe, PA Email
Aug
27 Melon Roasters Car Show
Hastings, NE Email
Aug
31 Hangtown Evening Car Show
Placerville, CA Email
Aug
9 15th Annual TX3S Gathering
Dallas, TX Email
Sep
9 4th Annual Downtown Oxford First Friday Car Show
Oxford, PA Email
Sep
AnzoUSA Performance Lighting

RockAuto now carries the full line of AnzoUSA performance lighting: Cornering Lamps, Fog/Driving Lamps, Headlamps, High Mounted Brake Lights, Parking/Turn Signals, Roof Marker Lamps, Side Marker Lamps and Tail Lamps.

Anzo USA

With over four decades of manufacturing experience and German TÜV quality certification, AnzoUSA lighting is known worldwide for providing durability and innovative styling at an affordable cost.

All AnzoUSA lights are:

  • Designed, tested and built using CAD/CAM in a state-of-the-art ISO 9002 and QS 9000 quality certified factory to ensure seamless installation and precise fit.
  • SAE and D.O.T. compliant, delivering both excellent illumination and appearance.
  • Durability tested for impact strength, watertight seal (both fresh and salt water) and abrasive dust/dirt resistance.

RockAuto has AnzoUSA performance lighting products for everything from a 1993 Ford Mustang to a 2002 GMC Yukon to a 2012 Honda Civic…To see the performance lighting we have for your vehicle, go to the RockAuto catalog and click on the “Body” category.

New RockAuto Mobile Site!

It is now easier than ever to find and order auto parts from your mobile device with RockAuto.com’s new mobile catalog! The mobile catalog offers the same huge selection and reliably low prices as the desktop computer catalog, but it is optimized for smart phones and tablets with features including:

  • Simplified navigation to part descriptions, part photos, Cart and Help.
  • A side alphabet for quicker access to vehicle make: tap "C" for Cadillac, tap "M" for Mazda...
  • A handy Menu (quick access to your account) and a Search Bar at the top make it easy to head in the right direction.

Try out our new mobile catalog by visiting RockAuto.com via your smart phone or tablet! You can also see the new mobile catalog from a desktop (It will be jumbo sized!) by clicking "Mobile Site" in the bottom right corner of RockAuto.com.

New RockAuto Mobile Site!
Forum of the Month
The Buick Skylark/Special Forum

The Buick Skylark/Special Forum for the '61, '62, and '63 Buick Skylark/Special is designed to share technical knowledge and appreciation of the 1961-1963 Skylarks. Owners and fans alike are encouraged to participate.

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 megant@rockauto.com

Repair Mistakes & Blunders
Repair  Mistakes & Blunders

My new (to me) '65 Mustang is a blast to drive, and I really love its simplicity. I was lucky enough to find one without rust, but I had to install an aftermarket stereo.

Now, installing a new stereo in a '65 Mustang is a pretty simple deal, just hook up a few power wires (one constant, one keyed), speakers and ground. No problem, I have done it a hundred times. I needed to work with the door open, and that leaves the interior lights on. Those lights are under the dash, and when working there, the lit bulbs are very distracting. So I pulled the bulbs and got to work tracing wires for my power source. With a test light, I found one that supplied power all the time and another that supplied power only with the key on. I hooked up both power wires and grounded the stereo to a screw on the dash. Then I wired up the speakers and tested. Sweet...worked great!

Next morning, I backed the car out of the garage, and to my amazement, the stereo would not power up. What?! I played with some buttons, jiggled some wires and nothing, no power at all. Needing to get to work, I left the car to roll down the garage door. Walking back to the car, I saw the stereo through the open door. It was on!! Awesome! Must have been something loose that fixed itself when I left the car. Not particularly happy that the stereo was wired haphazardly like that, I dismissed it for the moment (had to go to work) figuring I would investigate it later.

I shut the door, no power to the stereo again! It must have been that loose wire. Curious, I opened the door and the stereo turned on along with the interior lights. Hmm, did I really do that? I closed and opened the door. I did do that! I wired the stereo to the interior lights! In my defense, they looked like a constant power source when you are tracing wires with the door open!

Ted in Washington

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
Automotive Trivia

Power steering was first available on which mass-produced passenger car?

A. 1951 Chrysler Imperial
B. 1954 Packard Clipper
C. 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood

Answer below

Learn Something New Every Day?
Tom's Story

I recently read an article in an automotive trade journal about diagnosing problems following the installation of a new alternator in a fifteen-year-old Toyota Camry. The engine idled too slowly and the voltage reading at the battery was less than 12 volts.

The new alternator was the big change made to the car, so the technician briefly wondered if something was wrong with the new alternator. Instead of guessing, the technician methodically worked to track down the source of the problems. He inspected cables, cleaned electrical connections and ultimately cleaned the throttle body. The engine idle speed and alternator output voltage finally returned to normal. The technician finished up the article by saying it was odd that a dirty throttle body could cause battery charging and low idle problems, but "we learn something new every day."

Armchair diagnosis is always risky, and the article may not have had enough space to include all the details, but I still cannot help but wonder if the technician had inadvertently solved the problems just by repeatedly restarting the engine and giving it time to idle while he was doing his testing and cleaning work. The new alternator was the obvious big change to the car, but another big change happened when the battery was disconnected during the alternator installation and the engine control module (ECM, found under "Electrical" in the RockAuto catalog) lost power. After the battery was reconnected and the engine was turned on, it took time for the ECM to gather new data and optimize the engine idle speed (plus the alternator's speed of rotation).

Repair manuals for some vehicles (under "Literature" in the catalog) say the driver can help the ECM readjust idle speed by letting the engine idle with the transmission in gear and the air conditioning on. Other cars might need to be driven at varying speeds before the computer finds the perfect idle speed. A vehicle's computer may also have to relearn the optimal shift points for the transmission and other parameters once the battery is reconnected. Give the computers time to readjust before assuming there is a problem.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

Omar's 1996 Mercury Cougar XR7
Omar's 1996 Mercury Cougar XR7

This is my 1996 Mercury Cougar XR7. It is my first and current car. I have owned it for about two years and it has been great.

The Cougar had been sitting for months at a local dealership. The engine bay was full of cobwebs, but it started immediately, nice and strong. It had one previous owner, 83,000 miles and a 4.6L modular V8.

Eventually the dealer decided to knock the price down a bit after my dad (an experienced DIYer) noticed a clunking sound during the test drive. We finalized the deal and took it home.

While inspecting the underbody, we discovered the stabilizer bar links were totally shot. We ordered all of the links (for a great price of course) from RockAuto. After they were installed, all it needed was an oil change and a good wash, and it was ready to roll. The interior was another story; everything from the headliner to the leather seats to the dash were covered in sticky dried coffee! It cleaned up really well though, after a weekend with stain remover and lots of elbow grease.

Later on, we also changed out the upper and lower ball joints just for good measure with OE parts from RockAuto.

I have always loved large, rear wheel drive luxury cars with V8s, and this car fit the bill just right. I feel very proud driving it as not many college students seek out 1990s large luxury cruisers as their first car.

Thanks,
Omar in Maryland

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets or RockAuto social media. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Automotive Trivia Answer
Automotive Trivia

Power steering was first available on which mass-produced passenger car?

Answer: A. 1951 Chrysler Imperial (1951 Chrysler "Hydraguide" Power Steering Pumps are eligible for "Return and Rebuild" service via RockAuto.com)
B. 1954 Packard Clipper
C. 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood

Back up to trivia question