Blog Car Parts

When installing a new Fuel pump on your vehicle, determining the correct wiring combination during installation can be misleading.  Determining the correct combination can be tricky because the wires on both your new fuel pump assembly and your vehicle’s wiring harness may not match up perfectly.  This is perfectly normal as many makes of a fuel pump module can be compatible with a vehicle and there is no universal wiring set-up for them to follow.   The following diagram will be of use to you to figure out your wiring combination once you have removed your old fuel pump assembly.  Wiring combinations can vary and are based off of wire gauge (thick or thin wiring) and wire color and design (ie: black colored wire with a white stripe).  Once you have figured out your wiring combination, you will need to remove your old electrical connector on your wiring harness.  Then cut, splice, crimp and tape the four wires as needed for the installation of your new fuel pump to be successful. 

If the wire color and design on your wiring harness does not match any of the displayed combinations you can use the following chart as a reference to properly wire your new fuel pump.

Suppliers beyond a dealership will typically offer more than one version of car parts in regards to where or how it was manufactured.   Most parts, from a Power Steering Rack to a Fuel Pump, have an aftermarket version available.  However, consumers can feel pressure from the car dealership to purchase “their part” or the OEM, because it is the original part for your car.  While most other suppliers tend to carry OEM car parts, they also do offer the same part not from the original manufacturer.  These parts are referred to as “aftermarket” car parts.  “Aftermarket” parts are car parts that are made available to the public after a car is officially available and being sold through car dealerships.  These parts are typically an exact replica of the OEM part.  In fact, it can be hard to differentiate aftermarket and OEM parts side by side as they fit and operate on a vehicle the same.  They are usually less expensive to purchase and can be a better option than the OEM with their quality as well.  

It is important to understand that aftermarket parts can be a really great option for your vehicle beyond what others may tell you.  In many situations, aftermarket parts are even of better quality than OEM parts and will carry the same warranty as OEM parts, ultimately benefiting the customer.

When replacing car parts on your automobile, you typically have the choice to either purchase auto parts directly from a dealership or from an outside supplier.  Whether you may need new Mercedes Benz parts or any other part tailored to your vehicle, OEM parts are a decent option to when looking for new parts.  In example, the Honda dealership will sell a Honda Civic Wheel Hub Assembly with their name on it.  Honda is offering a replacement part that is the same original brand and part that came with the vehicle from the dealership, known as the OEM, or “original part manufacturer” part.  Original manufacturer parts are the parts that originally come with a vehicle when it is bought new at a car dealership.  However, in most cases, these parts are not manufactured by the actual auto company.  Instead, they are manufactured from a manufacturer that may specialize in that part. The auto company then re-packages that part so it can be sold at dealerships and associated with the car brand as its official part.  Car dealerships will normally sell these OEM at very high prices.  But, these same OEM parts for all auto companies can also be purchased from retail and wholesalers at a discounted rate. 

Check back next week for a thought on “aftermarket” car parts…

A/C Expansion Devices: The Difference between an auto air conditioning Orifice Tube  and an auto air conditioning Expansion Valve

The expansion device is a small but important part of all auto ac compressor kits. The purpose of an Expansion Device for a vehicle’s Air Conditioning System is to control the difference in high pressure and low pressure in the system and ultimately to prevent moisture from freezing on the evaporator. This is important because moisture freezing on your Evaporator can likely lead to A/C Compressor failure or malfunction. The common two types of Expansion Devices used with A/C Systems are Orifice Tubes and Thermostatic Expansion Valves. Both of these act as a control device between the high and low pressure of the system, but are definitely different in execution.

An auto air conditioning Orifice Tube is a commonly used Expansion Device that uses its tube diameter to transfer refrigerant to the evaporator. However, the Orifice Tube, itself, does not actually manipulate the amount of refrigerant entering the Evaporator. Instead, when using an Orifice Tube, refrigerant flow is fixed at all times and the compressor will take the refrigerant flow into its control. The compressor will engage and disengage to control refrigerant flow in the system based on the demand for cool air in the vehicle.

A Thermostatic Expansion Valve is another common Expansion Device which sometimes has a “Block” look rather than a tube appearance. Unlike the Orifice Tube, an auto air conditioning Expansion Valve, itself, actually adjusts the flow of refrigerant to the Evaporator based on the demand for cool air in the vehicle. The Thermostatic Expansion Valve is very accurate in refrigerant control for your system as it uses a metered system to ensure exact refrigerant flow based off of the demand for A/C.

Honda has grown into one of the largest auto companies worldwide for the great value that it offers its customers.  However, one of Honda’s biggest downfalls has been the quality of the Honda CRV A/C Compressor and the entire system.  The  Honda CRV A/C system has been noted as one of the worst A/C systems in a car because of the poor quality of the parts included in the system.

Typically, when repairing an A/C System in an automobile, one needs to completely flush the A/C system before installation and then replace both the Honda A/C Compressor and Accumulator/Drier.  The Accumulator/Drier is necessary to be replaced with the Compressor as it acts as a clean filter and it prevents the new compressor from being contaminated with debris that was in the old A/C system.  However, the Honda CRV system has  been notorious for getting clogged in all parts of the A/C System with what has been referred to as “Black Death.”  More importantly, when replacing a compressor on a CRV, one needs to prepare themselves for the proper repair of the system beyond the installation of a simple Accumulator/Drier.

The best solution to preventing “Black Death” from entering your Honda CRV’s A/C System is through a proper flush and installation of the following new A/C components:

1. Compressor

2. Condenser (with Drier attached)

3. Expansion Device

4. Evaporator

5. System Seal Kit

6. System Oil

7. Both low side and high side AC Hoses.

Honda continues to struggle to hold the CRV’s A/C System credibility.  Ultimately, there is no simple answer to the Honda CRV A/C System problem.  However, consumer awareness to the problem and proper repair to your CRV’s A/C system is the most logical solution to the “Black Death.”

The ‘Conspiracy’ title might be premature considering the verdict is still out as federal and Toyota’s own investigations are in process.  Great time to hypothesize.  Let’s identify the players – Toyota – more specifically, Toyota parts and the US federal government – more specifically, GMC.  By GMC, I am not referring to the General Motors of yesteryear but Government Motors of today.

Let’s dissect the context of both parties.  GMC is formerly the largest auto maker (by volume) in the world.  No longer the case following the bankruptcy.  The result? US government owns a good chunk of GMC and oversees ops.  Result #2 – guess who overtook GMC as the largest auto maker in the world? Toyota.

Examining the pre bankruptcy era is interesting.  There are many reasons why GMC went under.  Maybe it was the 13 some odd number of GMC owned brands of cars (Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade).  Maybe it was the union contracts.  Maybe it was GMC’s strong dislike for building fuel efficient ‘green vehicles.’  Regardless, GMC was sloppy.

Contrast with Toyota – Has 3 car brands (Scion, Toyota, Lexus), not 13.  Cadillac has been around since prohibition came and went yet it never became a prominent luxury marquee.  Lexus, within its first two decades, surpassed both BMW and Mercedes and became the largest luxury car maker in the US by volume (rest of the world is a little skeptical of the ‘luxury car’ concept).  The real break through was the investment into the hybrid drivetrain which GM could have easily done.  In fact, even after watching Prius sales soar, after Honda, Nissan, and Ford’s adoption of hybrid technology, GMC sat there rebadging the same vehicle a dozen times over.

To add insult over injury, Scion by Toyota is the same business model GMC attempted (and failed) twice.  Once with the namesake Geo and again with Saturn.  Small cars for young people with small budgets.  Sound familiar?

Fast forward to 2010, the year when people forgot the neutral gear.  GMC is owned by the Fed and Toyota is (and has been) killing GMC sales.  Usually, this would be capitalism meets Darwinism at its best.  However, corporations don’t have FBI, CIA, and SWAT teams on tap.  GMC does.  Could there be a more perfect storm for GMC right now?

Toyota makes a possible mistake and issues a recall.  Big whoop, recalls happen all the time.  Nissan, Honda, Acura, Chevrolet, Ford, and others have issued recalls affecting tens of millions of car owners in the past 5 years alone.  Ford issued a recall on their best selling vehicle, the F15o.  Why? Because it lit itself on fire and burned homes to the ground.  Toyota gets a lame gas pedal, the response – CONGRESSIONAL HEARING.  Some 60+ year old can’t put his Prius in neutral in San Diego, the response – FEDERAL AGENTS SENT TO INVESTIGATE.

Lesser known fact – Denso is a Toyota owned parts supplier, similar to what Delphi is to GMC.  Last week, their California offices were raided by FBI, assisted by full SWAT teams.  The reason? Denso’s oxygen sensor design might have questionable patents.  Steve Jobs WISHES Apple was owned by the Fed so he could send the FBI and SWAT charging into Google, HTC, and Adobe.

Worst case scenario, we find out Toyota used subpar gas pedals.  Ironically enough, this is the FIRST TIME Toyota has used a North American parts supplier.  However, it is naive to think the Federal government is not using this to their advantage.  Guess that is what happens when the Federal Government picks up the leftovers of a sloppy situation.

Either that, or Tiger Woods orchestrated the whole Prius fiasco to get the press off him.  It’s working.

Companies such as Nissan, GM, and Jaguar are synonymous with superchargers.  Garrett turbo, Holset turbo, and Borg Warner turbo are at the forefront of turbocharger technology.  To understand the difference between the two glorified compressors, it is important to know the function of a turbocharger and a supercharger.  Both are forms of forced induction.  Both force air into the engine to achieve what we all want and crave – more power.

The supercharger can be powered by a belt, gear, shaft, or chain.  There are quite a few different types of superchargers but the take-away point is this – a supercharger is connected to the crankshaft.  Meaning, a supercharger is always driven by the car’s engine.

A turbo does the same job as the supercharger – force more air into the car’s engine to make more power.  However, a turbo uses a turbine and is NOT connected to the crankshaft.  Instead of the engine, the turbo gets driven by the car’s exhaust gases.

The advantages and disadvantages are obvious.  Supercharger, being attached at the crankshaft, equals less efficiency – more fuel to power it.  With a turbo, you don’t affect efficiency because it is exhaust driven – no additional stress on the engine.  However, you deal with turbo lag.  With a supercharger, you get the benefits of forced induction from the very beginning.  With turbo, you have to wait til it “kicks in.”

It is important to note advances in both supercharger and turbo technologies are making great progress.  New turbos have all but eliminated turbo lag and there are highly efficient superchargers on the market as well.

Audi TT Turbo

Mercedes SLK Supercharger

What is a wheel hub bearing? Why do I care? A wheel hub bearing is the ONLY part connecting the body of the car to the wheels. It is apparent in the definition what makes the wheel hub a part of great importance.   IT IS THE ONLY THING CONNECTING YOUR CAR TO THE WHEELS! Suprisingly, it is often overlooked because the symptoms of a worn wheel bearing are similar to those of worn brakes, rotors, pads, etc. The result is an over diagnosis of brake / strut issues and the under diagnosis of the wheel hub bearing.

The average American spends over a quarter million dollars on his/her car(s) in a lifetime. A major chunk of this amount goes to car repair and maintenance costs. The current generation’s mentality towards car repair and maintenance is “will take care of it as it happens.” The passive mentality results in very little mechanical knowledge about the important parts which run the car. The wheel hub bearing is one of the most overlooked car parts, especially for the average car user.

The current trend in car parts is moving towards a complete wheel hub assembly design. The traditional wheel hub is a simple bearing where the body of the car attaches to the wheel of the car. The newer design which gained popularity in the current decade is a complete assembly of the wheel hub. It includes the wheel hub itself, the bearing, the lugs, and the ABS braking sensor. This is an all-in-one unit which is more efficient in performace and a breeze to replace without the need of a mechanic.

It is equally important to understand the symptoms of a worn wheel hub assembly. First and foremost is the noise coming directly from the wheel hub. If a single bearing is off, the whole wheel hub assembly needs to be replaced. And when a single bearing is off, you can hear the whining noise. If the noise is not caught, there will also be a slipping or catching in the wheel. This is a classic sign of a damaged wheel hub. Some of the newer cars have sensors to monitor the slipping and noise and will send an error code to the computer. A general rule of thumb, if your car has around 90,000 miles, it is time to check the wheel hub bearing.

As a consumer, it is imperative to know the above information for a few reasons. One, you can diagnose your own wheel hub issue without spending time and money with the mechanic. Unless you have a trusted mechanic, self diagnosis closes the door on additional, unnecessary, and fictitious repairs vouched for by the mechanic. This also gives you the ability to negotiate labor hours knowing how easy the job is. Moreover, you can evev do the job yourself now that you know how easy it is.

A final review of the auto ac parts covered – Air Conditioning Expansion Device, Air Conditioning Receiver Drier, AC compressor, AC evaporator, AC Condenser.

-The AC Compressor – superheats and pumps the refrigerant throughout the AC system.  This superheated gas is sent to the condenser.

-The AC Condenser -  cools like the superheated gas and turns it into a liquid.  The refrigerant is now sent to the orifice tube.

-The AC Orifice Tube -  reduces the refrigerant’s pressure and supercools the liquid before sending it to the evaporator.

-The AC evaporator – transfers the heat from the cabin into the refrigerant and turning to back into gas.  The cycle is complete.

Thus far we have covered the following auto ac parts :

1. Air Conditioning Compressor

2. Air Conditioning Condenser

3. Air Conditioning Expansion Device

If you are just now jumping into the conversation, I strongly recommend reading Parts 1-4.  The topic of discussion today is the air conditioning evaporator.  The ac evaporator is the first part to interact directly with the car cabin. It acts as the cabin heat exchanger.  The evaporator aids the cabin air in transfering heat into the refrigerant.  Ultimately, the evaporator also provides another change of state in the refrigerant, this time from liquid to gas.

When the supercooled refrigerant passes through the evaporator, the blower motor forces the passenger cabin air across the refrigerant coils and transfers the heat into the refrigerant. This superheats the liquid to a boiling point and turns the refrigerant from a liquid back into a gas.

Air Conditioning Evaporator