New Car – Auto Loans

Archive for July, 2010

With advance auto part store locater you can easily find a suitable auto part store where you can buy all necessary parts for your car. But you can get a better and more rewarding alternative, learn how.

Buying performance auto part for your car is necessary when you want to carry out repair and maintenance work, so you need to locate the right auto part store to patronize, this is a major and important task because it determines what you get.

Advance Auto Part Store Locator: What Destination

When you buy your replacement auto part you need to consider two important points.

You must buy quality parts which can adequately replace factory-fitted ones and enhance the performance of your car. Buy at cheap rate, or get discount for your purchase. You should let this two points guide you whenever you search so that you can always get the best in price and quality in the market.

Unfortunately an advance car part store locator can only land you in an auto part store which has integrated the phrase “advance auto part store locator” in their site, and they may not necessarily deliver the service.

To get the best result, use a better alternative to search for your desired auto parts.

Advanced Auto Part Store Locator: A Better Alternative

The best auto part out fits that deliver on price and quality today are wholesalers who partners with manufacturers directly.

They cut off all middlemen, and reduce overheard cost. They stock only original, direct-from-manufacturers parts, only the best in the market. They have large inexhaustible stocks. They have experts that are available 24/7 to assist any car owner in any problem they might encounter. For example if you are not sure on the part you want to buy or you can find exactly what you need, you can chat with them online free or make a free telephone call for guidance. They have warehouses scattered all over, where you can easily get your product shipped to you from their nearest store. No problem of lack of parts. They offer free shipping services on some prices.
How It Works: Without Advance Car Part Locator

Instead of using an advanced auto part store locator and probably get a store close to you from a network of stores and nothing more.

You can just visit the online catalog of an OEM parts manufacturers and make your order,
stating your address and other necessary information. They will link with their warehouse/store closest to you and make the auto part available as quickly as the courier can deliver it. You don’t need to worry about the quality of what you get or on specifications. You get exactly what you request for.

Buying your part this way, You can always get a better result than using advance auto part store locator ordinarily to start a search.

Auto repair costs at a shop are basically comprised of labor and parts. Labor is typically calculated based on a standard “flat rate” estimate. Flat rate labor guides estimate labor time down to the tenth of an hour. For my example, if a starter for a specific vehicle pays 1.2 hours to change, the labor cost will be determined by multiplying the time by the shops labor rate, lets say the shops labor rate is $90.00 per flat rate hour (1.2 x $90.00=$108.00). Keep in mind that labor times can vary greatly depending on the year, model and engine size. Also automotive repair shop labor rates vary at each shop and from city to city. Labor time does NOT take in to consideration the requirement for special tools, experience or lack of.

Flat Rate or Actual Time

If the actual time it takes to repair the vehicle is LESS or MORE than the estimated flat rate time, the customer still pays the flat rate amount. More experienced auto technicians and techs with time saving tools can most of the time beat the flat rate time (AKA book time). The technician, if paid by flat rate has an incentive to do the job fast and correctly. If he makes a mistake and has to do the job again (commonly called a comeback) he does it the second time for free! Also keep in mind that a flat rate technician does not get paid time and a half for over-time, or for standing around waiting for work or parts. It’s necessary for the technician to be productive and make up for this lost time by learning from his experience and buying tools that make him more efficient. Tools with exception of larger shop equipment items are usually the responsibility of each mechanic to purchase individually.

Parts Cost

The cost of the parts to fix the vehicle will depend on the deal the repair shop gets when they purchase the parts at wholesale, if they are new or rebuilt and how much their profit margin is. The typical markup is 30 to 40%, although this may vary. Yes, some money may be saved by shopping around and buying the parts directly, but most shops won’t install parts provided by the customer. Also as far as the warranty goes, if a part fails that the facility provides, the shop will be responsible during the warranty period. If a part fails that was provided by the customer to the shop, the customer would be responsible for paying the labor all over again and handling the warranty replacement.

I personally would prefer to have a knowledgeable technician work on my car and repair it faster than the book time as opposed to having a less experienced tech work on my car longer to achieve the same results.

Tips for a good auto repair shop experience.

Choose a shop that has a good reputation. Ask to inspect the old parts, ask what has failed or worn. Talk to the technician when possible to eliminate a break down in communication. Ask for a discount, the worst they could say is there is they cannot provide one. Have a written estimate on large repairs. Test drive vehicle before paying if possible. Choose a shop that specializes in the type of vehicle make. Consider if you prefer a national warranty or not.

Aftermarket, OEM, replacement parts–you see these words in almost all auto parts stores online. What do these terms mean?

For a passive buyer, these things are but ordinary terms used in the automotive market but for someone meticulous and who wants the best for his auto, these things matter considerably. Deciding which among these to purchase is just like deciding what car to buy.

O.E.M. stands for Original Equipment Manufactured. This means that OEM Ford parts are manufactured by Ford itself, Chevrolet parts are manufactured by Chevrolet, Toyota parts by Toyota, BMW parts by BMW and so on. The terms O.E.S. and OE are also used; these mean Original Equipment Supplied and Original Equipment, respectively. While in many cases, OEM and OES mean the same, OE is more general referring to any part that came as original equipment on the car. Some of OE car parts and components are not actually made by the car manufacturer but are purchased and assembled by the automakers to create a vehicle.

Those referred to as “aftermarket auto parts” are not made by the original car manufacturer; furthermore, they are bought and added to the vehicle only at the dealership or after the vehicle left the dealership. In terms of design and function, aftermarket products are almost the same as the stock auto parts since they are primarily used to replace a damaged original part so that the vehicle can continue to run. If you need replacement parts for your car, however, you can either buy O.E.M. or aftermarket auto parts. There are numerous sources of aftermarket auto parts. Stores like Auto Parts Discount give you a great variety of parts for almost all makes and models.

Some cars, especially the base models are not completely equipped so users just add aftermarket parts later on. For example if you have purchased an old Toyota Corolla, you can add aftermarket Toyota fog lights, Toyota spoiler, Toyota turn signal light or Toyota mirrors. Aftermarket products can also help you give your car a fresh new look. Even if your original parts are not yet damaged or worn out, you can replace them with or add specially designed aftermarket auto parts like Honda taillights, Ford center cap, Chevrolet chrome bumper, and Mercedes Benz Front Cover Towing Eye found at Auto Parts Discount.

Enthusiasts, on the other hand would opt for custom parts and specialty equipments. Compared to a universal fit auto part, which can be installed to any vehicle make, year and model, custom aftermarket products are designed to fit only a particular application. Examples of custom parts are your Ford hood, Ford fender and Ford doors. Specialty equipments on the other hand, are intended to make the vehicle more stylish, comfortable, convenient and more up-to-date.

Most auto users prefer aftermarket products because they are less expensive than OEM replacements. While it is true that there may be some aftermarket auto parts that do not meet high standards of original equipments, it is not right to say that aftermarket products are generally inferior in terms of quality and style. Replacement parts sold at Auto Parts Discount, for example are made by car parts manufacturers that are mandated by high international standards.

Which is better, OEM or aftermarket replacement part? It depends on the product. Some OEM parts are not durable enough while the aftermarket parts you use to replace them could last for many years. If you want to give your car a different look and also, if you want to save, aftermarket products are worth a try. However, make sure to get these replacement parts from trusted sources.