Catalog Updates

The RockAuto catalog has been updated with two new and exciting features for our Canadian and European customers.

At RockAuto we understand that international shipping can be expensive. In an effort to reduce shipping costs for our international customers, the RockAuto catalog will now use new shipping truck icons to indicate when a part can ship from a Canadian or European warehouse. The new truck icons will only appear if the order is shipping to Canada or Europe. This should make it easier to combine shipping and to minimize the shipping distances. This example shows a part can ship from a warehouse in the UK.

To allow for quicker searching, you will now be able to filter parts based on what market a part is for. The market filter flags will appear for customers in all markets and will initially all be checked. For example, if you have a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe and want to see only the Canadian Market instrument cluster with metric system markings, un-check the US market box.

Cambiare Engine Management and Ignition Parts

Cambiare is a one-stop brand for engine management and ignition solutions, and can now be found in the RockAuto catalog. Extensive testing ensures all parts are BER compliant (European Union regulations) and meet or exceed OE quality – in fact, many components are sourced from OE manufacturers. Attention to detail results in long-lasting products. For example, Spark Plug Wire Sets have machine crimped terminals to ensure strong and reliable connections, and all spark plug boots and terminal covers are molded from silicone to ensure a water tight seal. Produced in ISO9001 facilities, individual part types meet corresponding ISO standards (ISO3808, ISO6856, etc).

You will find Cambiare parts under several categories of the RockAuto catalog: Ignition, Engine, Emission, Electrical, Cooling, Fuel/Air, etc. Whether you need a Mass Air Flow Sensor for your SEAT Leon, an EGR valve for your Citroen Xsara, or a Crankshaft Position Sensor for your Ford Fiesta you will find it in the RockAuto catalog.

Designed for European Market applications (vehicles originally sold within Europe), Cambiare parts are ready to ship to you from the UK.

Forum of the Month

NSX Prime is the premier website for Honda/Acura NSX owners and enthusiasts. With a wiki, message forums, and photo gallery, the site has you covered for everything NSX. Share your NSX love with thousands of owners and enthusiasts, and keep up with the latest news and rumors about the second generation NSX currently under development by Honda.

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 long time ago, when I was about 15-maybe 16-years old, I thought I would be helpful and change the oil on my mom's 1973 Pontiac Catalina. I purchased 5 quarts of oil and an oil filter, then went to work. I was able to crawl underneath the car to drain the oil and replace the filter without jacking up the vehicle. I refilled the engine with fresh oil, started it, and it ran great! But when I put the vehicle in gear it didn't move! Drive...reverse...nothing! The engine rpm just increased but no go!

Well surprise! I had drained the transmission fluid and added 5 extra quarts of oil to the crankcase.

I drained the excess oil and refilled both the transmission and crankcase with correct levels of fluids, and all was good.

Ed in Ohio

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 Tools & Universal Parts 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

Why don't Canadians drive on the left side of the road like they do in Australia and other parts of the world with recent historical ties to the United Kingdom?

A. In the late 1800s, long before cars, Canadian teamsters preferred to drive their wagons on the right side of the road. Other Canadians also stayed to the right or risked being crushed. Driving on the right became the common law rule of the road in Canada.

B. In some provinces Canadians did start out driving cars on the left side of the road like they do in the UK. Newfoundland was the last to switch to driving on the right in 1947.

C. Australia has the advantage of being its own island continent. Needing to switch sides of the road when crossing a border is confusing and dangerous. Even a driver with a keen mind cannot quickly move their steering wheel to the opposite side of the car. Canada uniformly adopted driving on the right to match the rest of North and South America.

Answer below

Return of the TV Repairman

The low beam headlights were not working on the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser. It just needed a couple of $7 headlamp bulbs? No, the PT Cruiser has a part called a Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) which is a combination fuse block and control module (computer) for the electrical system. It is sensitive to voltage spikes and susceptible to internal corrosion. The PT Cruiser with the headlight problem required a $1000 trip to a car dealer for installation of a new TIPM.

People that bought new, 2006 to 2009 PT Cruisers had no way of knowing that their car included a troublesome piece called a TIPM. It has always been nearly impossible to predict problems like these. Even car models built seemingly unchanged for many years occasionally have parts modified or supplied by new manufacturers. The trustworthy, visibly unaltered Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor is currently in the news for possibly having steering column problems on a few model years.

Aftermarket parts manufacturers have always listened closely for reports of chronic problems and offered solutions with new or remanufactured parts that are usually better and less expensive than the troublesome original part. What has changed is that car manufacturers now outsource most parts and switch part manufacturers more frequently. There are also just lots more car manufacturers and car models. Recent model year changes are often focused on new technology rather than just new styling.

The traditional process of buying a remanufactured part and then returning the old part (core) to the auto parts retailer so it can be remanufactured is not always possible if the part is relatively rare and in demand. There are just not enough 2006 to 2009 PT Cruisers available to donate their TIPMs to be remanufactured and placed in inventory. For those cases what is the solution? For numerous reasons we cannot afford to throw out a batch of $15,000 cars just because one of their many computers, circuit boards, or other parts is bad.

Thankfully, both big and small parts manufacturers now offer “Return and Rebuild Service” for some parts through RockAuto. Manufacturers including Autoline, Cardone, Dorman, GB Remanufacturing, Lares, and Standard (Blue Streak) take the customer’s part (Power Module, Throttle Body, Distributor, Power Steering Control Valve, Diesel Fuel Injector, etc.), fix it and return it to the customer. The part is as good or better than new and the customer’s cost is much lower because only the worn or broken pieces of the part need to be replaced. Dorman will currently Return and Rebuild that troublesome PT Cruiser Power Module through RockAuto for about $280.

Return and Rebuild is likely to become even more important with today’s newest cars. The race to have the largest touch-screen in the dash, the most advanced hybrid drivetrain, etc. could mean there are more complex parts only installed on one or two model years. Parts available for Return and Rebuild are listed in the RockAuto catalog alongside all the other parts.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

This is my award winning (but often driven) 1972 Buick GS 350 Convertible, 1 of 645 produced in 1972.

The car had burned (interior fire) in 1987 and sat outside unprotected with no top or interior for 13 years through snow, rain, and sun until I bought it in the fall of 2000.

I decided it could be saved and dragged the mess home, much to the amusement of my neighbors and friends who thought I was nuts. Six months after I took the convertible out of that field, the acreage was sold, and all the other cars and trucks that were sitting there with it were taken away and crushed.

I decided to transplant a 455/T400 engine/transmission combination into the car, although it retains the 350 style fender emblems that simply say “Buick Motor Division”. The original numbers matching driveline is in storage.

Buick made some crazy cars in those days! This one is Flame Orange (ironic, isn’t it?) with 3.08 Posi-Traction differential, Rally wheels, power windows, power steering, power brakes, and power convertible top. A Notchback bench seat (bucket seats were not available in 1971 or 1972 for the GS convertible), tilt wheel, and a tachometer round out the interior. It also has the extremely rare and pretty much useless front seat shoulder seatbelts that attach beside the rear seat to the top brackets!

The frame off restoration took six years and the first drive in 2006 after the rebuild was an awesome feeling. It was also the first time this car had moved under it’s own power in 19 years!

I have used RockAuto for lots of parts, for both this car, and my 1971 GS Stage 1. It’s so nice to be able to order the part I want (not a cross referenced part like the local parts places offer), and have it shipped to me and still arrive at a great price. The most recent order for the convertible was for radiator hoses, brake lines, and various other parts.

Thank you, and keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
Tim in Alberta, Canada

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