ADVICS, short for Advanced Intelligent Chassis Systems, is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% instant rebate on their full line of brake pads, rotors, master cylinders, wheel cylinders and brake fluid during the month of April, 2023!

ADVICS is a supplier of OE brake system components that are engineered and manufactured with industry-leading technology and innovation. With the combined experience of Aisin, Denso, and Sumitomo Electric, three of the world’s premiere automotive suppliers, ADVICS products represent the very best in Japanese quality, global vehicle expertise and environmental sustainability.

Find ADVICS brake parts for your specific vehicle in the "Brake & Wheel Hub" category of the RockAuto.com catalog. While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" next to listings to instantly save 10%!

Dash Designs is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% instant rebate throughout the month of April, 2023, on their entire line of cutpile Endura Floor Mats.

Endura floor mats are available in a range of colors to compliment every vehicle. Each mat is tailored to fit the floors of your specific car, truck, van or SUV using digital CAD/CAM technology. Endura Floor Mats are equipped with non-slip rubber nib backing and factory-compatible grommets for added security.

Whether you drive a 2022 Toyota Sienna, a 2015 Ram 1500, or a 1966 Ford Mustang, you can find floor mats that fit your vehicle in the "Interior" category of the RockAuto.com catalog. Watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" and simply add a set of Endura Floor Mats to your cart to instantly save 10%!

SKP is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% instant rebate on their new Front End Kits throughout the month of April! Worn, loose or damaged front-end suspension parts can impact vehicle safety, handling and response time on the road. SKP's Front End Kits conveniently include the most needed chassis components to repair and restore your front suspension, and ensure proper contact with the road at all times.

In addition to their new Front End Kits, SKP offers a huge variety of quality replacement auto parts for a fraction of the price of other brands. Their precision manufacturing systems, rigorous testing standards and ISO 9001 certification ensure each SKP part matches or is better than OE specifications.

While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" in the "Suspension" category of the RockAuto.com catalog for popular cars, trucks and SUVS to instantly save 10% off of RockAuto's already reliably low prices!

I was helping a friend do a routine oil change one morning, a simple and straightforward 30 minute job, or so I thought... I got the oil drained, filter replaced, and new oil into the engine. I grabbed the oil fill cap, and just as I flipped it over to screw it on, I noticed a shiny object fall into the oil fill hole on the valve cover. My heart sank. I absentmindedly had stuck the foil seal from the oil bottle into the oil fill cap and forgot to remove it before replacing the cap on the engine.

I had done oil changes dozens of times before. I could not believe what just happened! I stared at the piece of foil through the small oil fill hole. After a few attempts to fish it out, the trash only fell deeper into the cylinder head. So reluctantly, I decided the only option was to remove the valve cover. I bought a new valve cover gasket, removed the valve cover on my friend's car, and easily got the trash out. After all the reassembly it was several hours later. Lesson learned; put trash in a proper place!

Russel in Virginia

Car guys/gals can often rattle off a list of some of their vehicle's performance related features. My 1979 Chrysler 300 has dual exhaust, Carter Thermoquad 4-barrel carburetor and single valve springs with dampers. My 2014 Dodge Challenger has dual exhaust, Mopar HEMI throttle body and beehive valve springs. After hearing all that, a car guy/gal might say, "Wait a minute, what was that stuff about valve spring dampers and beehives?" Here are some of the different valve spring designs and terms you should know to help recognize the valve springs on your own engine and the standard and optional original equipment (OE) valve spring replacement choices available in the RockAuto.com catalog (found under "Engine").

Single Spring	A conventional cylindrical spring that is a uniform tube from top to bottom.
Single Spring & Damper	A cylindrical spring with a flat strip of metal coiled inside to act as a damper to help prevent excessive movement or binding of the spring when the valvetrain is stressed.
Dual Spring	A cylindrical spring with a second cylindrical spring coiled inside. The second spring can act as a damper and help properly open and close relatively heavy valves. The second spring may also help prevent the valve from crashing into the piston if the main valve spring were to ever break.
Beehive & Conical Spring	The spring tapers from a larger diameter bottom to a smaller diameter top. The beehive spring has a more pronounced tightening of the spring coil at the top. These springs may weigh less while better preventing valve float (valve fails to close all the way) which may enable the engine to perform better at higher RPM.
Spring Retainers & Keepers	Note that Valve Spring Retainers, Valve Spring Retainer Keepers and other valve related parts may be different depending on what type of valve springs your engine has because the diameter or other specifications for the springs differ.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.