ETE REMAN

RockAuto is now offering ETE REMAN automatic transmission assemblies and transfer case assemblies for a wide variety of vehicles on the road today. ETE REMAN takes OE transmissions and transfer cases and makes them better - more powerful, more reliable and more efficient. ETE Research and Development engineers analyze all transmissions and then design replacement parts which often improve upon the quality of the original component.

ETE REMAN does a complete road simulation using their proprietary dynamometer-testing program called C.A.R.S. (Computer Aided Road Simulation). Every transmission is cold and hot tested. To stand behind their products, ETE REMAN provides a no-hassle, three-year, unlimited mileage, nationwide parts and labor coverage warranty.

The $4, $3, $2, $1 Wiper Wholesaler Closeout is Bigger Than Ever!

A competitor switched suppliers for their private label wiper line and created one of the best Wholesaler Closeout bargains for RockAuto customers ever! Thousands are already in inventory. Thousands have been sold. More are coming!

First-quality wiper blades and refills made by Trico, including the latest "beam-style" blades and specialty products like Winter and Teflon blades, are available priced under $4. Many cost less than $2!

While some of these wipers normally cost over $20, we offer Teflon Shield, Neoform, and other direct fit premium wipers for less than $4 to exactly fit everything from Toyota Corollas to Jaguar XJ8s!

With Winter and Heavy Duty blades costing less than $2, it is the perfect time to replace the wipers on all your family's cars, or stock up on wipers your customers will need. As with all Wholesaler Closeouts, quantities are limited so get them while you can! Many new pallets of wipers are now off the trucks and will be available in the catalog soon. Keep checking back! Find wipers for your vehicle under "Wiper & Washer" in the RockAuto catalog.

Forum of the Month

Trans Am Country (TAC) is an online community dedicated to the preservation of all Firebird years and models. Established in 2002, TAC was built on a foundation of strong family values and respect that offers all of our members a friendly environment for learning and sharing information about these great cars. The community has active members from all over the world and is growing each day. With specialized sub-forums covering the full gamut of topics and specialties, TAC has something for every Firebird owner and enthusiast. Visit and join today, memberships are free!

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 cynthia@rockauto.com.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

The odometer of my son's 1994 Toyota Camry recently turned over 233,000 miles. Knowing the timing belt was last changed at 172,000 and that Toyota recommends replacing the belt every 60,000 miles, I ordered a timing component kit, which includes the belt, tensioner spring, water pump and idler pulley.

I removed the upper motor mount, A/C and alternator belt, power steering belt and timing cover and belt.  As part of replacing the water pump, you have to drain the cooling system.  This particular car does not have a drain valve, so you drain it by pulling the lower radiator hose.  I did that and went on to install the new water pump and the timing belt and buttoned everything back up. I had a little bit of trouble getting the timing set correctly, but after a couple false starts, the engine was running smoothly and everything was OK.

Until...

My son called the next night at 10:30 PM. "Dad, the car overheated and is by the side of the road. There is coolant everywhere!" 

To make a long story short, amongst all of the things I had to do to get the car back together, I had forgotten to move the clamp over the raised part of the radiator outlet and the hose had literally blown off! 

A couple of minutes with a pair of pliers and 1 1/2 gallons of coolant later, the Camry was back on the road, ready for another 60,000 miles.

Phil in Colorado

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 a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts 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 was unique about a "Blackout" 1942 Chevrolet?

A. High gloss black lacquer paint, tinted rear window and black sidewall tires.
B. A second headlight switch turned on the headlights but disabled all other exterior lights. A rheostat made headlight brightness adjustable.
C. No chrome anywhere on the car except for chrome plated bumpers.

Tracking Down the Suspect Fuse

Tracking down the circuit that is draining the battery gets harder if the problem is intermittent. Current drains can often be found by unplugging connectors or removing fuses and then using an ammeter or test light to bridge the disconnected electrical contacts. There is current draining away if the test light turns on or the ammeter gives an amp reading. However, disconnecting connectors or pulling fuses might also sometimes only hinder diagnosis by inadvertently making the problem temporarily go away.

This is especially true for newer, computerized cars (“newer” includes my son’s 1990 Lincoln!). Disconnecting power might reset the computer controlling a problem circuit so that the problem temporarily disappears. For example, maybe a body computer is staying on forever because it is receiving a signal that a door is still ajar. Disconnecting power to the computer or the door sensor might reset everything back to normal until the next time the offending door is opened or some other trigger reactivates the problem. Disconnecting things can delay tracking down intermittent problems on cars from almost any era. Diodes, capacitors, electromagnetic relays and other basic electronic components with problems might be temporarily “reset” if their host part is unhooked from the vehicle’s positive and/or ground connections.

Here is another method for troubleshooting battery drains. Instead of unplugging stuff and using the ammeter function on your multi-meter, leave everything hooked up and use the multi-meter’s voltmeter function set to millivolts. Voltage (V) equals current (I) multiplied by resistance (R) or V=I x R. Everything, even the best automotive wire or fuse from RockAuto, has at least some tiny resistance. R is always greater than zero. Therefore, any current (I) flowing through a fuse (with R resistance) will create a measurable voltage (V) drop across the fuse.

Remember to set the multi-meter to millivolts. The fuse’s resistance is very small so the voltage across the fuse will be small. Put the meter’s probes on the exposed ends of old style glass fuses. Put the probes on the two exposed contact points on the backs of blade fuses (see photo). If the measured millivolts are anything above zero, then current is passing through that fuse and the circuit protected by that fuse might contain the malfunctioning part that is draining the battery.

Put the probes on the two exposed contact points on the backs of blade fuses

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

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