Bosch is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive instant 15% rebate off their Workshop and HEPA Cabin Air Filters, as well as their Workshop Air Filters throughout September 2023.

Bosch Workshop Cabin Air filters are designed to offer an 80% efficiency rate in capturing dirt, dust and other environmental contaminants.

Bosch Workshop Air Filters are engineered with high-quality materials, and are 98% efficient in capturing microscopic particles and dirt.

Bosch HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) Cabin Air Filters trap 99.97% of airborne pollutants including mold, dust, allergens and harmful bacteria. HEPA Cabin Air Filters are comprised of three layers that provide outstanding filtering efficiency for the cleanest air possible:

• Support Layer – A hard layer designed to support and protect the media on the surface of the filter
• HEPA Layer – Designed to trap microscopic pollutants, including pollen, mold and common allergens
• Cotton Layer – Included to improve the particle-holding capacity as well as prolonging the life of the filter

Find Bosch filters for your specific car or truck in the "Heat & Air Conditioning” and “Fuel & Air" categories of the RockAuto.com catalog. Watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" then simply add qualifying Bosch Filters to your cart and instantly save 15%!

KYB is currently offering a rebate on select Shocks, Struts, and Shock / Strut Coil Spring Assemblies! Now through November 2023, buy four qualifying KYB Shocks, two qualifying Shock / Strut Coil Spring Assemblies or two qualifying Struts with two Strut Mounts and receive a pre-paid MasterCard for $50! KYB ride control products are vehicle specific and designed to restore or improve upon the original ride quality of the vehicle. Find KYB parts for your car, SUV or truck under the "Suspension" category in the RockAuto.com catalog.

While shopping, watch for the next to the part names to help you save even more on RockAuto’s reliably low prices!

My son was gifted a well-used 2003 Ford F-250. He was planning on driving it roughly 600 miles to college in the fall so I thought a little preventive maintenance would be in order. After changing the oil and filter, I decided to tackle the spark plugs. On that V8, it made sense to remove the fuel rails to give better access to the rear plugs. After removing the rails, I noticed the openings where the fuel injectors were, and I knew I didn't want any dirt or debris to fall into the openings. I inserted golf tees into each of the eight injector ports. They were a perfect fit!

Things were going well...until I accidentally bumped one of the tees with my elbow. It fell directly into the opening for the spark plug that I had just removed and settled in the cylinder on top of the piston. After several hours of colorful language and trying to remove it with a vacuum, compressed air, a rod with a piece of sticky gum on the end, etc., I was finally able to grab it with one of those long flexible three jaw grabbers while using a mirror and flashlight. The trick was to grab the very end of it because grabbing the middle wouldn't let it pass through the spark plug opening. Upon successfully removing it, my wife immediately grabbed the tee from me, threw it in the trash, and not so politely suggested that I not do that again! Next time I will use some masking tape to cover any openings.

Doug in New Jersey

I prefer analog gauges because I find that constantly changing digital numbers can be distracting. During a family trip to Yellowstone National Park in late August, I let myself get fixated on a constantly changing digital engine oil temperature readout on the dash of our 2014 Dodge Challenger (6.4L V8).

Driving up the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming, the engine oil temperature increased from 230 F (110 C) to 246 F (119 C). Was a 16 degree (F) change in engine oil temperature meaningful? What is a normal engine oil temperature these days? The needle on the car's analog coolant temperature gauge had barely moved above 215 F (102 C), so thankfully I was able to convince myself to wait to answer my engine oil temperature questions and focus instead on the beautiful scenery and the joy of roaring up a mountain in a fun car.

With most modern motors, an engine oil temperature around 220 F (104 C) is normal. It is hot enough to evaporate away water that might eventually lead to the formation of harmful acids. Most conventional engine oils should be able to withstand intermittent 250 F (121 C) temperatures while synthetic engine oils (like the oil in my Dodge's engine) can handle much higher sustained temperatures.

Find the correct Oil for your car under "Engine"

Engine oil circulating through turbochargers may frequently get up to 400 F (204 C). That makes it important to follow an engine manufacturer's recommendation to use only synthetic blend and/or full synthetic motor oil even if you still change your engine oil every 3,000 miles (4,800 km). There may be oxidation and varnish/sludge formation if conventional engine oil is heated to your specific engine's high (but normal) operating temperature. Also use the oil viscosity (0W-40, 0W-20...) recommended by the engine manufacturer. Many modern motors use engine oil like hydraulic fluid to operate various complex systems (variable engine displacement, variable valve timing...).

More closely monitor your own engine's temperatures, pressures, air/fuel ratios and more with gauges found in the RockAuto.com catalog under the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab in the "Interior" and then "Gauge" section. Most gauges are analog which makes it harder to obsess over minor, 16 degree (F) changes in temperature, but some digital number readout gauges are available in the catalog too!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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