CTEK Battery Chargers

CTEK Chargers have been added to the RockAuto catalog. Find battery chargers suitable for your car or truck that may also be appropriate for your motorcycle, boat, atv, camper, lawnmower, tractor, etc. No matter what your battery charger needs are, RockAuto has you covered.

The CTEK Chargers are sophisticated while remaining easy to use. It’s simply "plug and play." Below are just a few of the many benefits the CTEK Battery Chargers have:

• Fully automatic battery charging and battery maintenance
• Patented maintenance charge for maximized battery life and performance
• Patented desulphation function that extends battery life
• No sparks, short-circuit proof and reverse-polarity protected
• Splash proof, dust proof and approved for outdoor use
• "Supply" mode on some CTEK charger models provides power even without a battery

You will find the CTEK Battery Chargers in the RockAuto catalog under the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab in the "Electrical" category.

Motorweek VIP Tour Ticket Giveaway

Due to overwhelming response, we are out of free Chicago Auto Show VIP Tour tickets. Thank you for your interest!

Live in the Chicago area and want to attend an Exclusive VIP Tour of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show hosted by MotorWeek host, John Davis? A handful of RockAuto customers will get the inside scoop on the hottest vehicle debuts in the Windy City!

WHAT: Exclusive Pre Show VIP Tour of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show
WHO: Led by MotorWeek host and nationally recognized car expert, John Davis
WHERE: 2013 Chicago Auto Show, McCormick Place
WHEN: Friday, February 8, 2013 starting at 10:00 AM
COST: Tour is free. Parking costs, etc., are your responsibilities

Just sixteen tour slots are available! We will fill the slots on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are a current RockAuto customer and are sure you can attend at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 8 at McCormick Place, then please fill out this form completely and accurately.

We will provide further details about the MotorWeek event to those who fill the sixteen tour slots.

Forum of the Month

TurboDodge.com is the Internet's largest Dodge Turbo specific site for SRT-4s, Daytonas, LeBarons, Omni GLHs, and Cummins. We cover a range of topics from general Turbo talk to 16v conversions, superchargers, and more. Joining will let you to participate in discussions, search the how-to information, view attachments and the picture gallery, buy and sell your T.D. items, and so much more. Registering is free, fast, and simple!

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

It was a hot Canadian summer in 1964 and my friend Bob had just purchased his first car, a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. To a couple of 18 year olds, this was a really good buy for only $300. We hardly noticed the rust on the rockers and quarter panels or the worn upholstery; our thoughts were of cruising. However, we couldn’t overlook the strong smell of gasoline. After crawling around under the car and seeing the gas dripping down the side of the tank we came to the conclusion that the tank was leaking.

First things first, we decided to drain the tank. Bob had just put $5 in the tank, so we didn’t want to waste it. We found a hose for a siphon and were looking around in the basement for a suitable container. Bob’s mom had just bought a new picnic cooler. We figured we could drain the gas into the cooler, pull the tank and fix it, get it back in and refilled, and then finally wash out the cooler before Bob’s mom ever noticed what we had done before she got home.

I picked up the cooler by the rope handles – boy it was light – and we put it beside the car and got the siphon going. Then we decided to go into the house for a cold pop while we waited for the tank to empty. 

An hour later, Bob’s mother burst into the house, screaming at us to get outside. All we could smell outside was gasoline. The siphon was lying on the driveway with a rope handle on each side and there was a trail of gasoline running down the street to the sewer. The cooler was gone! Apparently Styrofoam is dissolved by gasoline!

It took us a long time to save up the $20 for a new cooler and an even longer time for Bob’s mother and her angry neighbours to forgive us. As for the car, Bob drove it for two years, and learned to never put more than $2 in the tank.

Tom in Canada

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 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

From 1971 to 1973 the Plymouth Cricket was sold in North America alongside more famous Plymouths like the Barracuda, Duster and Roadrunner. What was a Plymouth Cricket?

A. A rear wheel drive Hillman Avenger imported from the UK. It weighed about 1900 lb. (850 kg) and was powered by 1.5 and 1.6L engines that could accelerate the car from 0-60 mph (0-100 kmh) in less than 20 seconds. The Hillman brand was acquired by Chrysler in the 1960s.

B. A trim package for the Plymouth Valiant designed to appeal to performance minded women. It was equipped with the 340 cid (5.6L) V8 and came with either "Snow White" or "Formal Black" vinyl bucket seats. An emergency kit that included one of the first mini, pop-up umbrella designs was included in the trunk.

C. The first of many Mitsubishi vehicles sold under a Chrysler brand. In Japan and Australia the car was named "Mota." The front wheels were powered by a 1.3L engine with electronic ignition and its rear hatch was the first supported by gas lift support struts patented by Monroe.

Answer below

I Followed Through on My New Years Resolution

Most cars built in the last 25 years have a long serpentine belt that drives the alternator, power steering pump, air conditioner, and other engine accessories. A spring loaded belt tensioner pulley holds the serpentine belt at the correct tightness. The belt manufacturers (ACDelco, Dayco, Gates, Goodyear, etc.) strongly recommend replacing the belt tensioner when the belt is replaced. Some of the belt manufacturers also manufacture belt tensioners, but their urgings to replace tensioners are not just an effort to sell more parts. They are concerned about the reputation of their belts and warranty claims when a worn out tensioner causes damage to a new belt and or engine accessories.

With my own cars, I must admit I have not always been replacing the belt tensioner every time I replace the serpentine belt. The tensioner often costs more than the belt and my really old cars with V-belts have done just fine without any fancy fine-tuning of the belt tension.

I need to pull my head out of the 1970s. Cars now often last beyond 200,000 miles, serpentine belts must often drive a half dozen accessories while winding through a series of contortions, and perhaps most importantly, engine accessories are not as cheap as they used to be. An alternator for my 1979 Chrysler 300 is around $25 (at RockAuto). Alternators for “newer” cars like my wife’s 1993 Ford Tempo are typically $100 and up, sometimes way up. The Tempo’s original AC compressor still works fine and is filled with very expensive Freon. That compressor and its bearing alone are worth protecting.

Last weekend I followed through on my new years resolution to replace the serpentine belt on my wife’s Tempo before another month passed. The belt tensioner had over 90,000 miles (145,000 km) on it so I remembered to replace that too. The old belt tensioner (in photo next to the new one) did not make any noise and it did not visibly vibrate. Off the car, the cover over the tensioner’s spring popped open a bit and I could feel some wiggle in the pulley bearing. Maybe it could have lasted longer or maybe it and the new belt would have put too much or too little tension on one of the engine accessories. The new belt tensioner and the thirty seconds it took me to bolt it on bought me peace of mind. I do not have to imagine trying to explain to my wife why the new belt squeals, why it fell off, or why I need to spend a day replacing the new belt and a leaky water pump or some other failed engine accessory. My wife can immediately recognize when I am feeling guilty and I would hate to lose my position as her main Tempo mechanic!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

I have been restoring this 1966 Barracuda for the past three years and have ordered lots of parts for it from RockAuto. I have used front end parts like ball joints, tie rod ends, seals, brake spring kits, wheel cylinders, brake shoes and drums, and also front and rear shocks.

I am almost finished with the restoration and have had it out to a few car shows this past year, and also enjoy just driving it around. I get a big kick out of people asking what kind of car that is, and those who know what it is, tell me how great it looks.

Thanks,
Bob in Michigan

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