RockAuto.com is happy to now offer Edelmann Elite premium power steering hoses. A power steering hose has to handle surges of high pressure fluid from the moment a vehicle's engine first starts. Utilizing an enhanced rubber formulation and advanced engineering techniques, Edelmann Elite power steering hoses are designed to excel in extreme temperatures; from polar vortex colds to record-breaking heatwaves. Edelmann Elite hoses resist cracking and interior deterioration which can lead to ruptures and/or spread particles throughout the power steering system.

Edelmann Elite hoses carry a lifetime warranty and are currently available at RockAuto.com for over 4,500 popular cars and trucks; everything from a '10 Honda Ridgeline to a '04 Ford Excursion to a '08 Nissan Altima to a '00 Cadillac Escalade to a '90 Chevy K2500 Pickup... Find new Power Steering Pressure Hoses for your vehicle in the "Steering" category of the RockAuto.com catalog.

TYC is ringing in the new year with an exclusive 10% Instant Rebate on their new and improved Fuel Pump & Housing Assemblies! From now until the end of January, 2021, instantly save 10% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices on select TYC Fuel Pump & Housing Assemblies. TYC's new Fuel Pump & Housing Assemblies feature an upgraded design that utilizes premium components to best handle modern fuels.

Most gasoline sold in the United States today contains some level of ethanol, which oxygenates the fuel and reduces air pollution. However, ethanol can be harmful to some fuel pumps and cause premature failure. To combat this problem, TYC has updated all their fuel pump modules to use carbon (instead of copper) commutators. This change allows TYC Fuel Pumps to smoothly operate with flex fuel blends up to E85 (85% ethanol).

Durability: Carbon's melting point is 3X greater than copper. This allows carbon brushes to wear more evenly, reduce sparking, and minimize damage to the conductive metal segments of the electric pump.

Smooth Operation: Carbon is a softer compound compared to copper, resulting in quieter operation. Additionally, carbon's inherent self lubrication properties and dry running capability help the pump to stay cool during operation.

Increased Efficiency: Carbon actually becomes more conductive as temperatures climb. This means less electrical current is needed to maintain optimum fuel flow as the pump warms up; saving energy and reducing the temperature of wiring and other components.

While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" next to the part listing to help you save even more on RockAuto's reliably low prices! Find Fuel Pump & Housing Assemblies in the "Fuel & Air" category of the RockAuto.com catalog.

AudiForums.com is a comprehensive resource and a large community of Audi owners and enthusiasts. This forum is active with friendly members sharing information on all aspects of these cars, from answers to technical questions to general all around Audi talk. Although the majority of topics cover "modern" cars and SUVs (from A3 to Q7 to R8 and everything else in between), you will also find active discussions on "classic" Audis.

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 marketing@rockauto.com.

Whilst doing a rolling restoration on my new to me 1976 MGB roadster, I discovered the steering had the disturbing habit of jerking to the left while braking. I jacked it up and shook the wheels along both axis, no noticeable play. Thinking the slight clicking sound at low speed might be a clue, I replaced inner and outer wheel bearings on both front wheels (that turned out to be a rattling decorative wheel center cap). I rebuilt the suspension; tie rod, king pin bushings, all the rubber bushings on the A-frame and even the "Armstrong lever action" shocks that make up the top portion of the front suspension. No difference. Out of desperation, I replaced the rack and pinion. It was still jerking to the left under braking.

While trying not to blame evil spirits and rebuild my savings, I had the little beast on jack stands under the frame rails to deal with a clutch slave cylinder when I noticed the sub frame had dropped almost half an inch below the left rail! Two 3/4" bolts had either come loose or had been improperly tightened by a previous owner.

Oh well. It did not hurt the forty-year-old car to get new front suspension and steering. Next project: exorcise the Lucas electrical system! Pray for me my brothers and sisters.

Larry in Tennessee

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 RockAuto 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!

What is Ford's "Police Perimeter Alert" option?

A. A radar detector is included in the roof-mounted antenna assembly. A warning chime/light on the dash is activated when police radar/laser is detected and the vehicle is traveling at least 3 mph (5 kph) over the speed limit.

B. Available on police cruisers, the blind spot sensors are used to detect people behaving creepily outside the vehicle. The system shows the potential marauders on a dash display, rates the level of creepiness, closes the windows and locks the doors.

C. The system detects active Traffic Signal Preemption devices on emergency response vehicles. A chime/light on the dash warns the driver to watch for approaching emergency vehicles and accident scenes.

Answer below

Remember that bombshell news that broke last May? I am of course referring to Haynes repair manuals being purchased by Infopro Digital. Now we are finally learning a little about what changes to expect from the merged companies.

Unfortunately, Haynes has announced there will be no more new print Haynes repair manuals published. The good news is they also said many existing Haynes repair manuals will continue to be printed indefinitely. Haynes and Chilton (Haynes bought Chilton 20 years ago) repair manuals already published for existing vehicle models are available under "Literature" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

There will not be any new digital Haynes repair manuals published on CD either. They appear to be moving away from repair manuals focused on specific vehicle models. Haynes said it is “currently in the process of creating a new automotive maintenance and repair product that covers around 95 percent of car makes and models—an increase of around 40 percent over our current Workshop Manual coverage.”

Infopro Digital, Haynes new parent company, is a leading provider of repair databases for professional mechanics in Europe. Maybe the "new maintenance and repair product" will be structured more like a database subscription. Repair databases work well for professional mechanics who use them to fix a variety of vehicles every day of the week.

Repair manuals are great for DIYers who may maintain the same vehicles for years or even decades. A paper manual or its CD is always available for quickly looking up a torque spec, carefully planning a repair, or just for some pleasant reading; "Hmm, so that is how my '79 Cordoba's power steering pump works..."

Repair manuals sometimes become family heirlooms treasured nearly as much as the cars they help fix. My parents bought a set of factory manuals to repair their 1971 Ford Country Squire station wagon. That station wagon was traded in long ago, but the manuals kept on serving family members who owned full-sized Fords. I now use those same repair manuals while working on my 1971 Ford LTD convertible. I occasionally come across a greasy fingerprint in the manuals and sentimentally wonder which relative's hand it came from and what repair they were performing at the time.

It will be interesting to see in coming months what Haynes/Infopro Digital's new product turns out to be. In the meantime, it is comforting to know that many existing Haynes/Chilton repair manuals for old and late-model vehicles and factory manuals republished by Detroit Iron and/or Dave Graham for older vehicles will continue to be available. It would be sad if my family heirloom 1971 Ford factory manuals ever suffered a catastrophic mishap, but it is nice that I could just go to "Literature" in the RockAuto.com catalog and quickly order a new set.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Toms articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

RockAuto was instrumental in enabling a couple amateurs like my wife and me to restore our long time friend in our one car garage.

I was 19 years old in 1990 when I bought my first car, this 1981 Trans-Am. It was my daily driver until 1999 when I decided to park it and purchase a newer and more reliable car in order to save for a wedding and house. The car sat until 2015 while we settled into our home and started a family.

We started rebuilding the car in 2015. Together we went through every nut, bolt, and system in the car and installed an LS1/4L60E drivetrain from a 1999 Firebird. Over the course of the past five years, I have placed almost 100 different orders for both 1981 Firebird and 1999 Firebird parts from RockAuto. Neither my wife nor myself are professionals or experts in any manner of automotive repair or restoration. This was a labor of love. We are happy to now be at a point where we are able to begin enjoying the fruits of those labors. We could not have gotten to this point without RockAuto! The detailed descriptions and photos were super helpful in allowing us to find the correct part every time.

Tom & Julie in Pennsylvania (RockAuto customers for over eight years)

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with the vehicle history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

What is Ford's "Police Perimeter Alert" option?

A. A radar detector is included in the roof-mounted antenna assembly. A warning chime/light on the dash is activated when police radar/laser is detected and the vehicle is traveling at least 3 mph (5 kph) over the speed limit.

Answer: B. Available on police cruisers, the blind spot sensors are used to detect people behaving creepily outside the vehicle. The system shows the potential marauders on a dash display, rates the level of creepiness, closes the windows and locks the doors.

C. The system detects active Traffic Signal Preemption devices on emergency response vehicles. A chime/light on the dash warns the driver to watch for approaching emergency vehicles and accident scenes.

Back up to trivia question