Auto Parts Industry Soars As More Drivers Sticking With Used Cars

Buying a used car offers several advantages over buying new, most of which have to do with price. In fact, many drivers are finding that hanging onto an older car and fixing it up is a more affordable option than purchasing a brand new one.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the auto parts industry is booming as drivers looking to cut costs are opting to repair their used vehicles rather than head over to the dealership and put down the money for a new car. Stock shares for the major auto companies, including Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone and O'Reilly Automotive are all at or near 52-week highs.

"People who are not buying new cars are hanging on to their old cars and repairing them," Michael Odell, CEO of the Pep Boys chain, told the news source. Pep Boys has over 600 shops nationwide, but is taking advantage of the good business by adding 35 additional stores.

The surge in people hanging on to older vehicles is due to a number of factors, one of which is simply sheer numbers. Colin McGranahan of Bernstein Research speculated that in the early part of the decade, the industry was selling more than 16 million cars per year. In the recession-crippled era, that number is down to about 10 million cars per year. Simply put, there are more used cars available than new ones.

The current economic situation is contributing to other factors affecting the surge in business. Drivers still aren't keen on making a new vehicle purchase, and they may have even seen the dealership where they originally bought the vehicle close down. That means they're most likely taking the car to an independent mechanic, who relies on an auto part supply chain. McGranahan also said that others might be performing maintenance and repairs themselves in order to save money, which is also driving parts sales.

In addition, technology has advanced to the point that cars are lasting longer than they ever have before.

"People have realized their cars will last longer than five years," Judd Nystrom, senior vice president of Advance Auto Parts, told the news source.

Drivers might want to take advantage of longer-lasting vehicles by making their next purchase at a used car dealership. If a potential buyer is worried about maintenance, they may want to look into the certified pre-owned programs that most major brands maintain. These plans allow drivers to purchase a used car with a limited warranty backed by the manufacturer.

Engine Leaks Take a Brutal Toll on Cars and Car Parts

If you own a car then you have probably already had some experience with car leaks, at least to some degree. Even new cars can develop leaks that are both annoying and frustrating. In the 1980s and 1990s engine leaks and other automotive leaking problems were the cause of a large majority of auto service appointments.

Now there are better engineering designs and materials used in the automotive manufacturing process. This has resulted in a decrease in customer complaints because new car parts have been noted to have substantially less problems with leak malfunctions.

Keep Engine Leaks at Bay

For those of you that may be unfamiliar with the basics of engine seals here is a list of what a car engine needs in order to be leak-free.

1.      Motor oil

2.      Proper compression

3.      Fitted gaskets

4.      Intact seals

5.      Engine coolant

6.      Fuel

Understanding Engine Seals

Most of the seals that protect your car engine are designed with double lips so that the motor oil can not leak out. One of the seals is designed to contain the oil, and the other is meant to stop any debris from contaminating the oil system. Although these lipped seals do not move they still have a big job to do because the car parts that they are surrounding are in motion. This is why many automotive techs refer to these car accessories as dynamic engine seals.

You will find dynamic seals used on car parts that are either rotating or belt driven. Two examples of these are crankshafts and camshafts. These are crucial elements for your car engine and it only takes a small leak to create a great deal of damage. An oil leak from a camshaft seal can result in ruined valves and timing belts which are both costly repairs.

How Leaks Begin

Small bits of grit, dust and road dirt are always flying about the exterior of auto engines. If there is a small opening in any seal it can allow some of these contaminants to adhere to the inner surface. Then as the shafts are moving they are being abraded by these particles' sharp edges.

The constant motion of these rotating and belt driven car parts will soon cause small grooves to form along the sides of the shafts. Now the integrity of the seals and shafts are both compromised. Once these irregular grooves have formed on the metal surfaces, leaking will soon follow.

Fixes for Seals

There are times when worn metal surfaces can be repaired instead of being replaced. Some mechanics are able to grind and weld the shafts until the surface area meats the necessary specifications.  There is also a slip-sleeve that is available for some front crankshafts. This product is a fine metal covering that can be applied to the damaged area and will then cover the grooves. These are both elaborate and high priced technical projects that are only suggested for ultra expensive vehicles. Car parts such as engine seals and shafts can be replaced at a more affordable cost.

Gaskets and Engine Leaks

In the past a lot of car accessories and engine parts used gaskets that contained cork. The cork would work for a while but it deteriorated at a relatively quick pace. This material would stop a leak by swelling up and forming a tighter seal, but only after a small amount of oil had leached into the gasket.

Another type of engine gasket was made from RTV silicone and this could create a secure seal but only under special conditions. The silicone base meant that it had to be applied to an engine surface that was absolutely clean and free of any oily residue. Many mechanics had trouble getting the metal surface prepped to these exacting specifications.

Most of today's new gaskets are made form synthetic rubber compounds. These engine gaskets are reliable and are much less likely to form a leak. This is the type of gasket that is preferred by knowledgeable mechanics and auto enthusiasts.  

Gasket Seal Problems

When placing gaskets onto surfaces it seems that many auto techs and mechanics tend to tighten them too much. In order to address this problem there are some newer designs that use metal spacers. These spacers are actually in the gaskets which helps prevent the over tightening seen in the past. Newer car parts such as the cast aluminum engine covers and those made from plastics have also been responsible for protecting gaskets from this common problem.

There are also some gaskets that are more likely to be the source of engine leaks even if they have been properly installed. A car's head gaskets and those used on the intake manifold are the ones that should be checked first if an engine leak is noted.

Internal Manifold and Head Gaskets

Engine compression, coolants and oil all depend on an intact head gasket seal. The intake manifold gaskets that are on cars are responsible for insuring the integrity of coolants, gas and diesel fumes and air. If these seals are damaged, or compromised you are assured of having leaks from your car that are going to be noticeable.

Engines and Aluminum Car Parts

The fact that so many engine car parts are now made from aluminum is an additional problem. Because of this metal's expansion and contraction the gaskets must be allowed some movement allowance. This means that a mechanic needs to make sure that when the repairs are done the gaskets are capable of allowing for the movement of internal car parts as the temperature and weather changes.

Torque to Yield Bolts

Gaskets are internal car parts and they are placed in areas where bolts are going to be required. A mechanic can use incorrect bolts or too much torque and this will result in gasket failure. In this type of situation there could be a compression leak or coolant leak from head gaskets as well as warping of the heads. To prevent this from occurring most auto shops are now using the type of car engine bolts that are known as "torque to yield".

Check and Repair Engine Leaks

No matter how old, or new, your car is you will need to check on any type of coolant engine leak. Just 2-3 tablespoons of an antifreeze liquid seeping into the oil compartment could ruin some vital car parts. Antifreeze and oil is a mix that can ruin the bearings in any car engine.

If you do not want to take your car to a garage you can handle the situation yourself. Certainly there are many different products that you can use to repair gaskets and seals. Your mechanic or auto supply store can help you find the right one for your vehicle. Just remember if you are doing the repairs yourself you need to make sure that you are using a quality product and applying it correctly. Follow the specifications and make sure to clean the surfaces properly and have exact alignment before making the repairs. 

Contribution Of Indian Automotive Industry And Its Projections

Since the last few years, Indian automobile industry has grown at a tremendous pace, and currently the Indian automotive components industry is being projected to cross over US $ 110 billion (INR 5 lakh crore) worth business by the year 2020. This figure has been zeroed in after assessing the demands of vehicles, as it is in tandem with the country's growth of vehicle production. According to the report by the Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (ACMA), out of all this, the domestic turnover is likely to grow up to US $ 80 billion (INR 4 lakh crore) and the exports would make up to another US $ 29 billion (INR 1.4 lakh crore).

According to that report, in the fiscal year 2010 - 2011, the turnover of auto components companies India will go beyond USD 26 billion, which is an 18 per cent rise from the previous fiscal year's turnover, which was just USD 22 billion. Moreover, according to the ACMA-EY (Ernst & Young) Vision 2020 study, most probably, by the year 2020 India is going to witness massive growth in the vehicle production.

As far as Europe is concerned, it is likely to comprise a huge 36.9 per cent of India's automotive parts export in 2010-11, which is then followed by the Asia and North America with 28.1 and 24 percent respectively. Apart from this, the automobile industry has witnessed major changes in the automobile purchasing strategy India over the few years. According to the recent study, in the financial year 2010 - 2011 India is expected to make USD 12 billion investments in the Indian automotive components industry. And, this might result in making the auto component industry, an engine for India's massive growth in the economic as well as manufacturing segment.

Moreover, the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006 - 2016 will additionally stimulate the progress of the Indian auto components sector and can eventually transform India into an international player in the automotive industry. This plan aims to double the contribution of automobile industry in the country's GDP and produce 25 million more jobs for people by 2016. Apart from this, there is an enormous potential and intensification opportunity in the automotive components industry and as a result various small medium enterprises which are into the manufacturing of automotive parts in India have also started to get good international exposure for their products. Moreover, out of those small and medium enterprises of automobile components and accessories, many of them have become the best auto parts supplier Chennai, Pune, Gurgaon.

Discount Auto Parts

Where is it most convenient place to search when you need discount auto parts for your Toyota, Chevy or BMW? There are three requirements to a good source of such parts:

• the discount car part selection
• the cost of the auto part
• a security that you'll get the particular vehicle part you need, and not a part that don't fit your vehicle make and model.

Most of us car owners have one or more times experienced the annoying feeling of receiving an incompatible car part that we were unable to use.

There has been a shift in the aftermarket auto part market from the time where

• the availability of such parts dependend largely on where you lived and whom you knew to
• ordering the vehicle part you need from your own home in matter of minutes.

Why this shift?

Because of the internet and some intelligent auto part company owners. In the older days some car owners were so lucky that they happened to live nearby a few cheap car parts suppliers. Though they had to pay the often exorbitant markups such suppliers commanded, lots of people didn't even have that option. So from being a sellers market a total change took place, thanks to a handful of top automotive aftermarket experts with an excellent understanding of e-commerce.

The internet has definitely become the number one place to find auto parts of all types. Everybody can reach it in matter of minutes and the prices have decreased significantly. These websites are global marketplaces for precisely the vehicle parts you need. This remarkable next-generation solutions stands in a huge contrast to the days when a few auto part dealers were able to treat their customers like puppets on a string.

How to access the new auto part market

It so simple that it's hard to believe:

1. Find the discount automobile part's' website

2. log on to the site

3. order the auto parts you need

4. receive a vast array of parts in a few minutes.

And the only thing you need is an internet connection.

Japanese Brand Dominates The Automotive Market

The fluctuating of figures continues to shake the automotive industry. One moment the figures are up the next instant it is on the contrary. Based on the recent statistics, car sales and registrations were down on last year.

When asked to explain the fluctuation occurring in the automotive world, Perry Kerr, Motor Industry Association chief Perry explained, "The new-vehicle market is continuing to adjust to the pressures experienced in other sectors of the economy, but this downturn must also be taken in the context that new-vehicle sales increased year-over from 2000 to 2005."

Regardless of the fluctuating sales, Toyota continues its triumph in car production and sales. In fact, this year Toyota celebrates its 18th year of continued excellence in sales. So far, no other automaker has toppled it.

Toyota has sold 12,029 new vehicles to the end of July. In July, the automaker sold 1746 cars. It was followed by Ford with 1212, Holden with 798, Mitsubishi with 600, Nissan with 585, Honda with 541 and Mazda with 469.

Toyota is expecting more sales since Camry was released to amaze and satisfy the needs of car fanatics. Camry uses innovative auto parts Toyota to boost performance, style and comfort. The front-drive Camry, which has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, is offered at $36,500.

According to the automaker, Camry's five-speed manual offers 8.9 litres/100km. On the other hand, the five-speed automatic offers 9.9 litres/100km. The dynamics of Camry are also improved. It width was increased, height decreased and wheelbase extended. Toyota is aiming the 117kW/218Nm 2.4-litre Camry to rule the fleet market the same way that it dominates New Zealand's private sales.

Toyota is preserving its earned victory so the industry can expect more changes and innovations from this rising Japanese brand. Toyota is also continuing its studies and tests to further improve the quality and performance of its parts and accessories.

Safely Buying Performance Parts For Your Car Online

During the past years the popularity of aftermarket performance auto parts has grown at tremendous rate. Basically considered as an alternate to automotive parts which are not produced by auto manufacturers these aftermarket parts compete with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. They are usually purchased and added to the car or truck by the car owner or a performance shop. Most of this work is done after the car has been sold at a dealership. In terms of design and function, aftermarket auto parts are very similar to the stock automotive parts and primarily used to substitute a stock part with one that produces more horsepower and torque.

Now-a-days many car owners are choosing aftermarket products because they are comparatively less expensive than OEM replacements. Although at times some aftermarket auto parts fail to meet the high standards of original equipments. It is also wrong to say that aftermarket products are usually second-rate in terms of style. Aftermarket auto parts are one of the few great ways to customize the appearance and feel of any car or truck. Depending on how much you want to do and your budget, you can even tune the performance of your vehicle with aftermarket automotive parts.

There are numerous sources for aftermarket auto parts. Online stores have taken the internet by storm with hundreds launching every month. The response has been very positive which has made more and more sites pop up. Now you can find wholesale companies cashing in as well as companies that help perspective owners start their own business online with preloaded stores and e-commerce sites.

Not long ago people were skeptical about purchasing online. It was new and with many things new, it takes time to catch on. Once people saw that it was safe and much more efficient the boom was on. eBay was the catalyst for getting the online shopping phenomenon off the ground. Who wants to drive around town looking for performance shops which might or might not have what your looking for in stock. Much easier to sit next to your computer sipping own a cold one while checking for your hard to find parts.

Buying aftermarket performance auto parts online can offer you some of best benefits, such as the following:

1. Anybody can tell you a bunch of bull to your face. With a online supplier there are ways to see if they are reputable. You normally can get a brief history of the company and the founder. Read testimonials from customers who have had actual transactions with the store. Speak with customer service if you have questions not answered on the site.

2. Options are plenty - Typically you will find the same part you are looking for a multiple locations. Each might sell at a different price and have different shipping costs. You must be aware of these things prior to placing your order. Another big option is what state you make your purchase from. Since the sites could be located anywhere, you best bet is to purchase your auto parts from a website that is not located in your state. This way you are not obligated to pay state sales tax. Since everything is typically shipped ground you won't experience much of a delay in getting your parts by buying outside your state.

Buying Auto Parts Online - A Quick Review

There are about 100 major auto parts suppliers on the internet. These are not your local parts store with a web site, (there are thousands of those), these are companies that make most of there sales on the web. Researching 100 sites before making a purchase is not my idea of how to start a great buying experience. So let me give you a few things to look for that will make your buying experience a pleasant one and help you bypass sites that may not provide the best security or customer service.

If you do a search on Google for auto parts keep this in mind. The ads you see at the top and down the right column are Sponsored Links. The ads at the top are highlighted and the ads in the right column have a line down the page. This is to separate these ads from the rest of the ads on the page. What is the difference? The Sponsored Links are ads from advertisers who paid to be in those positions. The rest of the ads are placed in page rank, which is a another story. But in a nut shell, the most popular advertiser is first, the next most popular is next and so on. The first ad is a good place to start, then just go down the page one ad after the other. I would try to stick with the first couple of pages otherwise it will get to time consuming. You should also check out a few of the paid ads. They paid to be on Google's first page so they want your business.

When you get to an advertisers site the first thing to look for is how secure is their site. Scroll down to the bottom of their home page to see what kind of security services they use. You may see the VeriSign Seal. When you click on the seal, you get a pop-up window from VeriSign which will give you the security services that the web sight is using. Such as, SSL Certificate expiration date, if they use Encrypted Data Transmission and if the site owners have been Verified. VeriSign is a very popular and well know security service, but there are others. McAfee Secure is another.

Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau? Have they been rated or Certified by BizRate.com? It would be very rare to find a site with all of these but, the more the better. The point is you want to make sure you are dealing with a secure web site. You are going to be giving them your credit card, bank and personal information, so check out their site security, this is very important.

Next check their warranty. What is the warranty on their parts? What is their parts return policy? Do they have free or discount shipping? Is their check out secure and how long will it take to get your parts? What if you have a question, when is customer service available? It looks like a lot to look for before you even place an order but, it is necessary. Every order is not perfect every time so you have to protect yourself and your wallet if there is a problem.

Now you want to check out their ordering system. Most automotive parts sites use an Online Catalog Ordering System. They are very easy to use. Some will ask you for your vehicles year, make and model then you click the search button and a list of all the parts available for your vehicle will appear. Others may ask you what part you are looking for first and then ask for your vehicle information. So make sure you have all the needed vehicle information handy. Your vehicles, year, make model and engine size, should be all you need. You can get most of this information from your registration. You engine size is on the information label in your engine compartment or sometime stamped on your air cleaner or valve cover.

If you are not comfortable with an Online Catalog Ordering System, most reputable site will have 24/7 Phone Ordering where you can talk to a real person. With your online order or phone order you will get a confirmation number, keep this number in a safe place. The online order should also give you a printable receipt. Don't forget to print it.

When your parts arrive the first thing you do is check the package for shipping damage. Make note of any holes in the package or evidence that the package was dropped. If there is shipping damage, report it right away to the shipping company. When you are ready to open the package, do so carefully. If there is a problem and you have to return the parts you will need the original shipping package. So do not damage it. Also check the invoice or packing slip to make sure what you ordered is what you got.

Finally keep all your receipts, invoices and conformation numbers together where you can find them. If you do have a failed part and have to return it, you will have everything you need.

If you would like to know which online Auto Parts Store I use, visit my automotive web site Jeeplibertyparts.com