Wholesaler Closeout Parts

RockAuto has recently added many new lines of wholesaler closeout parts to the RockAuto catalog. The list below highlights the newest manufacturer additions and the wholesaler closeout parts we carry. (What is a "Wholesaler Closeout" part? Click to find out.)

• AIMCO: Brake Pads, Brake Shoes, Drums & Rotors
• Champion Labs: PCV Valves, Oil Filters, Air Filters, Fuel Filters & Filter Kits
• CONI-SEAL: Various Brake/Wheel Hub, Clutch, Steering & Suspension parts
• Guaranteed Parts (GP): Various Electrical, Emissions, Fuel/Air & Ignition parts
• KEM Parts: Various Electrical, Emission, Fuel/Air & Ignition parts
• McQuay-Norris: Suspension & Steering parts
• Mighty: Various Belt Drive, Brake/Wheel Hub, Engine, Fuel/Air, & Ignition parts
• Morse Caliper: Calipers
• Powerflo: Oil & Air Filters
• Purolator: Oil Filters, Air Filter, Fuel Filter & Cabin Air Filter
• Tomco: Various Electrical, Cooling System, Emission, Fuel/Air & Ignition parts
• TRW: Pistons, Steering, & Suspension parts

The above are just the most recently added manufacturers. Please be sure to take a look in the RockAuto catalog to see if there are any wholesaler closeouts available for your vehicle(s).

Set up a Wholesale Closeout RSS feed or notification e-mail for your car and let the parts tell you when they become available! To sign up for different vehicles, go to the catalog. Once there, locate the Year, Make & Model of the vehicle for which you would like to start receiving RSS feeds or e-mails.

Click the "RSS" icon next to your vehicle's engine and it will take you to a page that will assist you on setting up notifications for that specific vehicle.

Forum of the Month

The Quad4forums was initially started in 2003, with the vision of being a place for fans of GM's 'Quad4' engine family to converge. The Quad4 was GM's first version of an in-house built Dual Over Head Cam (DOHC) four cylinder engine. It was built in three distinct versions from 1988-2002, and was offered in anything from Buick's Somerset to Pontiac Sunfire GTs, and even late model Chevrolet Malibus.

Since this site is specifically geared around an engine, and all the variants therein, we have what might be considered a rather diverse membership audience. We welcome anyone who owns a Quad4 powered car to join - but ownership is not a necessary requirement. Quad4forums.com is completely financed by its members, and I can honestly say on behalf of the ownership group, that we're not into this to make a penny (which is a good thing, because we haven't). We all enjoy helping each other out, and keeping these cars/engines on the road!

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

In the 1950's my first job as a teenager was at a gas station. I was given a set of coveralls and told I would be manning the pumps. No one would come out to help me unless I got way behind.

I had to find the gas cap (many were hidden behind swing-away tail lights or fold down license plates back then), clean the windshield and rear window, offer to check the oil and the air in the tires, pump the gas, provide change, and finally tell the customer "Thank you for coming!" all with a smile on my face.

One day I faced a 3 1/2 hour blitz of cars at every pump and was running fast to keep up. The boss had been watching me and when a break had finally come, he came out with a Coke for me and congratulated me on doing a fine job.

While we were walking back to the office he stopped and asked me "What is that noise?" I didn't know, but he then tapped the huge pockets on my coveralls and discovered the gas caps of most of the people I had been waiting on that day. Luckily for me he found it funny and said "The expression on your face is worth the price of admission!" Meaning he was willing to deal with all the irate customers he was going to have just to see the look I had on my face.

John in New York

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

Question: How did Mazda Motor Corporation get its name?

Answer:
A. Mazda is an acronym derived from the Japanese language equivalent of Machinery Transport Defense Agriculture.

B. Mazda, derives from Ahura Mazda, a god of the earliest civilizations in western Asia.

C. Mazda Motor Corporation, originally Tanaka Machine, was renamed in 1948 after Akihiko Mazda, a pioneer in Wankel engine and aircraft design.

correct answer: b (source: Mazda.com)

Drive by Wire

Many people were surprised to learn the recently recalled Toyota gas pedals are connected to the engine by only electrical wires. How did “drive by wire” technology sneak up on us? Is it as safe as the cables and metal rods that connected the gas pedal to the throttle on older cars? This technology is actually not all that new. Take a look under Fuel/Air at RockAuto.com and you will see “accelerator pedal position sensors” have also been in use on popular Acura, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Honda, Lincoln, Nissan and other brand vehicles beginning around 2003. Oversimplifying a lot, the gas pedal is a spring-loaded rheostat with a socket for a wiring harness. RockAuto manufacturers Airtex and Standard Motor Products (SMP) are already making replacement gas pedal position sensors.

The history of “drive by wire” really goes back much further than 2003. Throttle positions sensors, idle air control (IAC) valves, engine control modules (ECM computer) and other sensors, switches, and motors have been metering the flow of fuel and air into engines since fuel injection became common in the 1980s. Running electrical wires straight from the gas pedal to the electronic components on the engine seems like a logical step. If a sensor or switch goes bad, the engine is most likely to stall or run poorly rather than going to wide open throttle (WOT).

There are still plenty of new and used cars with steel cables running from the gas pedal to the engine’s throttle plate. But there is always a remote chance that even a relatively simple car from the 1960s might keep accelerating if the gas pedal linkage binds up, the carburetor jams open, the cruise control goes haywire, etc. (However, do not expect the police officer that pulls you over to believe any of that!)

The big change might be that electronic components are more likely to fail with little warning compared to the hydraulic and mechanical systems found on older cars. For example, a new electric power steering system probably will not leak, squeal, and get balky before dying like an old hydraulic system typically would.

Newer cars are so reliable it is easy to get complacent, but it is better to always be prepared for the worst like when you were driving a jalopy back in high school. Drivers of any age car need to know how to get their vehicle safely to the side of the road when accelerators stick, tires blow out, engines die, belts break or other big problems occur. With all the key fobs, joy sticks and gadgetry on some newer car models, nobody should feel embarrassed about having to read the owners manual to learn how to put the transmission in neutral, turn the engine off, apply the parking brake, and do other basic but crucial operations.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

My 1994 Chevrolet Suburban is a 2WD model that has been lowered four inches in the front and six inches in the rear. The body moldings, trim, roof rack, antenna, and all badging have been removed. It also has a flush mount billet grille, a smooth front bumper, smooth wiper cowl, and a rear roll pan. The engine is basically stock. I have used parts from RockAuto for the heating and cooling system, as well as for the brakes and suspension.

This was originally a Cheyenne model without power options. But over the last few years, I have converted it to a full power Silverado interior, and added four 1998 Pontiac Bonneville bucket seats.

Gregg in New Jersey

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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