Thanks for the links - I've saved for future use. I agree on cheap parts. Don't do it! I bought a new master cylinder from NAPA - it leaked; then bought a remanufactured from Autozone - it leaked. Feed up - I bought one at dealer and it works great! You get what you pay for in auto parts.
The answers on car parts
I find that many people ask "where are good places to get parts, what manufacturer to use?" lets take a look...
1st. Ask a few different mechanics at local shops what good parts manufacturers are. Then, your job is to find that manufacturer at the cheapest price. I say a few because some shops dont care and buy the cheapest they can get. Or just find one with a mechanic you trust.
2nd. Some parts are new, some or remanufactured. There IS a big difference in quality and price. Some harder to find parts you wont be able to get new. if you want good parts ie they stuff put into your car when it was new your gonna pay more for it. plain and simple.
3rd. Call a local acura dealer's parts dept for a part you need. get the part number and ask who the manufacturer is and if its new or rebuilt. DO NOT buy from them [there are a couple exceptions]. You will get charged at least 20% more. By and large, dealerships use new parts when they can get them and the manufacturers are good. Just use the info to find the part somewhere else.
Want to get your part online? A couple of places to look online for manufacturers and to compare prices are...
http://www.autowhiz.com
http://www.rockauto.com
http://www.thepartsbin.com
they are solid places to look for parts and you can get an idea of the various types of remanufacturers etc. I find the above sites offer the best prices by far. feel free to add some others if you know 'em. autowhiz is especially cool with the selection of manufacturers it offers.
Neighborhood stores if you wanna drive to get your part:
Places like Autozone, O'Reilly, Carquest, Napa etc...Vary heavily in price and tend to use cheap-ass parts. Ever wonder why AutoZone gives those lifetime warranties on many parts? Cause they suck and they know you'll be pissed when you bring it back a week later because it doesnt work.
I tried to get an alternator at Autozone and went through...4 in 2 years. I got fed up and bought one from a good manufacturer [nippondenso] through a local parts distrubutor in town. Yes, it was more $$.
Out of the cheap ass local parts stores I prefer O'reilly. they have a decent online setup but you cant buy anything online.
http://www.oreillyauto.com
also, if you want quality parts check for nippondenso of japan check out this link.
http://www.densoaftermarket.com/distributors.shtml
they have an email & number you can call to find a nippondenso distributor. they dont have a parts locator online yet. in my experience, mechanic opinion is that nippondenso makes the best parts for acura/imports. These parts are often resold/rebranded so keep this in mind. quick example. you might be able to get a nippondenso alternator but the box will say World Parts, or Excel or ....
Please feel free to correct me or add info.
1st. Ask a few different mechanics at local shops what good parts manufacturers are. Then, your job is to find that manufacturer at the cheapest price. I say a few because some shops dont care and buy the cheapest they can get. Or just find one with a mechanic you trust.
2nd. Some parts are new, some or remanufactured. There IS a big difference in quality and price. Some harder to find parts you wont be able to get new. if you want good parts ie they stuff put into your car when it was new your gonna pay more for it. plain and simple.
3rd. Call a local acura dealer's parts dept for a part you need. get the part number and ask who the manufacturer is and if its new or rebuilt. DO NOT buy from them [there are a couple exceptions]. You will get charged at least 20% more. By and large, dealerships use new parts when they can get them and the manufacturers are good. Just use the info to find the part somewhere else.
Want to get your part online? A couple of places to look online for manufacturers and to compare prices are...
http://www.autowhiz.com
http://www.rockauto.com
http://www.thepartsbin.com
they are solid places to look for parts and you can get an idea of the various types of remanufacturers etc. I find the above sites offer the best prices by far. feel free to add some others if you know 'em. autowhiz is especially cool with the selection of manufacturers it offers.
Neighborhood stores if you wanna drive to get your part:
Places like Autozone, O'Reilly, Carquest, Napa etc...Vary heavily in price and tend to use cheap-ass parts. Ever wonder why AutoZone gives those lifetime warranties on many parts? Cause they suck and they know you'll be pissed when you bring it back a week later because it doesnt work.
I tried to get an alternator at Autozone and went through...4 in 2 years. I got fed up and bought one from a good manufacturer [nippondenso] through a local parts distrubutor in town. Yes, it was more $$.
Out of the cheap ass local parts stores I prefer O'reilly. they have a decent online setup but you cant buy anything online.
http://www.oreillyauto.com
also, if you want quality parts check for nippondenso of japan check out this link.
http://www.densoaftermarket.com/distributors.shtml
they have an email & number you can call to find a nippondenso distributor. they dont have a parts locator online yet. in my experience, mechanic opinion is that nippondenso makes the best parts for acura/imports. These parts are often resold/rebranded so keep this in mind. quick example. you might be able to get a nippondenso alternator but the box will say World Parts, or Excel or ....
Please feel free to correct me or add info.
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
definitely, by and large you get what you pay for. however, there are ways to circumvent the dealer 
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
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