Shop Faster while Minimizing Total Cost

Thoughts of a RockAuto Shopper: “I want either the GE Nighthawk or Wagner TruView headlight bulbs. Hmm, Autolite, Bosch, Champion…any one of these three brands of platinum spark plugs would be fine. Now I’ll try to minimize the shipping locations by looking for the headlights and plugs with a truck icon next to them. Truck icons mean those parts can ship from the same location as the Moog idler arm already in my cart. But on second thought, I really do not care if the idler arm is the Moog Problem Solver or the Raybestos Professional Grade. I like ACDelco too… What happens to the shipping locations and truck icons if I switch idler arm part numbers?”

Thoughts of a RockAuto Engineer: “The customer is shopping using logic like a computer! Total cost is often the final determiner for customers choosing between the parts they prefer. Whittling down the customer’s approved part choices on their draft shopping list to minimize the cost of parts and shipping is something our software can help with.”

Thus, the new “Alternate” catalog feature came to be! Checking the “Alternate” boxes in the catalog can cut down shopping time while still ensuring you are getting parts you prefer at the lowest total cost. Basically, toss all of the parts you would be happy with in the shopping cart and let the catalog recommend the final selections that best minimize your costs! Read more details below and/or just open the RockAuto catalog and give it a try.

New “Alternate” Feature Details

These two simple steps will help optimize your order totals and help to reduce the number of shipping locations.

1. Use the check boxes in the “Alternate” column to check all parts that you would approve of purchasing.
2. Click the “Add Part” button for one of the selected parts.

Once those two steps are complete, the RockAuto catalog does the rest of the work for you! On the shopping cart page all parts selected will be displayed as a group, with an editable quantity field for the entire group. The parts chosen for you as the most cost effective by the optimization logic will have a quantity displayed, while those that will not be shipping out will have blanks in those fields.

Note that the Alternate feature can choose only one part per group. For example, clicking the Alternate boxes for both front and rear brake pads means you will get one or the other, not both. Instead, try clicking the Alternate boxes for just the front brake pads you prefer and then go back and pick your rear brake pad choice manually (using the truck icons to minimize shipping locations).

Take advantage of this new feature and let our shipping optimization logic help ensure you are getting the parts you desire at the lowest possible total price (parts + shipping).

Free Carlisle Car Show Tickets?

Due to overwhelming response, we are out of free Carlisle Car Show tickets. Thank you for your interest!

Want to attend a Carlisle car show at the Carlisle, PA Fairgrounds? RockAuto has a limited number of free tickets available for customers. If you have purchased parts in the last 12 months and would like up to two free tickets, please complete this form. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. If we have tickets, we will let you know and put them in the mail.

Forum of the Month

3000GT/Stealth International - Driven by Enthusiasts

3si.org is a hang-out for owners of all things 3000GT. Our Modifications and Technical Support Forums include extensive discussions for all 3000GT enthusiasts. Here you can find topics about Tires, Wheels, Brakes & Suspension, Audio/Video Systems, Body & Paint, Interior, All Wheel Drive - DriveTrain, Engine - Naturally Aspirated to Forced Induction, Front Wheel Drive - Drivetrain, Advanced Technical Discussions, and information about the ECU Tuning.

If you are not already a member of 3si.org, join today and become a part of a forum driven by enthusiasts!

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.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

A few years after buying a new, 1971 Toyota Corolla (total price was a little less than $1800, remember those days?), it needed a valve job. With two young children and a stay at home mom, I decided to save money by doing it myself. I also decided that while I was at it I would do a total overhaul. Near the end of the project, I was under the car wiping out the oil pan prior to putting it back on the engine. While I was doing this my wife came to the garage and announced that I had a phone call. I took the call then crawled back under the car to resume what I was doing.

Finally finished, I put in new oil, buttoned every thing up, started the engine and started on a test drive. The oil light stayed on the whole time! I knew I had oil, so I kept driving thinking there was air in the capillary to the gauge. That was my thinking then. Eventually, the engine started laboring and the temperature light came on. I limped back home and called the Toyota dealership to come and get the car. Whatever the problem, it was beyond my capabilities.

A few days later I got a call at work from the service manager who said, "Are you sitting down? There was a diaper wrapped around the oil pick up."

I instantly had a flashback of wiping out the pan with a (clean) diaper, which we had a lot of since my youngest was newly potty trained, and being interrupted by the phone call.

Gus in Illinois

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 a while!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats 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

Which automaker was the first to have true 4-wheel ABS, and what year was it?

A. Chevrolet, 1979
B. Mercedes-Benz, 1974
C. Ford (European), 1975
D. Chrysler, 1971

Answer below

Success the First Time

My first few home plumbing projects taught me to always err on the side of replacing too many parts. More new hoses, new washers, new valves, new pipes, etc. meant fewer trips back to the hardware store, less time wedged in some dark, spidery cranny and increased odds for success. Nobody wants to waste time and money doing a plumbing job twice. The same basic rule, err on the side of replacing too many parts, also applies to automotive air conditioner work.

The A/C compressor is the heart of the A/C system. The compressor pumps a mixture of refrigerant liquid and compressor lubricant from the condenser mounted in front of the engine’s radiator into a receiver-drier (or accumulator) that acts as a reservoir and removes any water before it can form corrosive hydrochloric acid. From there the liquid is metered by an expansion valve (or orifice tube) into the evaporator in the car’s interior. The refrigerant turns to gas in the evaporator, which cools the car’s interior. The compressor sucks the hot refrigerant gas out of the other end of the evaporator and pumps it back to the condenser where the gas cools to liquid and the cycle starts all over again.

The A/C compressor is the moving part so when it stops moving it might seem reasonable to blame it for a failed A/C system. It is not that simple. There are always reasons for a broken compressor. A common reason is contaminants in the A/C plumbing. Contaminants cause clogs that starve the A/C compressor for lubricant. If those contaminants are not removed, then they will be there to destroy the next A/C compressor. Even if the A/C compressor simply dies of old age, it is likely to spew contaminants into the A/C plumbing during its death throes. It is logical to always assume there are contaminants in a failed system that need to be eliminated.

Common places for contaminants and clogs to collect are the receiver-drier or accumulator (remember, this part also prevents acid formation) and the expansion valve or orifice tube. The A/C compressor manufacturer warranties (ACDelco, Denso, Four Seasons, Motorcraft, Spectra Premium, etc.) specify that those parts must be replaced along with the compressor. On some cars it might be hard to get to parts like the expansion valve if it is buried behind the dash, but the parts still need to be replaced. Nobody wants to do a plumbing job twice.

Clogs may also occur in other parts of the system such as the condenser or the hoses. The common modern “dual pass” condenser has two or more routes for the refrigerant to pass through. Pressure readings might indicate adequate flow through the condenser, but partially clogged paths could be harboring contaminants waiting to cause future damage. Refrigerant lines might contain noise mufflers or filters that become clogged. Advanced diagnostic work, such as using a pyrometer to measure excessive temperature drops from one end of a hose to the other, can reveal clogs. It is still usually best to “err on the side of replacing too many parts.”

There are other reasons for a compressor to not get the lubricant it needs. Lubricant circulates with the refrigerant. A refrigerant leak also is a lubricant leak. On the other hand, too much refrigerant (overcharging) can lead to the lubricant pooling in the condenser or drier rather than flowing through the compressor. A/C compressor manufacturer warranties specify that the A/C system must be properly flushed, the correct type and amount of lubricant and refrigerant must be installed and other vehicle specific requirements.

While planning an A/C repair be sure to read the “Info” pages in the RockAuto catalog to learn more about the A/C parts and A/C system in your vehicle. The A/C compressor manufacturer warranties are also accessible from the Info pages and are surprisingly easy to read and a good source of information. Of course, also read any installation instructions that come with A/C parts. Everybody wants the A/C repair to be a success the first time!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

Hi there,

This is my BMW E36 M3R during the Targa Tasmania 2011. The Targa Tasmania is a 5 day Tarmac Rally - possibly the toughest of its type in the world.

The pictured car is #2 of 15 built in 1995 for BMW Australia by Frank Gardiner Racing (the then BMW Australia race team) and Paul Roche of BMW's M Division. The cars were destined for competition duties in Australia. BMW kept 4 of the cars, with the remaining 11 sold to private buyers.

Whilst trawling the net recently for a new Mass Air Flow sensor for the car's 3.0L Euro engine, I came across RockAuto. My parts arrived in Australia well below the competitors' prices, even when shipping and handling charges were applied.

Great work - keep it up.

Many Thanks,
Ray in Australia

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