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RockAuto October Newsletter | Early Edition
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Another Happy Customer!
Another Happy Customer!

I have been ordering parts from RockAuto for several years. They have an awesome selection of brands with numerous options of quality and price points. RockAuto is my go to for great auto parts at a great price!

John in Indiana


Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events

Need goody bag items and a gift certificate for your show? RockAuto can help! Email marketing@rockauto.com for more information.

10 Southern Cruiser Crawl
Hot Springs, AR Email
Oct
11 Yankee Toys Fall Gathering 2019
Hancock, NH Email
Oct
12 Oriental Classic Car Show
Oriental, NC Email
Oct
12 RatRodTober Car & Bike Show
McKinney, TX Email
Oct
12 Brits at The Village Car Show
Lahaska, PA Email
Oct
12 OTC Car & Motorcycle Show
Springfield, MO Email
Oct
12 Dundee Fall Color Craft & Car Show
Campbellsport, WI Email
Oct
12 Crawlin for the Wounded
Windber, PA Email
Oct
13 Cars for Kids Automobile Show
Litchfield, CT Email
Oct
13 Turner Days Car Show
Kansas City, KS Email
Oct
19 10th Annual Bobcat Pride Cruise In
Lonedell, MO Email
Oct
19 Secret Santa Car Show
Oakwood, GA Email
Oct
19 Truck'n for Treatment
Devine, TX Email
Oct
19 DVRR Halloween Car Show
Levittown, PA Email
Oct
19 23rd Annual 8-Flags Car Show
Fernandina Beach, FL Email
Oct
19 Ninth Annual Westlake Classic Car Show
Westlake, TX Email
Oct
19 Carthage Maple Leaf Car Show
Carthage, MO Email
Oct
19 Troop 6th Annual Car Show
Indianapolis, IN Email
Oct
19 Kentucky Railway Museum Car Show
New Haven, KY Email
Oct
20 VW Harvest
Austin, TX Email
Oct
20 Cruisin for St Jude Car Show
Warwick, RI Email
Oct
24 BCIT Discovery Night
Westampton, NJ Email
Oct
24 NCRS Lone Star Regional
Frisco, TX Email
Oct
25 Spook Rally
Phoenix, AZ Email
Oct
26 Corvette Super Sports All American Car Show
Anaheim, CA Email
Oct
26 Jeep'n for Autism
Concord, NC Email
Oct
26 SABCC British Car Festival
Fairhope, AL Email
Oct
26 Scarecrow Cruise & Car Show
Madison, MS Email
Oct
26 Kent Island Cruisers Halloween Show
Chester, MD Email
Oct
26 C3 Trunk or Treat Car Show
Lawton, OK Email
Oct
WJB Bearings, Hubs & Water Pumps
See what we have from WJB
WJB

For the month of October 2019, WJB is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% off instant rebate on the entire line of WJB Wheel Hubs, Bearings, Water Pumps and more!

Since their inception in 1992, WJB has focused on and excelled at making automotive and industrial bearing products. Their philosophy is to produce high quality parts at competitive prices by leveraging their worldwide network of manufacturing, research and development facilities. WJB maintains the highest levels of technical competence and is recognized as a market leader with precision-built parts and an ever expanding product selection.

Whether you are looking for a Water Pump for a 2009 Jeep Patriot, Wheel Bearing & Hub Assembly for a 2005 Ford F-150 or Wheel Seal for a 1994 Hyundai Elantra, RockAuto has what you need from WJB. To see the WJB parts we have for your vehicle, go to the RockAuto catalog and click on the "Brake & Wheel Hub" or "Cooling System" categories. Take advantage of this 10% instant rebate through October 31st, 2019!

More Rebates
Go to the Promotions and Rebates page to see details for the WJB rebate and additional rebates for Clutch System Kits, Spark Plugs, Suspension and Fuel Injection parts and more being offered by AMS, Autoline, Autolite and Energy Suspension.

View all Current Promotions & Manufacturer Rebates

While shopping, watch for the Promotion or Rebate Star Star in catalog next to the part names to help you save even more on RockAuto’s reliably low prices!

Forum of the Month

5Series.net is a leading community for BMW 5 Series news and discussion. This comprehensive and informative site is dedicated to all 5 Series BMWs, from the latest G30 back to the original 1972 E12. Topics covered include everything from basic how-to maintenance tips to more technically challenging modifications.

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 marketing@rockauto.com.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders
Repair Mistakes & Blunders

I inherited my grandma's 2003 Toyota Camry that sat parked for years. She had bought it new and was meticulous with the maintenance. After doing some research about cars that had sat for an extended period, I did a complete tune up (spark plugs, battery, filters, all the fluids, fresh fuel and even new wiper blades). Once I eventually started it up, it purred like a kitten.

The only problem was an occasional OBD code for a "cylinder 2 misfire." But after about 1,000 miles, it stopped being occasional, and it gradually started running rougher and rougher. I tried everything I could think of to find the problem. Knowing the basic requirements were fuel, air and spark, I tried to narrow down which part was failing. I swapped the spark plugs, coils and fuel injectors between cylinders. I cleared the code and test drove, but the same error code would pop up. I tried different things over and over, and every time within a few miles, the same "cylinder 2 misfire" error would appear. I spent hours pouring over the Chilton manual trying to find anything that could be causing it.

Finally, a buddy offered to look at it with me. We popped the hood and he says, "Walk me through what you've done." I start listing things off, "I moved this spark plug here, that injector to there, this coil pack here..." He thinks for a second, looks in the manual, and once he pointed out my mistake, I felt incredibly stupid. While looking at the engine standing in front of the car, I had counted the cylinders left to right, 1-2-3-4. But, the cylinders are numbered the other direction (4-3-2-1)! They would be 1-2-3-4 left to right while sitting in the car (where I would be while looking through the Chilton manual). Everything I had tried to diagnose cylinder 2 had actually been getting done to cylinder 3! We swapped parts around and, within five minutes, determined it was the coil pack. I ordered the part from RockAuto, problem fixed, the car purred like a kitten again.

Never underestimate the value of a second set of eyes looking at a problem when you are stumped!

Brian in Idaho

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 email 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 RockAuto 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
Automotive Trivia

The original Honda Accord sedan of the 1970s had a shorter wheelbase and weighed less than which new vehicle?

A. Chevy Spark
B. Honda Fit
C. Kia Soul
D. All the above

Answer below

Battery Current Sensors
Tom's Story

A new part, the Battery Current Sensor, was quietly added to many new vehicles' charging systems over the last fifteen years or so. Battery current sensors will probably become even more common and complex as car manufacturers add electronic features and try to maximize fuel economy with electric power steering, stop-start engines and other new technology that increases the demand on charging systems.

Vehicle computers use current and sometimes temperature readings from the battery current sensor to adjust alternator output and determine how frequently other diverse systems are allowed to run. That means a corroded, broken or missing battery current sensor can set off a myriad of potentially misleading symptoms.

The engine may hesitate as alternator output is ramped up at the wrong times. The battery might be repeatedly drained. Seemingly unrelated systems such as the AC compressor might stop running as the computer turns off non-critical accessories that share the serpentine belt with the alternator. There might be warning lights and trouble codes indicating the battery and/or charging system is failing.

As can be seen in the photos, battery current sensor designs vary. Sensors that mount directly onto a battery terminal may be exposed to corrosion. Hall-effect style sensors that just form a loop around cables can be accidentally crushed or put on incorrectly when a new battery is installed, cables are replaced or other maintenance is performed.

Standard Motor Products Battery Current Sensors
GM & Ford Hall-Effect Sensors (left) and Audi, Honda & Jeep Terminal Style Battery Sensors

For example, on some GM vehicles the negative battery cable passes through the Hall-effect type battery current sensor. On other GM vehicles, it is the positive cable or cables that go through the sensor. On some engines, the sensor has a fixed mounting point. On other engines, the sensor is just threaded over cable(s) and taped or zip-tied in place. If the right cable(s) are chosen but accidentally threaded through the sensor in the wrong direction, then the computer may be tricked into thinking the battery is being rapidly drained.

See the Battery Current Sensors for specific vehicles by looking under "Electrical" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

John's 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood
John's 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood

This is Miss Lillian. She is a 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood d’ Elegance finished in a Light Amethyst Metallic with Amethyst colored leather interior as well. RockAuto has been the ONLY supplier I have used for all of the cars in my fleet. But, of all my cars, Miss Lillian (I name all of my cars after their original owners) is my absolute favorite.

This Cadillac has 42,000 miles and recently completed an almost 6,000 mile round trip from St. Petersburg, FL to Los Angeles, CA and back to Florida without ever missing a beat! Gosh I love this car. She has entirely new braking, fuel and ignition systems, along with a new suspension. All ordered from RockAuto!

John in Florida

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with your vehicles history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Automotive Trivia Answer
Automotive Trivia

The original Honda Accord sedan of the 1970s had a shorter wheelbase and weighed less than which new vehicle?

A. Chevy Spark
B. Honda Fit
C. Kia Soul
Answer: D. All the above

Back up to trivia question