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RockAuto
saved me a fortune on an expensive
part - delivered it fast - and made
me feel as I was your only customer.
I very rarely
write this type of email to any
company I do business with, but
I'm proud to say that I'm a RockAuto
customer forever.
Howard in New York
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Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details. |
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Jaxcon
2011
2/5/11
Orange Park, FL
e-mail
2nd Annual
Chillin on the River
2/5/2011
Pheonix AZ
e-mail
Bluegrass
Raceway Banquet
2/5/2011
Owingsville, KY
e-mail
Cars for the
Cure 2011
2/5/2011
Orlando, FL
website
Cauley Square
Historic Village Car Show
2/6/2011
Miami, FL
e-mail
Countyline
Dragway Banquet
2/10/2011
Hialeah, FL
e-mail
49th Annual
Festival of Rods & Customs
2/11/2011
Mechanicsville, VA
e-mail
Bairnsdale
Motor Expo
2/11/2011
Victoria, AU
website
Dr. George
Car Show 2011
2/12/2011
Indio, CA
e-mail
Mariner High
School-8th Annual "Silver
Magic" Car & Bike Show
2/12/2011
Cape Coral, FL
e-mail
Central Wisconsin
Racing Expo
2/12/2011
Clintonville, WI
e-mail
33rd Annual
Corvette/Chevy Expo
2/15/2011
Punta Gorda, FL
e-mail
WTW Pontiac
Car Show
2/19/2011
Orlando, FL
e-mail
Beauty in Numbers
Car Show
2/19/2011
Chandler, AZ
e-mail
Moose Lodge
#1429 Car Show
2/19/2011
New Port Ritchie, FL
e-mail
Mini Thunder
2/20/2011
Shasta, CA
e-mail
2010 Kustomizers
Konference
2/21/2011
Manteca, CA
e-mail
Fords on the
Fourth An All Ford Car Show
2/21/2011
Tucson, AZ
e-mail
Vista Grove
Prep Car Show
2/26/2011
Mesa, AZ
e-mail
Florida Mopars
2nd Annual Car Show
2/26/2011
Youngstown, FL
website
4th Annual
Cabin Fever Show
2/26/2011
Norfolk, NE
e-mail
Mission Classic
Car Show
2/26/2011
Mission, TX
e-mail
23rd Annual
All Oldsmobile Show
2/28/2011
Gilbert, AZ
e-mail
32nd Annual
Snow Poker Run
3/5/2011
Lanton, CA
e-mail
Florida Azalea
Festival Show
3/5/2011
Palatka, FL
e-mail
4th Annual
Viper Thunder Classic Car &
Cycle Show
3/5/2011
Waddell, AZ
e-mail
Southern Drag
Racing Association 27th Annual
Car Show
3/5/2011
Bonneau, SC
e-mail
RDA Auto Bike
& Swap Meet
3/5/2011
Rockdale, TX
e-mail
Strawberry
Festival Car Show
3/5/2011
Palm Bay, FL
e-mail
AACA Southeastern
National Winter Meet
3/5/2011
Miami, FL
e-mail
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RockAuto Customer Accounts |
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RockAuto
recently added two new features to
the customer accounts.
Customers with accounts
can now associate their shopping carts
with their accounts.
- Simply log into
your account. Once you log in, any
shopping carts that you have stored
on your computer will automatically
be associated with your account.
- If there are
multiple carts already stored in
the account, you will also be able
to view those on any computer once
logged in.
Customers with accounts
are now also able to choose the language
they prefer for newsletters and other
marketing emails like discounts and
Wholesaler Closeouts (English, French,
German or Spanish).
- For example,
some prefer to place orders in English
while still wanting emails to be
in their native language.
To create an account
if you haven’t already (this
is optional, you do not have to create
an account to order parts):
- Click the “Log
In or Create Account” link
in the upper-right portion of the
RockAuto homepage or catalog.
- Enter your email
address & press the “Create
Account” button.
- An email will
be dispatched to your email account
to confirm you are the owner of
that email account. Follow instructions
in the email.
- Once the email
account has been confirmed you will
receive an email with your new password
(this can be changed once you log-in).
Once you have your
account created all you have to do
to log-in is click the "Log In
or Create Account" link and enter
your email address & password.
The "Order Status/Account Settings"
link on the left side of the screen
is the place to start researching
your past orders. If any questions
arise please feel free to check out
the Accounts section of the RockAuto
FAQ page.
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Forum of the Month
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Corvette
Action Center is the world's largest
Corvette web site. The prime directive
of the Corvette Action Center is to
promote the awareness, preservation
and enjoyment of the Chevrolet Corvette
and help educate owners and enthusiasts
by providing a professional and reliable
online source of Corvette news and
information. We consider the Corvette
Action Center to be a major informational
repository and in a "continuous
state of improvement". The information
contained within is constantly being
updated in order to insure that it
is reliable and consistent. Don’t
delay, register 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 cynthia@rockauto.com.
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Repair Mistakes & Blunders
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My
Thunderbird needed new brake pads
and rear shocks, so I decided to replace
them one evening in my driveway. Everything
went well with both projects until
I went for a checkup drive. I put
the car in gear and started to back
down the driveway being careful to
avoid my van at the curb which was
overhanging the driveway a bit. I
stepped on the brakes to slow my progress
and the pedal went to the floor! While
negotiating past my van at increasing
speed, my right side view mirror was
ripped off by the van's hood. Even
worse, while attempting to brake again,
my brake foot had slid sideways so
it now overlapped with the accelerator,
which then became floored as the brake
pedal went to the floor again! Hurtling
across the street, I jumped the opposite
curb, glanced off a tree, which reformed
the left side fender-door sheet metal,
and crashed into the house across
the street. This pushed a decorative
horizontal timber through the house's
wall and partway into the living room.
My T-Bird was now stopped. I put the
car into Drive to pull away from the
house and now the brakes worked! Eureka!
I then realized that I had forgotten
to pump the brakes to bring the new
pads into contact with the rotors
after the brake job. For my car, it
takes three brake pumps to do this.
I had planned to do this after I replaced
the shocks, but it was late and I
was tired.
Moral of the story:
1. Finish one job at a time. 2. Do
not work on critical systems when
you are tired. 3. If you cannot avoid
hitting a house, choose one that doesn't
belong to a Director of the company
you work for!
Kurt in California
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!
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Automotive Trivia
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Over
time, new brake fluid becomes contaminated
with water. Brake fluid may contain
1 to 2% water after just one year.
Water lowers the boiling point. Hydraulic
brake systems stop working if the
brake fluid is boiling. Something
to think about especially if descending
a steep grade with a heavy trailer.
DOT 3 brake fluid boils at what temperature
new and with 3.7% water contamination?
A. 401° F (205°
C) new, 284° F (140° C) with
3.7% water
B. 500° F (260° C) new, 418°
F (214° C) with 3.7% water
C. 366° F (185 ° C) new, 245°
F (118° C) with 3.7% water
Answer
below
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Regenerative Brake Wear
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Electric cars and hybrids use regenerative
braking. Does that mean these cars
will eventually have expensive regenerative
brake doohickeys to replace? No, regenerative
braking is just a routine duty performed
by the electric car’s big electric
motor/generator when it is not busy
propelling the car.
Here is how it works.
To make the car go, electrical current
from the batteries is sent through
the motor’s rotor, a shaft with
wire wrapped around it, creating an
electromagnet. The magnetic fields
of the electromagnet and motor’s
permanent magnet repel each other,
which spins the rotor. The energy
from the spinning rotor is used to
turn the car’s wheels.
To stop the car,
the electric motor becomes a generator.
Electrical current from the batteries
to the rotor is shut off, but the
rotor and its wire coils are still
spinning. Spinning a wire coil next
to a permanent magnet induces current
in the wire. This electrical current
is siphoned off to recharge the batteries.
As more current is generated in the
wire windings, the rotor experiences
more resistance to its movement as
it passes through the permanent magnet’s
magnetic field. This magnetic friction
slows the rotor and subsequently slows
the car’s wheels.
The fundamentals
can be laid out in a kid’s science
project, but of course the real electrical
motor/generators are much more complex
with brushes, bearings, switches,
computers, and lots of other parts
involved. Electric motors fail, but
using generator mode to stop the car
is not fundamentally harder on the motor than using it to make the car go. The motor/generator is happy whether
spinning its rotor faster or slowing
it down.
So what can
go wrong with a brake system that
includes regenerative braking? The
brake pads often need to only cut
the last 5 or 10 mph off the hybrid
vehicle’s speed. That is light
duty for brake pads and pads can last
a very long time. Unfortunately, on
some hybrids it is too light and the
use-it-or-lose-it rule kicks in. The
brake pads may rarely heat up and
dry out like they do on regular cars.
Original equipment brake pads may
form a surface glaze that generates
noise. Or constant moisture may cause
pads to delaminate from the metal
backing plate. When a hybrid’s
pads do need changing, RockAuto has
replacement pads by brake manufacturers
including ACDelco, Akebono, Aisin,
Beck/Arnley, Bendix, Centric, Monroe,
Raybestos, and Wagner.
Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com
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Vladimir's 1976 Chrysler New Yorker |
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I
was always very fond of Chryslers,
and in 1976 I first noticed Chrysler's
New Yorker, which was the same car
as an Imperial in the prior two year
model run. Instantly, I loved the
flowing curves of this huge car, with
its sculpted massive bumpers, pillow
topped Corinthian leather seats, and
smooth powerful 440 V8. But, there
was no way I could afford this new
car at the time.
Around 1982,
when gasoline prices were spiking
and people were looking for smaller
more economical cars, I came across
this 1976 New Yorker, St. Regis two
door beauty, and bought it. Soon it
took a permanent place in my garage,
got a repaint, and rechromed bumpers,
among other things. RockAuto, has
been my main source of parts for this
car and others.
I love the
wholesaler closeout emails, that have
allowed me to purchase parts at real
bargains. Some parts I know I will
have to replace sooner or later, like
brake parts and hoses, wheel bearings,
pinion and axle seals, transmission
filters etc., so I can't resist to
buy them ahead of time. And of course,
with quick shipping, regular great
prices, it's hard to beat RockAuto
for your many car needs.
Thanks RockAuto,
Vladimir in New York |
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.
Please e-mail flamur@rockauto.com
with details.
Automotive
Trivia Answer |
|
Over
time, new brake fluid becomes
contaminated with water. Brake
fluid may contain 1 to 2% water
after just one year. Water lowers
the boiling point. Hydraulic
brake systems stop working if
the brake fluid is boiling.
Something to think about especially
if descending a steep grade
with a heavy trailer. DOT 3
brake fluid boils at what temperature
new and with 3.7% water contamination?
Answer: A.
401° F (205° C) new,
284° F (140° C) with
3.7% water
(source: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/434.1.pdf)
Back
up to trivia question
|
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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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