RockAuto January Newsletter :: Early Edition

January Newsletter
Early Edition

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Another Happy Customer!

RockAuto ROCKS!

At one time I was in the auto business. I have extensive experience in new and used cars, and also in service. In all my 25 years in the car business I have never come across such a professional auto parts business such as yours.

Your sales department was very helpful, knowledgeable and, after the sale, RockAuto always kept me informed. I will recommend you to anyone who needs auto parts.

RockAuto saved me a fortune on an expensive part, delivered it fast, and made me feel as if I were its 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

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details.

Reflections in Glass XXVI
1/17/2009
Boca Raton, FL
email

Mopar Super Swap X
1/24/2009
Melbourne, FL
email

2009 Motoring Thru Time
2/7/2009
Phoenix, AZ
email

All Pontiac Indoor Swap Meet
2/8/2009
Columbus, OH
email

Dr. George Memorial Car Show
2/14/2009
Palm Springs, CA
website

Annual Sweetheart Car Show
2/15/2009
Scottsdale, AZ
website

3rd Annual Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance
2/20-2/22/2009
Boca Raton, FL
email

Twisted Trails Off Road Park
2/21/2009
Lake City, MI
email

Atlanta Police Department's Cops & Rodders Car Show
2/21/2009
Atlanta, GA
email

6th Annual Chandler Classic Car & Hot Rod Show
2/28/2009
Chandler, AZ
email

 

 

Raybestos Vintage Brake Parts

Raybestos

Need Brake Shoes for your 1942 Buick Roadmaster? How about a Wheel Cylinder for a 1940 Chevy? Or a Master Cylinder for a 1939 Ford Deluxe? RockAuto has the Raybestos parts for your vintage vehicles. You will find these parts and more in the "Brake/Wheel Hub" category of the RockAuto catalog.

Raybestos Vintage Car Parts

 

 

Forum of the Month

Chevy HHR Family.net

Chevy HHR Family.net is a group of the friendliest and most relaxed HHR owners, enthusiasts, and vendors discussing and modifying one of the greatest retro cars, the Chevy HHR, Heritage High Roof.

Chevy HHR Family.net is a family friendly G-rated forum.

 

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.

 

 

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

 

I replaced the leaking intake manifold gaskets on my son's 1998 Blazer...a pretty big and tedious job. I laid out a towel to protect the valve train while it was apart and I was scraping the gasket surface clean. After the new gaskets were installed, I put everything back together, went to put the distributor back in, and found it would not go in, no matter how I turned it. I took a peak with a mirror and to my horror saw the towel through the hole!

But Lady Luck was with me!

I was able to grab the towel with needle nose pliers, pull it out through the hole, and breathe a big sigh of relief. This happens when you work late at night and get too tired. Never again.

Charles in Connecticut

 

 

RockAuto & Your Event

Kid at Car Show

Is your organization or car club planning a car show in 2009? Let us know if there is an opportunity for RockAuto to participate. We like to help support events celebrating the preservation of old cars and trucks. We are happy to discuss goody bags, raffles, or new creative ways to get involved and contribute to your show.

Email ashley@rockauto.com for more information.

 

 

Totally Awesome Street Race?

Tom Taylor

Standard Motor Products Part Number TH18

Standard Motor Products Part Number TH224

I was sitting at the stop light in my red, ‘86 Mustang GT 5.0L. In the next lane was an orange, lowered, ominously rumbling Chevy step-side pickup. My Mustang revved up and cut back down to idle over and over again. Was this a totally awesome street race? No, it was the throttle position sensor on my 5.0L whacking out. I sat helplessly as the high revs got higher and the low revs got lower until the Mustang stalled out. The old pickup calmly drove away.

It was great news when computerized fuel injection and air intake replaced carburetors. Emissions laws had gradually turned carburetors into overly complicated and finicky beasts. However, modern induction systems still need throttle plates and other mechanical, carburetor-like parts. Some “modern” induction systems have now been on the road for over twenty-five years. After enough time and miles, a modern system can start acting like a cranky old carburetor.

When one of my newer cars starts behaving like a ’77 Nova with a bad choke, the first place I look is the throttle position sensor. The throttle position sensor mounts over the end of the spindle supporting the throttle plate butterfly valve. The sensor tells the engine computer the position of the throttle butterfly valve. A throttle position sensor on a ’91 Camaro looks very similar to the sensor on a ’02 Camry. Typically take the hose off the air intake, find the throttle butterfly valve, and then look for the small, often round box covering the end of the shaft supporting the butterfly valve.

Problems with the throttle position sensor are most noticeable when the engine is at idle or just coming off idle. When the feedback loop between the throttle position sensor and computer is broken, the computer does not know how open or closed the throttle is so the car stalls or idles strangely. Replacing a flaky throttle position sensor can immediately transform an engine’s performance. If the car stumbles at idle then it is also probably subtly hesitating and fumbling at higher rpm.

Throttle position sensors are usually variable resistors mechanically connected to the butterfly valve spindle or Hall effect sensors detecting the movement of a magnetic field. The sensors might get dead spots or fail intermittently and never activate the right fault codes on the engine’s diagnostic system. Your car’s repair manual might give the specifications for testing the throttle position sensor using an oscilloscope. Looking up various throttle position sensors in the www.RockAuto.com catalog (under Emissions), the price for a new sensor typically varies between about $20 and $50.

Installing a new throttle position sensor usually just requires opening the hood and removing two screws. So check out the throttle position sensor before pouncing on oxygen sensors, mass airflow sensors, transmission solenoids, engine rebuilds, or other big and possibly unnecessary jobs!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

1963 Pontiac Bonneville Vista "Miss Karen"
Miss Karen

This is my 1963 Pontiac Bonneville Vista "Miss Karen". She was in the movie "Remember The Titans" in 2000. I have bought many parts from RockAuto: wheel cylinders, fuel tanks, valve cover gaskets, fuel filters, mufflers, and more.

RockAuto is always my first source for auto parts.

Thanks,
Jim in Georgia

 

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.

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