RockAuto now carries the full line of AnzoUSA performance lighting: Cornering Lamps, Fog/Driving Lamps, Headlamps, High Mounted Brake Lights, Parking/Turn Signals, Roof Marker Lamps, Side Marker Lamps and Tail Lamps.

With over four decades of manufacturing experience and German TÜV quality certification, AnzoUSA lighting is known worldwide for providing durability and innovative styling at an affordable cost.

All AnzoUSA lights are:

• Designed, tested and built using CAD/CAM in a state-of-the-art ISO 9002 and QS 9000 quality certified factory to ensure seamless installation and precise fit.
• SAE and D.O.T. compliant, delivering both excellent illumination and appearance.
• Durability tested for impact strength, watertight seal (both fresh and salt water) and abrasive dust/dirt resistance.

RockAuto has AnzoUSA performance lighting products for everything from a 1993 Ford Mustang to a 2002 GMC Yukon to a 2012 Honda Civic…To see the performance lighting we have for your vehicle, go to the RockAuto catalog and click on the “Body” category.

It is now easier than ever to find and order auto parts from your mobile device with RockAuto.com’s new mobile catalog! The mobile catalog offers the same huge selection and reliably low prices as the desktop computer catalog, but it is optimized for smart phones and tablets with features including:

• Simplified navigation to part descriptions, part photos, Cart and Help.
• A side alphabet for quicker access to vehicle make: tap "C" for Cadillac, tap "M" for Mazda...
• A handy Menu (quick access to your account) and a Search Bar at the top make it easy to head in the right direction.

Try out our new mobile catalog by visiting RockAuto.com via your smart phone or tablet! You can also see the new mobile catalog from a desktop (It will be jumbo sized!) by clicking "Mobile Site" in the bottom right corner of RockAuto.com.

The Buick Skylark/Special Forum for the '61, '62, and '63 Buick Skylark/Special is designed to share technical knowledge and appreciation of the 1961-1963 Skylarks. Owners and fans alike are encouraged to participate.

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 megant@rockauto.com

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!

Power steering was first available on which mass-produced passenger car?

A. 1951 Chrysler Imperial
B. 1954 Packard Clipper
C. 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood

Answer below

I recently read an article in an automotive trade journal about diagnosing problems following the installation of a new alternator in a fifteen-year-old Toyota Camry. The engine idled too slowly and the voltage reading at the battery was less than 12 volts.

The new alternator was the big change made to the car, so the technician briefly wondered if something was wrong with the new alternator. Instead of guessing, the technician methodically worked to track down the source of the problems. He inspected cables, cleaned electrical connections and ultimately cleaned the throttle body. The engine idle speed and alternator output voltage finally returned to normal. The technician finished up the article by saying it was odd that a dirty throttle body could cause battery charging and low idle problems, but "we learn something new every day."

Armchair diagnosis is always risky, and the article may not have had enough space to include all the details, but I still cannot help but wonder if the technician had inadvertently solved the problems just by repeatedly restarting the engine and giving it time to idle while he was doing his testing and cleaning work. The new alternator was the obvious big change to the car, but another big change happened when the battery was disconnected during the alternator installation and the engine control module (ECM, found under "Electrical" in the RockAuto catalog) lost power. After the battery was reconnected and the engine was turned on, it took time for the ECM to gather new data and optimize the engine idle speed (plus the alternator's speed of rotation).

Repair manuals for some vehicles (under "Literature" in the catalog) say the driver can help the ECM readjust idle speed by letting the engine idle with the transmission in gear and the air conditioning on. Other cars might need to be driven at varying speeds before the computer finds the perfect idle speed. A vehicle's computer may also have to relearn the optimal shift points for the transmission and other parameters once the battery is reconnected. Give the computers time to readjust before assuming there is a problem.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

This is my 1996 Mercury Cougar XR7. It is my first and current car. I have owned it for about two years and it has been great.

The Cougar had been sitting for months at a local dealership. The engine bay was full of cobwebs, but it started immediately, nice and strong. It had one previous owner, 83,000 miles and a 4.6L modular V8.

Eventually the dealer decided to knock the price down a bit after my dad (an experienced DIYer) noticed a clunking sound during the test drive. We finalized the deal and took it home.

While inspecting the underbody, we discovered the stabilizer bar links were totally shot. We ordered all of the links (for a great price of course) from RockAuto. After they were installed, all it needed was an oil change and a good wash, and it was ready to roll. The interior was another story; everything from the headliner to the leather seats to the dash were covered in sticky dried coffee! It cleaned up really well though, after a weekend with stain remover and lots of elbow grease.

Later on, we also changed out the upper and lower ball joints just for good measure with OE parts from RockAuto.

I have always loved large, rear wheel drive luxury cars with V8s, and this car fit the bill just right. I feel very proud driving it as not many college students seek out 1990s large luxury cruisers as their first car.

Thanks,
Omar in Maryland

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 or RockAuto social media. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Power steering was first available on which mass-produced passenger car?

Answer: A. 1951 Chrysler Imperial (1951 Chrysler "Hydraguide" Power Steering Pumps are eligible for "Return and Rebuild" service via RockAuto.com)
B. 1954 Packard Clipper
C. 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood

Back up to trivia question