Shop RockAuto now for fun and useful Accessories! RockAuto has greatly expanded both vehicle-specific and universal accessories, all with the reliably low prices you expect.

Enjoy the fresh air and add sleek styling to your car, SUV or pickup! Keep your windows open longer when the weather changes. Elements like the wind and rain are no match for Side Window Vents (also known as Wind Deflectors) by AVS, Lund, Stampede and Westin. They are easy-to-install and fit in-channel or attach with specialized tape. Find Side Window Vents for your specific vehicle under "Accessories" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

New to towing or need a few more components to maximize the hauling capability of your car, SUV or pickup? We have what you need including Trailer Hitches (Class I - Class V), Bike Racks, Trailer Hitch Balls, Trailer Hitch Ball Mounts, Trailer Jacks, Weight Distribution Hitches, Breakaway Systems and Trailer Brake Controllers from top-rated manufacturers like Curt and Westin. Find Trailer Hitches for your specific vehicle under "Accessories." Look under "Accessories" in the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab for other towing and trailer parts.

Customize your Jeep with Rampage Products! With parts like Tail Light Guards, Hood Appearance Sets, Fuel Door Covers, Soft Tops, and Grilles, make your Jeep stand out. Find Rampage Products in the "Accessories" and "Body" categories of the RockAuto catalog.

Protect your truck bed and valuable cargo with Tonneau Covers by Lund and Stampede, available from RockAuto in different materials and styles. Secure your tools and other property with BrandIt's seriously tough Tool Boxes. Install a durable and affordable truck bed liner with Al's Liner Truck Bed Liner Spray. Find Tonneau Covers and Truck Tool Boxes for your specific truck under "Accessories." Find Truck Bed Liner Spray under "Accessories" in the "Tools & Universal Parts" tab.

Through September 30, 2018, take advantage of a $75 rebate on Lund Tonneau Covers! See Lund rebate details and learn about other current manufacturer rebates on RockAuto’s Promotions & Rebates page. While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" Star next to the part names to help you save even more on RockAuto’s reliably low prices!

For over 30 years, Enginetech has been providing mechanics with some of the highest quality engine rebuild and repair parts available for virtually all engines. From high performance motors to the hard working engines in daily-drivers, Enginetech parts are designed to meet or exceed original equipment specifications.

During the month of August, RockAuto customers can take advantage of an exclusive 10% instant rebate on all Enginetech Rod and Main Bearings! There are no special codes or rebate forms to fill out and no limit to your potential savings! The rebate savings has already been applied to RockAuto.com's reliably low prices! Simply buy Enginetech parts by the end of August.

You can find Enginetech Rod & Main Bearings, along with the full line of Enginetech parts available for your specific vehicle, in the “Engine” category of the RockAuto.com catalog.

JeepGarage.org is a forum open to all Jeep enthusiasts! The primary focus is on the Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2, WK & WJ Models), but you will also find plenty of topics focused on other modern Jeeps.

JeepGarage.org is filled with technical sections featuring discussions on everything from DIY tech tips and troubleshooting, to modifications and enhancements to increase performance, to topics on changing your Jeep's appearance to make it your own.

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 marketing@rockauto.com.

Back in the '90s, I was a lead tech in an Alfa Romeo/Saab dealership. A customer brought in an '88 Alfa Spider with a complaint that the car lost power when making left turns. After driving the car several times while taking note of the concern, I formulated a diagnostic plan. I went back to the shop and installed a fuel pressure gauge and my digital multimeter to monitor supply voltage to the ECM.

We had a service drive entrance at the back of the shop that had a left-hand turn in it. I found this to be the perfect place to perform my test drives to replicate the problem. I would repeatedly drive the same route changing test points with my multimeter to try to isolate the problem. The final time I rounded the turn, I looked down to watch the meter, and when I looked up...a co-worker was driving into the shop from the opposite direction. By the time I buried the brake pedal to the floor, I had also managed to bury the nose of the Spider into the Chrysler K-car she was driving.

Despite the considerable damage caused by the impact to the car (and my ego), that accident helped solve the drivability problem! The impact caused the battery to break free from its mounting and sever the poor ground causing the fault. Over my years as a technician, I have grown fond of the taste of humble pie!

David in Idaho

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!

Which of these vehicles does NOT have a radiator?

A. 1971 Volkswagen Beetle
B. 1994 Subaru Justy
C. 2012 Nissan Leaf
D. All the above

Answer below

The original heater core in my '86 Ford Mustang lasted less than fifteen years. The original heater core in my wife's '93 Ford Tempo is still leak-free after more than a quarter century. Regularly changing the coolant/antifreeze will reduce corrosion and help maximize a heater core's life span, but that life span is still unknowable. The half dozen or so heater core failures I have personally experienced over the years have taught me it is also impossible to know if a failing heater core will give me time to notice a slow leak (wet carpet, film on windows, drips on garage floor...) or if there will only be a sudden massive heater core leak that drains the radiator.

That is why I carry some emergency hose, clamps and push-on unions in the vehicle to bypass the heater core. Instead of being stranded, I can quickly disconnect the heater hoses from the leaky heater core, splice them together and keep driving. I have discovered it is also a good idea to check my emergency heater core bypass kit at least once a decade in case I borrowed and never returned a part or two from it.

I start building a kit by looking up my vehicle's Heater Core under "Heat & Air Conditioning" in the RockAuto.com catalog. Clicking one of the Heater Core's "Info" buttons will tell me the size of the heater core's inlet and outlet pipes. 3/4 inch and 5/8 inch are common sizes. Then I will look under my vehicle's hood to see how much slack there is in the heater hoses and how much space is available around the heater core's pipe nipples. This will tell me if I can simply splice the heater hoses together with one "Push-On Union" (found in the catalog under "Tools & Universal Parts") or if it would be easier to splice in a piece of straight or molded heater hose and use two push-on unions.

Below are some examples of 3/4 inch and 5/8 inch diameter Push-On Unions and U-shaped molded heater hoses that could go into a heater core emergency bypass kit (RockAuto has other diameters as well):

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

My father bought this 1978 Chrysler New Yorker new. It was not driven for 25 years after he passed away. But, my son wanted his bride to arrive to their wedding in his grandfather's car. It took 1 1/2 months, and a lot of help from a good friend, to wake up the car and get it running and presentable for the wedding. Parts from RockAuto included a carburetor, shocks, all the hoses, all the belts, all the filters, all the fluids, a battery, spark plugs and thermostat.

The car and the bride looked great arriving to the wedding!

Thanks RockAuto,
Keith in Wisconsin

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.

Which of these vehicles does NOT have a radiator?

Answer A. 1971 Volkswagen Beetle
B. 1994 Subaru Justy
C. 2012 Nissan Leaf
D. All the above

Back up to trivia question