Auto 7 Original Equipment Parts

RockAuto has recently added Auto 7 to the catalog. Auto 7 products are manufactured in Korea by the Original Equipment or a Tier One Manufacturer of original equipment parts for Hyundai, Kia, and GM-Daewoo vehicles. They are engineered and built to the exacting specifications of QS9000, ISO14000, and TS16949. This attention to quality ensures that every Auto 7 product provides exact fit and function each and every time.

Whether you need a Crankshaft Position Sensor for your 1999 Daewoo Nubira, a Flywheel for your Hyundai Excel, or an Idler Pulley for your 2003 Kia Sorento, check out the RockAuto catalog today for the Auto 7 parts that you need for your vehicle.

Forum of the Month

CB7Tuner.com is a large forum-based community for owners of 1990 to 1993 Honda Accords. Registering at CB7tuner.com is fast, free and easy and will give you the ability to chat with fellow CB7 owners from all over the world. If you have a specific issue, give the search box on the left a try, as your question may have already been answered! Feel free to browse through the categories before registering.

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 jessa@rockauto.com.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Years ago I had to replace the cylinder head on my Isuzu Trooper. It was mid-winter and I only had an hour or so each evening, and the weekends to work on it, so the work was very disjointed (as was my brain as you will see). I used cut up T-shirts as rags and had put some in each cylinder to keep them clean and oiled (you know what's coming). Once I torqued the head bolts and put on the belt I started turning the crank to check cam timing and got it part way around when it came to a stop. Uh-oh. I turned it the other way and again it came to a stop. Very quickly I realized there was no "clunk." And then I knew why--I had left a piece of T-shirt in one of the cylinders.

I was tempted to just remove the bolts and use the same head gasket, but just couldn't bear to re-use the gasket or to wait to get another gasket. So I got a few coat hangers and some tweezers, made some long hooks, and then spent the next hour pulling small pieces of the rag out of the spark plug hole! I pulled an entire sleeve of a T-shirt out bit by bit, eventually getting out every shred.

And no, I haven't made THAT mistake again. But, I have made plenty of others.

Lawrie in Michigan

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 awhile!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and shirt size (large or extra large) and we will mail you a RockAuto "Do it yourself?" t-shirt if we publish your story (see the t-shirts under Extras in the 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!

Automotive Trivia

What OBD II diagnostic trouble code was most often detected during vehicle emissions tests in New York City and State?

A. catalyst efficiency below a threshold
B. air/fuel too lean
C. insufficient EGR flow
D. evaporative system leak
E. O2 sensor slow response

Answer below

Emissions Test Tips

Nobody wants to breathe dirty air. Cities with poor air quality are required to have emissions tests. It is a great feeling to get that piece of paper with PASS at the top, but it cuts a do-it-yourselfer to the quick to have their beloved car labeled FAIL.

Here are four emissions test tips:

1. Keep up with vehicle maintenance. It is easier to diagnose unusual emissions parts problems if you know the basics like spark plugs, plug wires, and PCV valves are fresh. Replacing parts like oxygen sensors and fuel filters can prevent damage to more expensive parts like catalytic converters and vapor canisters. Fail an emissions test and you may have only days or a few weeks to fix the car. You might be required to take the car to one of the mechanics on the state’s approved list. It is much more pleasant to maintain a car rather than to replace parts in a panic.

2. If emissions tests are a hassle, then drive an old car! New cars usually do not need to be tested for the first one or two years. Old cars often do not need to be tested at all. For example, in Virginia and Washington State, cars no longer need to be emissions tested once they hit 25. In California and Indiana cars built before 1976 do not need testing. Cars older than 1996 are not tested in Massachusetts. It is completely your responsibility to maintain your old car unless it is seen blowing clouds of smoke.

States want to test the largest number of cars at the lowest cost. If there are relatively few old cars still on the road, then it is not worth keeping track of emissions specifications for them or buying the test equipment. 1996 was the year that OBD II (on board diagnostic II) computers became standard equipment. 1996 and newer cars are often tested by just plugging the testing station computer into the car’s computer. Testing older vehicles requires expensive dynamometers and tail pipe wands.

Testing fees are also sometimes lower for older cars. In Vancouver, British Columbia, vehicles newer than 1991 cost $45 and older vehicles cost only $23.

3. Do not get sloppy about maintenance or alter emissions systems even if you live in an area that currently does not require emissions testing. You might move or if air quality goes down then emissions testing will be required. Emissions testing was initiated while I lived in Detroit. (My very rusty Dodge passed the test just fine!) Emissions testing also has ended in some areas after air quality improved.

No matter where you live, if you sell your car, the potential buyer might want the car to past an emissions test before he buys.

4. Emissions testing stations search the computers on 1996 and newer vehicles for diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) that indicate the engine is misfiring, the fuel system pressure is out of control, there is no signal from the oxygen sensor, etc. Do not disconnect the car battery or use a scan tool to erase any trouble codes that might be lurking. That is neither a good way to prepare for the test nor a good way to cheat! It will guarantee the testing station sees too many “Not Ready” codes on the OBD II computer and the car will automatically fail the test. It may take a week of driving for the OBD II system to collect data and eliminate enough of the Not Readys.

And do not worry too much while waiting in that emissions inspection line. Even including the many “Not Ready” failures, 90% of cars typically pass their emissions test on the first try.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

I acquired this 1989 Trans Am GTA in 2007 with 112K on it. I happened to be walking by a friends garage and saw it sitting there in the condition in the second photo. I asked what the story was on it, and he told me his kid ripped it apart two and a half years earlier to rebuild the engine and repair some minor collision damage. After dad told him he wasn’t helping him pay for the restoration, he walked away from it, and there it sat collecting dust and parts. I wasn’t too interested at first at the price he was asking, and the fact that the wiring harness was sliced off at the firewall scared me. Several visits and weeks later he dropped his price by 30%. Now I was interested.

With a little research I found out the cut wires were only for the heater and cruise control. All the parts, including the cut wires and motor were with the car, so I decided to go for it. My original intent was to just flip the car, but after getting it home and cleaning it up, I couldn’t bring myself to part with it. Being a muscle car guy and not having a project car at the moment I decided to restore it myself.

Most of the parts for the restoration came from RockAuto. A/C parts, belts, brakes, brake hoses, calipers, engine mounts, engine sensors, fuel pump, master cylinder, steering components, struts, suspension bushings, universal joints, weather stripping, and more.

As you can see I think it turned out quite well.

John in New York

Share Your Hard Work
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