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I
am very impressed with your company.
I ordered an Idle Air Control Valve
from you for my Mitsubishi Diamante.
You had the best price by far, and
the part was shipped and received
very quickly. The part was exactly
what we needed and now my car is
up and running at its best again.
I will definitely
refer to you first when and if we
are ever in need of additional replacement
parts for my vehicle. Thank you
for your prompt and efficient service.
Janet in Pennsylvania
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Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details. |
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2nd Annual Cullman Bearcat Baseball Car Show
10/9/2010
Vinemont, AL
e-mail
Motored Ride
for the RED
10/10/2010
Mount Laurel, NJ
e-mail
October Fest
Car Truck & Bike Show
10/10/2010
Horton, KS
e-mail
Oliver Wolcott
Tech Car Show
10/10/2010
Torrington, CT
e-mail
3rd Annual
Halloween Classic Car Show
10/10/2010
Humble, TX
e-mail
1st Annual
Holly Grove Ruritan Car, Truck
& Motorcycle Show &
Vendor Fair
10/16/2010
Bumpass, VA
e-mail
Navarre Beach
10th Annual Car & Bike Show
10/16/2010
Navarre, FL
e-mail
11th Annual
Ride to Rosenberg Car Show 10/16/2010
Rosenberg, TX
e-mail
43rd Annual
Mountain Moonshine Festival
10/22/2010
Dawsonville, GA
e-mail
Lake City Veterans
Benefit Car Show
10/23/2010
Lake City, FL
e-mail
2010 East Coast
F-Body Nationals
10/23/2010
Hamilton, NJ
e-mail
Fall Festival
& Car Truck & Motorcycle
Show
10/23/2010
Douglasville, GA
e-mail
Edna G. Tretton
Memorial Car Show
10/23/2010
Pasadena, MD
e-mail
On the Square
with LCC Charity Open Car Show
10/23/2010
Georgetown, TX
e-mail
OctoberFest
Car Event
10/23/2010
El Dorado, CA
e-mail
Hamblen County
Car Club Fall Swap Meet
10/23/2010
Morristown, TN
e-mail
King of the
Road All Wheels Show
10/24/2010
Erick, OK
e-mail
Berkeley College
Sixth Annual Charity Car Show
10/24/2010
Paramus, NJ
website
4th Annual
Spookorama Car Show
10/30/2010
Fayetteville, NC
e-mail
Saturday Cruisin'
on Main Street in Mesa 10/30/2010
Mesa, AZ
website
Total Freedom
Car & Bike Show
10/30/2010
Orlando, FL
e-mail
D.A.R.E. Rod
& Custom Car Show
10/30/2010
Dexter, MO
e-mail
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Rebates, Rebates, Rebates! |
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Keep
your car running in top shape and
save money at the same time! ANCO,
ATP, Autolite, Bendix, Bosch, Fram,
Monroe, Rancho, Raybestos, Trico,
Wagner, and Walker are all offering
rebates at this time, so order now
to save even more with RockAuto.
To find rebates
that are available for your vehicle
just look for the little yellow star
next to the part category in the RockAuto
Catalog. Getting these rebates is
simple, just go to the Current
Promotions and Rebates page, or
click the "Rebate/Promotion Available!"
link in the part description for more
information on all of these offers. |
Forum of the Month
|
|
Acura-Legend.com
is a great place for owners of all
things Acura Legend and Acura RL.
Our Acura forums include the very
extensive discussions for all Acura
Legend and Acura RL enthusiasts. Here
you can find topics about the first
generation Legend (1986-1990), second
generation Legend (1991-1995), first
generation RL (1996-2004), and the
second generation RL (2005 to present).
Our Shop Talk Forums
hosts a wealth of tech information
as well. We have information regarding
wheels, tires, brakes, suspension,
DIY repairs, audio/video & electronics,
product reviews, and general automotive
discussion.
If you are
not already a member, join today!
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 jessa@rockauto.com.
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Repair Mistakes & Blunders
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In
the late 1970’s my father bought
a new pickup truck from a local dealer.
Within just a few days after taking
delivery of his new pride and joy
the engine developed a noise that
sounded like a rod bearing knock.
My despondent father immediately took
the truck back to the dealer who agreed
with the diagnosis and proceeded to
replace the rod bearings. After the
bearings were replaced the dealer
started the engine only to find that
the knock was still there. Thinking
that they had missed something the
dealer pulled out the rod bearings
and replaced them a second time. Of
course, each crankshaft journal and
rod end was measured and found to
be within the factory tolerances.
Unfortunately, the knock persisted.
The dealer told my
father to take the truck home, drive
it normally for a few weeks, then
bring it back for another examination.
My father was not happy but had no
other choice. About two weeks later
I stopped by my father’s house
and found him in the driveway washing
the truck and detailing the engine
compartment. While the hood was open
I noticed that there was a 3”
long chunk of rubber missing on the
underside of the V-belt that drives
the alternator and water pump. We
jumped into my car, drove to the auto
parts store and purchased a new V-belt.
Once the new V-belt was installed
we started the truck engine and realized
that the “knock” had suddenly
disappeared.
Evidently, every
time the gap in the V-belt rubber
passed over the stamped sheet metal
water pump pulley it made a “knock”
noise which every one took to be a
bad rod bearing.
Randy in Nevada
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 awhile!). Please
email your story to flamur@rockauto.com.
Include your mailing address and shirt
size (large or extra large) and we
will mail you a RockAuto "Do it yourself?"
t-shirt if we publish your story (see
the t-shirts 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! |
Automotive Trivia
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The
engine in the original Volkswagen
Beetle was air cooled. There was no
engine coolant, radiator, or heater
core. Without a heater core inside
the car to transfer heat from engine
coolant, how do original VW Beetle
drivers stay warm in cold weather?
A. A blower forces
air over an electrical heating element
in the interior ventilation unit.
B. Original VW Beetle drivers do not
stay warm in cold weather.
C. The engine fan blows air through
a box welded onto the exhaust manifold.
The heated air then travels through
tubes into the interior.
D. An engine oil cooler is used in
place of a heater core in the heat/AC
box under the dash.
Answer
below
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Not Even a Click From the Starter
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Nothing
happens when the ignition key is turned.
There is not even a click from the
starter. The back up lamps stopped
working last week. These are some
of the symptoms of a faulty Neutral
Safety Switch.
The neutral safety
switch only allows the engine to start
if an automatic transmission equipped
car is in Park or Neutral. The switch
typically provides the electrical
ground necessary to complete the starter
solenoid circuit. The neutral safety
switch also often has the job of turning
on the back up lamps when the transmission
is in reverse.
Most often the neutral
safety switch is mounted on the side
of the transmission. Mechanical pieces
inside the transmission and/or the
linkage to the gearshift activate
the switch.
Over the years, car
manufactures have added many new names
for the switch such as neutral start
switch, transmission range (TR) sensor,
manual lever position sensor (MLP),
etc. But “neutral safety switch”
is still the place to start looking
in the repair manual and the RockAuto
catalog (under Electrical-Switch
& Relay). Sometimes the neutral
safety switch is now found on the
steering column and sometimes it plays
a role in other safety systems such
as the brake shift interlock. Newer
vehicles might actually start but
idle or run poorly if a bad neutral
safety switch cannot accurately tell
the engine control module what gear
the transmission is in.
The duties and complexity
of the neutral safety switch have
indeed expanded. The neutral safety
switch on my 1979 Chrysler 300 just
threads into the side of the transmission,
plugs into a three wire connector
and currently costs about $7 (Standard
Motor Products) at RockAuto. A neutral
safety switch for a 2002 Porsche 911
has about twice as many wires and
is currently about $330 (Airtex/Wells).
On some car models,
the neutral safety switch and/or shift
linkage needs to be adjusted when
a new switch is installed. The adjustment
is often not difficult, but a repair
manual (found under Literature at
RockAuto.com) comes in handy. The
neutral safety switch on my ‘80s
Fords are adjusted with a Number 43
(0.089 inch) drill bit!
Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com
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Tom's 1989 Mercury Cougar XR7 |
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I
first came across this car during
the summer of 2006. The owner had
placed a for sale advertisement on
SCCoA (Super Coupe Club of America)
Forums. I had always liked the 1989-1990
XR7 Cougars, so I contacted him. He
sent me some photos, I gave it some
thought, but didn’t pursue it
any further. Money was in short order,
and I really didn’t need another
project. But 4 months later, the owner
dropped the price, and I agreed to
purchase the car.
The car had been
parked in a garage since 2004. It
had light collision damage on the
front end, was in need of brake work,
and a few other odds and ends. It
was complete and overall a clean example
of this rare Mercury. My original
plan was to fix the body damage and
brake issues, complete a thorough
tune-up, and give the car a good cleaning.
I thought I would keep it all factory
original, enjoying it as a good example
of a 1989 Cougar XR7. But the more
I worked on the car, the more those
plans changed. Over the next 3 years,
I would end up upgrading nearly every
aspect of this car.
Today, it is a mechanically
sound example of these great cars,
and happens to run low 13's at the
track with its little V6 and an automatic
transmission! The rebuilding process
has really been enjoyable, and RockAuto
has helped me do it on a limited budget
while I finished up College. Some
of the many parts purchased from RockAuto
include motor mounts, 02 sensors,
water pump, full engine gasket set,
transmission filter, rear main seal,
sway bar end links, strut mounts,
tie rod ends, brake calipers, wheels
hubs, brake pads, brake booster, shock
absorbers, belts, and many other parts.
Thomas
in Kansas
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Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase
parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto
would like to feature you and your
car or truck in our monthly newsletter.
Please email flamur@rockauto.com
with details.
Automotive
Trivia Answer |
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Answer:
C (B might also be correct in
parts of the world where rust
is a problem!)
Back up to trivia question
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© 1999-2010 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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