Blog Car Parts

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Hopefully you take some time in the middle of this crazy world to appreciate what is important.

Peace be with you and we look forward to a bright and exciting 2009.

So its been pouring rain here the last few days, and probably raining or snowing where you are at. Seems like everyone is getting hit currently. One of the things that I noticed about cars and drivers during the storm is how bad their braking system and probably their brake calipers are. This is a crucial auto part during wet conditions.

There are a number of components to good braking. You need to have a good brake master cylinder, a good caliper, good disc and good brake pads. All of these things contribute to having strong braking. Most people know to change the discs and pads, those are standard maintenance. Most people don’t know that unless the caliper clamps down on that pad and disc securely, the brakes aren’t that good. This is the hydraulic part of brakes. Most cars only have marginal calipers.

Have you ever pressed down on the brake pedal only to not have much happen? Eventually your are pressing down on it with 2 feet as hard as possible. This is a clear cut problem in the hydraulic system. Either the master cylinder, caliper, or you have a leak in the hoses. This seems to be most noticeable in the wet conditions when you drive more. If you are having any problem like this, get them checked asap.

Yes, living in California has yet another additional cost. If you need to replace your catalytic converter and you live in California, you will have to buy a special one.

The state air board requires cats sold in california to meet certain requirements. That means you need to buy a ‘50 State Legal’ cat, meaning it is okay to be used in California. Even though the vehicle will run fine, you risk not passing a smog test, and it is against the law.

Most other states can get away with less expensive catalytic Converters and even try some used ones. You need to check with your state. New York and most of New England are usually right behind California.

The other thing to know is ‘california emissions’. This means that even though you are somewhere else, the vehicle left the factory with a California emissions package. Maybe they didn’t need that many and then sold them elsewhere. In this case you will also need to the 50 state legal model, otherwise your vehicle may not work correctly. Often the O2 Sensor and computer are set to use this cat.

You can call Buy Auto Parts at 1-888-907-7225, they have all of cats available. You’ll want to specify california or not. Also ask them about a package with new O2 sensors. Those should be changed with the cat.

One of the more common problems I’m hearing about is involving late model GM wheel hub. Particularly the Chevy Silverado wheel hub.

I’m not sure if it is related, but most of these wheel hubs have electrical connections on them. This is typically the ABS speed sensor and i’m not sure if they are the problem, but they have to have some part. These did not have this much problem before.

The good news is that these are now available in the aftermarket for relatively cheap. You can now pick these up $65-$115 each with the electrical connector included. The other good news is that these are a basic install. Removing the tire will give you easy access. The hardest part is getting the brakes back on properly. (don’t guess, brakes are important).

As you may have noticed, we have had some technical difficulties over the last few weeks. Not to worry, we are back on track. I think our servers got too excited over all the SEMA pictures we had.

Some SEMA pics to check out. The show was very entertaining and very busy. I have some pictures for you. I’ll get into more details.

A new report by traffic information company INRIX highlights how fuel prices influence consumer driving patterns, congestion and public transit use and how to predict such changes for the future.

The INRIX National Traffic Scorecard Special Report takes an aggregate analysis of fuel prices, traffic congestion and an open survey of consumer opinions to create a predictive model for driving patterns. These results make implications that could potentially aid specialty-equipment manufacturers in developing strategies to understand fuel prices and their impact, ultimately selling car parts more suited to the market.

The study found that traffic congestion fell significantly during the first half of 2008, but was less dramatic in dense urban cities, such as New York City, Washington D.C. and Chicago. Nearly two-thirds of consumers changed driving behaviors. Of those, 69% took fewer driving trips; 34% made shorter trips; 9% carpooled; 8% began riding bikes or motorcycles; and 7% used public transportation.

In SEMA-conducted surveys, the results were similar. The most common strategies used to cope with high fuel prices were to drive less, combine errands or reduce recreational trips. The INRIX study showed a $4.50-per-gallon tipping point for road trips and leisurely driving with general consumers claiming they would significantly reduce the frequency of trips at this level.

Fuel prices are beginning to drop to lower levels, but in the instance that they begin to rise again, this level should be watched. When enthusiasts do drive, 64% claimed to change their driving habits.

“Although we can’t predict the future price of fuel, we can predict the potential impacts to traffic congestion,” notes Bryan Mistele, INRIX founder and CEO. “As a whole, the population appears to have made lasting changes to their behavior, which we expect to persist at some level even if gas prices revert to pre-2007 levels.”

The top cities with a negative correlation between fuel prices and traffic flow include Atlanta, Miami, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Springfield (Massachusetts), Daytona Beach, Orlando, Memphis, Charlotte and Riverside (California). Commuters in these cities reacted the most significantly as fuel prices increased.

Two other noteworthy details spring from this study. Atlanta, which topped the list, had a large swell of public transportation use. In order to meet the expanded demand, the city absorbed the rush by greatly expanding the capacity of public parking lots. In cities that heavily depend on vacation or leisure travel, such as Miami and Las Vegas, the decline in traffic congestion was attributed to fewer families being able to visit these destinations.

With any dominant social shift in behavior or spending fluctuations come consequential changes in the retail markets. Studies are suggesting that consumers are beginning to transform the way they view transportation and manufacturers of custom auto parts and accessories need to stay abreast of such shifts in order to stay competitive.

I always get questions about Automotive A/C Compressor Electrical connections. What wire is ground? What wire is power? Plug changing? and so on and so on.

The first thing to know is that every manufacturer is different. Sanden ac compressor almost always has 2 wires coming out of the clutch coil. The question is always which is ground and which is power. The answer is that is doesn’t matter. Its just a loop, so you can power either one. This is true of almost all 12 volt systems. 24 volt for industrial applications will need to be looked at individually.

Many manufacturers like Visteon, Denso and Delphi use hard mounted plugs. See the picture below. This Ford AC Compressor made by Visteon has a fixed plug on it. You can see it just next to the belt. You will need to replace with the identical one. No getting around this. They do make some adapters, but you are pushing it at that point. They better have been tested to work on that application.

Most compressors come without the correct plug, this is an easy swap. Just cut the wires and swap the plug over.

What is the first thing you look at when you get to SEMA? Do you start with the Ford, GM and other car makers booths? Spend some time outside looking at all of the muscle car and specialty stuff? Perhaps going through all the electronics? Maybe checking out a pair of 22’s!

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You know the first question; How many diesel fuel injector do I need? The follow ups are pretty straight forward too. Reman or new? Can I buy high performance versions?

The answer is yes, you need 1 per cylinder and you should change them all at the same time. So a V8 engine will need eight fuel injectors. No way around this one, changing one is just not worth it. I recommend new if the price is within $40 each. If higher than that, you might try a quality rebuilt unit, but be careful, alot of junk out there.

Be sure to check the diesel injection pump and the diesel supply pump for good flow. They may be the cause of the problem. The VP44 pump on Dodge Cummins diesels is notoriously bad. These are not cheap, so make sure you know the problem before replacing.

There are options of high performance versions on many injectors. The Dodge 5.9L you can buy high flow injectors that can improve performance. I would recommend adding these with a high performance diesel turbocharger. That way you get both air and fuel increased at the same time. Thats the best way for performance.