Is Your Car's Air Conditioning System Ready For Summer?

RockAuto has recently added GPD A/C Compressor and Component Kits to the catalog. These GPD “Do It Right the First Time” kits include all of the parts necessary to successfully complete the repair.

As each component in the A/C system is dependent on other parts of the system to operate properly, do not just replace the malfunctioning component. Use a convenient GPD Kit to completely update all the critical A/C parts. It is important that each A/C component be of the highest quality and installed in a clean, well-lubricated system in order to ensure proper operation and warranty coverage.

All GPD A/C Compressor and Component Kits include a new compressor and additional components where applicable including: o-ring seals, lubricant, an accumulator, orifice tube and/or expansion valve. Each kit is customized for the specific vehicle application, and designed to provide everything you need to make compressor repair fast, easy, and reliable.

Take the guesswork out of your next compressor repair - find the A/C Compressor & Component Kit under the “Heat & Air Conditioning” category in the RockAuto catalog.

Aquapel Glass Treatment

It is time to improve what you see through your windshield. RockAuto is now carrying Aquapel Glass Treatment, a long-lasting glass treatment that:

• Repels rain for remarkably improved vision
• Makes it easier to clear ice, snow and even dirt
• Reduces glare in the rain, especially at night
• Helps reduce water marks and fends off salt water

Aquapel Glass Treatment forms a chemical bond with the glass, which increases water repellency, causing water to bead and easily shed off the glass. The treatment can be applied in minutes to a clean, dry windshield or any exterior glass surface and lasts up to six months.

See Clearly. Drive Safely. Priced at under $4 in the RockAuto catalog, the do-it-yourself Aquapel Glass Treatment is a lower cost, effective alternative to the window treatments offered by professional auto detailers. Find Aquapel under the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab in the “Wiper & Washer" category. Aquapel Glass Treatment is a wholesaler closeout part so quantities are limited. Get them while you can!

Wiper Contest!

The $4, $3, $2, $1 Wiper Wholesaler Closeout is going strong! More than twenty truck loads of a competitor's private label Trico wipers are still being entered into inventory. Enjoy the extreme savings and have fun submitting your creative entries for the Wiper Contest:

Premium wipers make great gifts for graduations, weddings, Sweet Sixteens, dinner parties, jury duty, or to welcome new neighbors. Use them as pedestrian bridges on your model train layout or to replace your broken ceiling fan blade. Possibilities are endless and, to encourage creative thinking, we're offering RockAuto T-Shirts and RockAuto Hats for the most creative non-traditional wiper blade uses. Send a picture and description to marketing@rockauto.com by April 30th and we'll feature some of our favorites in our May newsletters.

Forum of the Month

FordFullSize.com is a forum-based website dedicated to all things Ford Truck. The forum includes areas dedicated to F-150 Generations, F-250 and F-350 General, as well as Ford SUVs and Mustangs. With an active network of members to assist in the areas of engine & performance, interior, exterior, tech and much more, you are sure to get the answer you are looking for.

If you are not already a member of FordFullSize.com, join today and become a part of a forum driven by enthusiasts!

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

In 1972, I purchased a 1966 Triumph Spitfire.  The sales price was heavily discounted simply because it needed a clutch.  Since I had become proficient at parking lot burnouts - and replacing clutches - in my 1961 Chevrolet BelAir, I figured that I had made a super shrewd deal with the Spitfire.  After purchasing a clutch disc, pressure plate, and throwout bearing, off to the garage I went.  I put the Spitfire up on jackstands and slid underneath to remove the driveshaft, transmission, and bell housing.  Hmmm.  It seemed like there were a bunch of frame members in the way.  I unbolted every bolt I could find and removed everything I could, but there was no way that I could get to all the transmission and driveshaft bolts, much less find enough room to wriggle the transmission and bell housing out. 

Now what? 

Off I went to purchase a shop manual.  Boy, was I surprised when I read the section on clutch replacement that began with, "remove the driver and passenger seat cushions, remove the carpet, and remove the transmission tunnel."  Holy smokes!  The transmission is removed from INSIDE the car.  My gearhead buddies all had a good laugh, and from that day forward, I became a firm believer in the value of a shop manual.

 
Rick in Chicago

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

Which vehicle manufacturer was the official distributor of Mercedes-Benz cars in the United States from 1957 to 1965?

A. Chrysler
B. Harley-Davidson
C. Studebaker-Packard
D. Volkswagen

Answer below

Research Those New Car Marketing Messages

The marketing describing exciting features on some new cars often makes me think twice about ever owning those cars. 22 inch wheels? Yikes, that means a set of tires for that vehicle will likely cost over $1000. Can I pay extra to have 15 inch wheels installed and save about 50% every time I buy tires over the next twenty years? Maybe I am not the intended audience since I only buy used cars, but even new car buyers often plan to keep their vehicles for ten years or more. They should research the marketing to be sure all the cool features described are something they really want.

Here is how Tenneco, OEM and parent company of Monroe and Rancho shocks, describes their new, Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CES) systems first used on some Volvo models:

“In the new Kinetic™ H2 CES system, the front anti-roll bar, rear anti-roll bar and four shock absorbers have been replaced. In their place are four double-acting hydraulic cylinders each with two integrated CES damper valves, four roll accumulators, local comfort valves, an automatic pressure maintenance unit (APMU) and interconnecting hydraulic lines.”

The engineer side of my brain thinks, “That sounds really cool!” The thrifty, do-it-yourself mechanic side of my brain thinks, “How often will I need to replace those eight integrated CES damper valves? What do they cost? How hard are they to replace? Will I ever be able to replace the system with a set of inexpensive shocks?”

Here is a sample of GM marketing:

“The Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension features magneto-rheological dampers able to detect road surfaces, then adjust the shock absorber damping rates to those surfaces almost instantly for optimal ride control. It adjusts damping by means of electromagnetic particles in the shock fluid, with the ride control achieved through the precise application of electronic current to manipulate the fluid’s consistency.”

Once again, that sounds awesome to an engineer. “Magneto-rheological dampers” rolls off the tongue almost as smoothly as “4 barrel carb.” Such an advanced system could be a feature many new Corvette owners truly want. The handling benefits might more than outweigh the costs. Some new Cadillac Escalade buyers also do their research and truly want an advanced, better handling, perhaps safer suspension system. But there are likely some Escalade buyers that are not completely aware of the suspension system choices. They might be surprised a few years down the road when they find out new shocks for their optional suspension system cost close to $300 each (at RockAuto) while the shocks for the standard Escalade suspension system they do not own start at less than $30.

The aftermarket parts manufacturers do build lower cost and often more readily available replacement options for some popular vehicles. For example, RockAuto offers Monroe Shock Absorber Conversion kits for:

• Lincoln Continental, Mark VIII, Navigator and Town Car
• Ford Expedition and Crown Victoria / Mercury Grand Marquis
• Cadillac DeVille, Eldorado, Escalade and Seville
• Buick LeSabre, Lucerne, Park Avenue and Riviera
• Oldsmobile Aurora
• Pontiac Bonneville
• Chevrolet Avalanche, Suburban and Tahoe
• GMC Yukon

Creating suspension conversion kits might get increasingly difficult as advanced suspension systems become more closely integrated with stability control, all-wheel-drive and other complex braking and drivetrain systems. It is a good idea to ask questions and do independent research whenever you hear the car salesperson or manufacturer literature wow you with high tech suspension features. What are the benefits and what are the initial and long-term costs?

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

I'm sending you some photos of my Mercury Cougar from Argentina. It is a 1981 Cougar LS 6 cylinder. I was lucky to get it in great condition. It has all of the comfort and luxury of that time period, and little by little I'm tweaking it. And thanks to you guys, I was able to find nitrogen gas shocks, door lock parts, a carburetor repair kit, and the fuel filter -- all parts that I can not purchase locally. I will definitely continue buying more parts. RockAuto was a great find! My shop is far from your country and there are so few Mercurys like mine (only four others that I know of, and mine is the only LS) that it's impossible to find anything here. I hope that you like my car and thanks for everything!

Marcelo in Argentina

© 1999-2013 RockAuto, LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto name and logo are registered trademarks of RockAuto, LLC. Manufacturer names and logos in the RockAuto catalog are trademarks of their respective companies and are used only to identify their products. All rights reserved.