Blog Car Parts

We tend not to think about parts like an oxygen sensor until our check engine light comes on, and really why would we? If we knew a bit more about the importance of an O2 sensor when it comes to the performance of our vehicle we may feel differently. Sometimes referred to as an air fuel ratio sensor, oxygen sensors play an important role in fine-tuning an optimum air fuel ratio. At any given moment your oxygen sensors will determine whether or not your air fuel ratio is lean or rich. A faulty oxygen sensor can translate into lower than normal MPG… a side-effect any of us can ill afford. Allowing an old O2 sensor’s signal to continue to slow will result in decreased acceleration and overall performance. Vehicle emission control is another area where oxygen sensors play a crucial role.

You can find many original equipment as well as aftermarket options when searching for an O2 sensor for your vehicle. Remember that your vehicle may have several different oxygen sensors. Common names for these sensors include pre-cat, post-cat, bank1 sensor1 among others. Before speaking with your oxygen sensor vendor, be sure you’ve done your homework so you’ll know exactly which sensor you need.

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.”

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.

Now that we have an idea of the role an AC compressor plays, let’s have a look at the AC condenser.  If you have ever seeing an air conditioning condenser you might have mistaken it for your car’s radiator. This is common and not surprising at at all considering the job of an Air Conditioner condenser is same as the car radiator.

The AC Condenser’s sole job is to remove the heat from the super heated refrigerant, similar to how the radiator removes the heat from the engine coolant. The AC Condenser has intricate bends and folds which pull heat out of the refrigerant as it passes through. The peculiar turns the refrigerant takes through the nooks and crannies of the ac condenser combined with outside air removes heat from the refrigerant.

The removal of heat results in a change of state in the refrigerant. When the refrigerant initially entered the ac condenser, it was a super compressed and super heated gas. When the refrigerant leaves the AC condenser, it has been cooled down enough to change states from gas to liquid upon exiting.

Air Conditioning Condenser

In general, a “neighborhood” mechanic understands how the car engine works and by extension, the role a radiator, a water pump, or an oxygen sensor. What I am noticing is a car’s ac system is not general car knowledge. So here is part one of a series on car air conditioning.

This time around, I will keep it simple and answer the following question – what is auto ac?

Auto air conditioning is a combination of the following 7 components. I will go over each one in greater detail in subsequent posts.

1. AC Compressor

2. AC Condenser

3. Orifice Tube

4. AC Evaporator

5. AC Receiver / Drier

6. AC Lines & Hoses

7. AC Blower Motor

So this is a tough one. I had someone who had a computer code claiming the Mass Air Flow Meter was not working properly. The question was can it be repaired or does it have to be replaced. The answer is yes it can be repaired, but probably not by you.

The mass air flow meter detects the amount and type of air coming into the engine. In conjuction with other sensors it determines the correct amount of fuel to send to the engine. By constantly detecting this ratio and adjusting to it, the car can increase horsepower and mpg.

Because it does so much work and is all electronic sensors, you would need some pretty spiffy machines to repair it. There are a few companies who do the repair, so I think you are better off buying one and doing the install yourself. Typically a pretty straight forward install depending on where it is located.

Best new auto parts website I have found? Actually found on my iPhone. Car Parts Warehouse have released their new Car Parts Mobile Website. Great site to check out a full selection of auto parts. Best of all, its easy to navigate on your iPhone or Blackberrry. No long delays in downloading or difficulty trying to read the text.

The question is, is this the future of car parts buying? The answer is somewhat. No one is going to give up their desktop for their iPhone, but plenty will be searching on the go. Until they develop fold out LCD screen, this will have an important place in automotive repair. You will have to have bookmarked some of these sites in case of emergency.

Especially if you are stranded somewhere then this will really be helpful. Trying to find a Drive Axle or Timing belt on the side of the road will require such searching.

Anyone out there have another good mobiel auto parts site?

Auto parts warranties can be a conundrum to many consumers.  When it comes to a car parts, the warranty is just as important as price.  Of course, it would be ideal to get the cheapest autopart with the best warranty but that is simply utopic.

First key distinction all consumers must make is the difference between a PART warranty and a LABOR warranty.  99% percent of the time the party selling you the auto part will only cover the part.  Conversely, the party covering the labor is responsible for the labor performed on your car.  Since we are talking about auto parts specifically, here are some detailed pointers

1.  Check the length of the warranty – Naturally, longer the better.

2.  Check what the warranty actually covers – does it cover the car part only or shipping too? If yes, is shipping covered both ways?

3.  Check the turn around time – meaning, if the part goes wrong, is there an option to send you an immediate replacement or do you have to wait 2-3 weeks for your defective part to be fixed?

Remember any of the above 3 rules will make up for a slightly cheaper price elsewhere (read: shipping).  In this economy, times are hardly utopic which is all the more reason to make smart, well researched decisions.

Let’s reflect on the current state of car companies.  BMW, MB, Audi, VW – hanging on, sort of.  Chrysler/Dodge, GMC/Chevy – Chapter 11.  Ford- busy dodging Chapter 11.  Honda – 1/3 of their sales vanished into the economy.  Toyota – fired CEO last month.  Mitsubishi – what’s that?

Is there any car company not in shambles?  Enter Korea, specifically Hyundai and their cousin company, Kia.  If you are like me, these names in the last decade caused gag reflexes akin to an infant being fed broccoli.  Consider this, Hyundai has actually increased a third of their market share even though they are selling LESS vehicles than last year.  A lot of credit  goes to the incentives marketed towards the economy.  But its easy to overlook the newly developed full size rear wheel drive platform, Genesis.

To put it in perspective, riddle me this – what do Audi, VW, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Saab, and Volvo all have in common?  None of them currently have a full size RWD platform.  This means no full size pick up truck, no full size RWD sedan, no RWD coupe, no room for growth.  Hyundai, on the other hand, launched the sedan, debuted the coupe, and I will bet my money on a Hyundai pick up truck before The Chosen One leaves office.

It’s time to take Hyundai seriously.  They’ve always had the best warranty in the business; now its coupled with exciting hardware choices and abundant Hyundai parts.  Production costs are lower in Korea versus Japan, US, Mexico, Canada, & Germany – not to mention the exchange rate advantage in Korea.  Come to think of it, Hyundai doesn’t sound half bad.  It is a good product and given the chance, you’ll like it – just like broccoli.

In the midst of the economic downturn I’m getting lots of questions about finding deals on auto parts. Alot of companies are offering cheap take offs (read: used) and why shouldn’t I buy those? The answer is all about labor and driveability.

If you get a bumper of door handle used and its not the right one, or doesn’t fit, its not a big deal. You can easily return those and still drive the car. If you get a faulty AC Compressor and it doesn’t work, you are out $300 in install fees plus the car will not drive.

So the answer is to go with New for things like A/C Compressors but used for body or accessory parts. Something like a steering rack or turbocharger, where there is no new, its best to go with a quality remanufactured unit. Something with a Next Day Air replacement warranty. Your car is going no where without a good steering rack, so better make it good.

So always consider the ‘what if’ scenarios. Car parts are wrong and fail higher than you know. Cut corners very carefully or it will cost more later.