USA Standard Gear sets the standard for quality OE replacement parts at affordable prices. During the month of November, 2022, USA Standard Gear and Zumbrota Drivetrain are offering RockAuto customers up to $100 in instant savings. RockAuto provides a wide selection of replacement USA Standard Gear drivetrain parts, including ring & pinions, axle shafts, driveshafts, transmission and transfer case components, and installation kits. Designed for both the professional technician and do-it-yourself customer, USA Standard Gear products provide unmatched reliability in the replacement drivetrain industry.

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Get a $25 rebate with purchase of four KYB Shocks, Struts and Strut / Coil Spring / Mount Assemblies for your truck, SUV or crossover.

Take advantage of other current Promotions and Manufacturer Rebates and save on Clutch Kits, Engine Oil, Spark Plugs and more at RockAuto!

It was a cold and rainy January day in New Jersey back in the early 80s. I decided to do a quick oil change on my 1969 Ford Falcon with the 302 V8; with no garage of course. I drove up the ramps, removed the drain plug, and drained the oil. But, while reinstalling the drain plug, I managed to strip the bolt threads. What to do? I decided the best course of action would be to just replace the oil pan. How hard could it be? After a quick trip to the junk yard, I had the used oil pan home and all cleaned up. My buddy and I removed all of the bolts from the damaged oil pan and tried to remove it. But no matter what we did, we could not remove that oil pan (I later found out the oil pump was in the way).

Defeated, we went back into the house. My mom and my buddy’s mom were in the kitchen talking like they did every day. After we told them our woes, my buddy’s mom asked, “Why don’t you just get a drain plug repair kit?” Basically, it is an oversized bolt with a smaller drain plug in the middle that replaces the original drain plug. Who would have thought such a thing existed? About $10 later, we had the repair kit and a tube of gasket maker. Even though you may think you know it all, sometimes you should ask your elders for advice. They may have seen a lot more than you.

Steven in Colorado

(Editor's note: Find "Piggyback" Oil Drain Plugs under "Engine" in the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab.)

While driving some of the older vehicles in the family fleet at night, I debate if I should get the lenses replaced in my eyes or if I should replace windshields that have been heavily pitted by countless collisions with tiny road debris. A newer car cannot recommend cataract surgery yet, but it may illuminate a warning light on the dash and/or generate a trouble code when its camera has trouble peering through the windshield.

Lane Departure Cameras/Modules have been part of most advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for more than a decade. The computer analyzes the camera's images to help determine if the vehicle is straying out of its lane, if the vehicle is approaching an obstacle (adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking) or simply when the headlight high beams need to be switched on/off. (I suspect that these smart cameras have been in cars for much longer than a decade because I remember my dad telling me that our '71 Ford Country Squire automatically recognized donut shops and turned into their parking lots.)

Typical Lane Departure Cameras/Modules

The camera(s)/module is typically mounted on the windshield alongside the rearview mirror. Like most electronics, it may last for a few years or the life of the car. Life span can be influenced by operating hours, heat/cold exposure, electrical surges (jump starting, welding...) and/or collisions.

Before replacing an expensive camera/module, check to see that the windshield is not just dirty or covered in ice. A badly chipped and pitted windshield may need to be replaced if the damaged glass interferes with the camera's view. If necessary, find a replacement Lane Departure Camera/Module for your specific vehicle under the "Electrical" category in the RockAuto.com catalog.

The camera/module typically needs to be recalibrated whenever it or the windshield is replaced. The cameras and recalibration procedures vary widely between car manufacturers and models. Recalibration may require aiming the camera at model-specific target boards positioned outside the car and/or driving the vehicle on the road for specific amounts of time, distance, speeds, etc.

Look in the vehicle's owners manual and/or repair manual (found under "Literature" at RockAuto.com) for recalibration instructions. Hopefully car manufacturers will eventually make the recalibration procedures on new cars less time consuming/costly like many of them did with recalibration of tire pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS). After all, my parents' '71 Ford station wagon never needed any recalibrating to recognize all those donut shops.

Tom Taylor
RockAuto.com

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