Have you been hearing a squealing noise or feeling a pulsation when braking? Has your vehicle been taking longer to come to a complete stop? If so, it may be time to replace your brake pads. Brake pads are a wear item that typically require replacement every 25,000-50,000 miles depending on your style of driving.

A common question many drivers have when shopping for brake pads is "What is the difference between the brake pad materials?" There are three main types of brake pads, Organic, Semi-Metallic and Ceramic, and while all brake pads will stop your vehicle, each type of pad has its own characteristics to consider:

RockAuto has recently made it easier for you to find the brake pads you want! When shopping for Brake Pads (found in the "Brake & Wheel Hub" Category in the RockAuto catalog), you will now have the option to select the pad material you are interested in to narrow down your choices.

RockAuto offers Brake Pads for nearly every vehicle on the road today. Whether you drive a 1958 Jaguar XK150, 1990 Ford Mustang, 2010 Lexus LX570 or a 2021 Ram 1500, RockAuto has brake pads for your vehicle at reliably low prices! Not sure how much life your pads have left? A Brake Pad Lining Thickness Gauge is an inexpensive tool that measures the amount of pad material left and alerts you if your brake pads need to be replaced.

HyundaiForum.com is a large and well organized community of Hyundai owners and enthusiasts. This comprehensive forum is active with friendly members sharing information on all aspects of these cars, from answers to technical questions to general all around Hyundai talk. There are active discussions on all Hyundais; from Accent to Sonata to XG 350.

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.

About six years ago, I was changing the spark plugs on my wife's 2008 Mercury Milan with the 3.0L V6. We were giving the car to our youngest daughter, and I wanted to make sure that the car did not give her any problems. I was working in my unheated garage, and it was about 5 degrees in the garage that day. After taking the top of the intake manifold off, I put half a paper towel into each intake runner to protect myself from what might fall into the engine.

I had the new plugs installed in about an hour and a half and feeling pretty good, went inside to get warm and have something to eat before putting everything back together. When I came back out, it only took 15 minutes to finish up and then put the tools away.

I then jumped into the car to move it back outside, but it would not start! I spent the next two hours testing every system, trying to figure out what I could have done to put myself in this position. I finally pulled all the plugs as a last resort and did a compression test. I was cold and just could not figure out what I had done to the engine. After hooking up the compression gauge to the engine and giving it a three second run on the starter, I jumped out of the car and read the gauge. It was not great but not bad for a car with 85,000 miles.

When I pulled the hose for the compression gauge out, I saw a piece of something white on the end of the hose. I stood there for a few seconds trying to figure what this was, and it hit me like a brick! I never took the paper towels out of the intake runners before putting the top half of the intake manifold back on. Another half an hour pulling pieces of paper towels out through the intake valves and spark plug holes and the engine never sounded so good when I turned that key.

Ken 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 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!

Which vehicle was the last to be sold with a four-barrel carburetor in the United States?

A. The 1990 Chevy Caprice/Olds Custom Cruiser/ Buick Estate Wagon/Cadillac Brougham equipped with the 307cid V8 topped with a Rochester Quadrajet carburetor.

B. The 1991 Land Rover Range Rover with a 3.9L V8 pulling fuel through a Holley 4150 four-barrel carburetor.

C. The 1993 Dodge Ramcharger powered by a 360cid V8 fed by a Carter Thermoquad carburetor.


Answer below

An illuminated battery warning light or trouble code could indicate a problem with the battery or alternator but might instead be indicating a bad signal from the Battery Temperature Sensor. Battery Temperature Sensors became common starting in the late '90s, especially on Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Plymouth/RAM and Toyota/Lexus vehicles.

The Battery Temperature Sensor gave charging systems an additional way to regulate alternator output voltage. Maintaining battery charge was getting harder as more and more electrical accessories were being added to vehicles, and car manufacturers continued to try to improve fuel economy by minimizing alternator output as much as possible.

Typical Battery Temperature Sensors

The Battery Temperature Sensor typically measures the temperature of the battery's exterior surface. Cold lead-acid batteries are harder to charge than warm batteries. Alternator output is increased when the Battery Temperature Sensor tells the computer the battery is cold, and alternator output is decreased when the sensor says the battery is hot.

The Battery Temperature Sensor is usually a thermistor; often mounted in a hole in the battery tray. A thermistor's electrical resistance drops as its temperature increases. As the battery and sensor get warmer, the circuit is usually designed so the computer sees a higher voltage coming from the sensor. The computer reduces the alternator's output voltage as the sensor/battery heat up.

If the thermistor burns out like an incandescent light bulb filament, then the computer should see a constant zero volts from the sensor and turn on the warning light/trouble code. However, if the thermistor is gradually degrading then its resistance may increase and always be too high; causing the voltage signal read by the computer to always be too low. The low voltage signal makes the computer incorrectly think the battery is colder than it actually is and unnecessarily increase alternator output. The battery might be overcharged and possibly damaged if signals from other sensors do not warn the computer that something is wrong with charging system.

The thermistor's resistance might also appear unnecessarily high if a layer of debris collects between the battery and the sensor, acting as thermal insulation between the two. Corrosion in the sensor's electrical connector can increase the thermistor's total electrical resistance as well. Cleaning the battery tray and the electrical connector for the Battery Temperature Sensor is good preventative maintenance and may improve the accuracy of the voltage signals the computer gets from the sensor.

If the warning light/trouble code persists after the sensor is cleaned, then replacing the Battery Temperature Sensor is often easy; pop the sensor out of its mounting hole and disconnect its electrical connector. Find new Battery Temperature Sensors for your specific vehicle under "Electrical" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

I recently came across this 1979 Plymouth Trail Duster. Technically, it is the lesser known twin of the Dodge Ramcharger, built in small numbers between 1974 and 1981. Therefore, it is very rare nowadays, so when I found this one, I bought it right away. The Plymouth is mostly matching numbers, painted in “Teal Frost” with (somewhat) color-keyed interior. It has four wheel drive and is powered by the optional 360cid V8 engine. The km/h speedometer suggests it was first delivered to either Canada or Europe.

Unfortunately, many parts got lost over the years – and others, which do not really belong there, were added. So, as with my previous project cars, I knew that there would be a lot of work involved in bringing this Plymouth back to its OEM-style glory. Luckily, RockAuto was there to supply me with all parts needed, from belts to switches, to relays amd spare tire mounts - you name it. With seamless and super fast delivery, even across the Atlantic Ocean.

I cannot wait to take that convertible steel top off soon!

Tobi in Austria

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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! For submission instructions and tips for taking pictures of your car, please visit our Photography Tips & Submission Info page

Which vehicle was the last to be sold with a four-barrel carburetor in the United States?

Answer: A. The 1990 Chevy Caprice/Olds Custom Cruiser/ Buick Estate Wagon/Cadillac Brougham equipped with the 307cid V8 topped with a Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. (source: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/07/29/just-how-long-did-the-carburetor-hold-out-against-fuel-injection-in-passenger-vehicles)

B. The 1991 Land Rover Range Rover with a 3.9L V8 pulling fuel through a Holley 4150 four-barrel carburetor.

C. The 1993 Dodge Ramcharger powered by a 360cid V8 fed by a Carter Thermoquad carburetor.


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