The Truth About Auto Parts

During auto repairs it is one of those times when all logic goes out the window. It doesn't matter if it be your wheel bearing assembly, wheel hub assembly or even the turbo we all get a little out of whack when our car is not working. Car repairs are usually not something we have planned on and they end up costing a lot more than we expect.

Nowadays the first place we head for finding auto parts is the internet but what seems like a good deal may not be so good in the long run. Dealerships make the statement "no aftermarket parts will work no matter what you do" this of course is a lie. There are plenty of good aftermarket parts that are great replacement parts from many companies out there. Many times the dealership themselves will be selling parts that are considered aftermarket. All auto parts have a failure rate associated with them...from new OEM and aftermarket to Remanufactured parts they all have risks. Every part has a certain % of the parts that will fail no matter who does the install. That said there are steps that can be taken to avoid failures not related to this percentage.

Having replacement parts installed properly is a huge factor in the life of the part. While your mechanic down the street may be a good guy and your friend you have known of many years, it does not mean he knows every repair. Over the past decade alone the technology in vehicles has gone from being so basic that a child could build them to the point that a rocket scientist would have to take a step back. While your mechanic may have been working on cars for 30 years think of what a 1981 Buick really has in common with a 2012 Mercedez Benz.

The quality of an installed part plays a huge impact on the life of the part but it is not the only factor. Most parts now are built in Asia including many OEM parts and a lot of people will say "that's cheap Chinese crap" but the truth is you can buy cheap or quality from anywhere. What a part buyer will need to pay attention to is the quality standards of the seller and the quality of the installer. If a turbo is installed incorrectly or all the prep work is not does not matter if the unit is the best that Borg Warner has to offer it will fail. DO the research and read the reviews of a part or a company, if they sell cheaply made parts then they wont be around long.

Tight Steering After a Rack Install

Recently the vehicle you drive had a leaking steering rack and it is leaving puddles everywhere you go. You think to your self "great! how much is this gonna cost?" so you find the power rack or power gearbox that you need online for a good price. The install goes well and the mechanic stands behind his work but the car is really hard to turn.  This must mean the part is bad...it is the only new part to the car and the old one turned fine.

After all this time and money the mechanic is telling you that the rack you ordered is bad and he will not warranty the labor cost. So now it is time call and scream at the company who sold the rack. But hold on...is there really issue tor more did the new rack that has exposed a preexisting issue. Many times an old power steering rack is loose and very easy to move, this means very little force is needed from the power steering pump. When the old worn out pump is now coupled with the new rack means that it may not make enough pressure to turn the rack. A tight rack can seem like a binding rack but it will never bind in both directions. An easy way to check for a failing pump is to rev up the motor and see if the car turns easier...if it does, you have a bad pump.

Mechanics don't care about diagnosing the issue most of the time if you bring your own parts but they are happy to charge labor again and again. Be sure that the company who is installing the part knows what they are doing and that they are good people. Every company can smile at you and act like a friend...walk onto a used car lot and you will have a new best friend till you buy a car but its all an act. Make sure the repairs to the steering system are done by a trust worthy company that can determine real issues for you.

Get Rid of that Squeal from under the Hood

There are lots of noises that come with operating a vehicle, from the hum of the fuel pump to the whine of a supercharger. The whistle of the turbocharger or the quiet roar of the tires on the pavement they are all sounds we get accustom to. The one sound that is common that most of us cannot stand is a belt squeal. The noise is created either by the belt in the groves of the pulleys in which it rides. There are a few different causes can be associated with the source of the squeal. When the sound comes after a rain or driving through a large puddle it means that some of the water has reached the back of the belt and is causing slippage which is the source of the sound.

Belt squeals are caused by the belt not being tight enough and slipping on the pulley, when the rubber of the belt slides on the pulley it causes the sound. A huge concern on this is that the belt will wear faster and could snap leaving the drive of the vehicle stranded.

Belts become loose for a few reasons in a vehicle, one is that over time the belt has stretched due to tension. Another factor can be physical movement of the belt driven part itself, all belt drive accessories are bolted to the motor on sliders. If the bolts that hold these units become loose the belt tension will lower and slippage will occur.

Belt squeals can be fixed in a number of ways, a new belt can be installed and the problem will be solved though this can be expensive at times. The more popular solution is to just simply tighten the belt, this is a simple process of loosening the bolts that hold the accessory causing the sound and moving the unit till the belt is tight. Then secure the bolts and the sound should be stopped, it is important to not over tighten the belt as too much tension can cause the belt to snap. As with all car maintenance it is important that this be done properly by someone who knows that they are doing. With proper attention a car can last well into the half million mile marker without major issues. 

Fuel System Issues

Any car can be crippled with a fuel issue and it doesn’t matter how well you care for your car. The main issue to remember it may not always be the fuel pump or fuel pump assembly that is to blame. Many people get the news that their engine is not getting enough fuel and assume a fuel pump issue. In fact most mechanics will give the old “fuel pump don’t work” but believing this can be an expensive mistake. There are many parts in the fuel system that can cause an issue from leaking to low pressure.

If the fuel pump is bad there will be no pressure coming from the pump even if the mechanic were to hook direct power to the unit. A low pressure system may be caused by a blockage in the system or even low voltage from the alternator. A major cause of fuel issues is the FPR or fuel pressure regulator which is a unit that controls the flow of fuel to the injectors. If this unit were to function incorrectly it would cause low fuel pressure at the injectors and the car would have issues running and starting.

Cracks in the fuel lines and bad seals in meeting points can cause fuel leaks that can not only cause low pressure in the fuel system but can also be dangerous due to the highly flammable nature of the fuel.  If there is a fuel leak in the system it could be caused by old dry rotted line or cracks in the system from impacts of rocks and other debris from the road.

If the issue is tracked back to the fuel pump it may be a much smaller issue than the whole pump. If the wiring has a short and cannot get the proper voltage to the pump then the electric motor cannot function at full power and will not provide the correct pressure. Sometimes the voltage sent from the alternator is just too low and cannot power the pump unit enough. In the end it is better to check out the cause of the issue then just throwing in new parts and hoping it fixes the issue.

Why Should a Visual Inspection be done on your vehicle

Car and trucks are just like people when it comes to health issues. Failure of an alternator or the starter can be seen months in advance just like the signs of a serious illness in a person. Many times the signs for a car can be seen by just taking a close look or listen.  

The tires are the first area to inspect if the tread wear is different on each tire or if the wear is strange on a single tire there may be more of an issue then the wheel itself. A strange wear pattern on a tire can indicate a bad alignment, bent control arm, bad bushing or something even worse. These issues can all be detected with a simple visual inspection which can save hundreds or thousands of dollars.

There are other areas that can be visually inspected such as the brakes or the engine itself. The brakes will show signs if there are going to be future issues, these signs can be as simple as grooving on the discs or leaking from the caliper or lines. Proper brake care is important since they are what slow the 3000lbs piece of metal that we all get around in.

When inspecting the motor it is a good idea to look at all the belts and check for extreme cracks or areas of the motor where there is oil leakage. If a belt were to snap in a motor not only will the car have to be towed to a repair shop but if it were to be the timing belt that was to snap it may destroy the motor. Leaking from gaskets in the motor is a sure sign that some attention needs to be paid to that area. Leaking of oil or coolant will eventually lead to failure if not addressed and can be very costly to the owner of the car.

There are many systems in a car and knowing what to check for can be the best preventive maintenance. Fixing an issue before it happens will always save money and time plus avoiding the headache that will inevitably follow any serious automotive breakdown. 

A Clogged Air Filter Can be a Dangerous Enemy

There are plenty of obstacles on the road in front of all of us…literally. Cars, trees, kids playing in the street and the occasional mudslide but some of the biggest ones are inside our own car. Lots of issues rob our cars of horse power and performance. Cars operate in a tolerance of everything working correctly to achieve proper mileage and performance. Wheel hub bearing must not offer too much resistance and the fuel pump must be working with enough pressure, basically everything make the car run the way it should. People tend to over looks basic maintenance and don’t realize that even the smallest thing can cause a huge issue.

Oil changes can mean the difference between a motor lasting 10K miles and 300K miles, while transmission fluid changes can extend the life of the tranny. The air filter is one of those parts that people tend to ignore but not realize what a filter can do. Think about breathing through a straw, could you run a mile like that…well that’s what your car is doing with a clogged filter. A clogged air filter robs horsepower and gas mileage and can also cause complications in high performance cars. With restricted air flow in turbocharged cars this can cause un-needed pressure fighting the turbo. This pressure can cause the oil in the turbo to leak from the unit or it can cause a loss of the proper air intake amount. This can cause incorrect combustion in the cylinders and even cause damage to the bottom end of the motor.