Unprecedented times call for unprecedented solutions. Bosch has developed the first automotive aftermarket HEPA Cabin Air Filter. While HEPA filters are not a guarantee against COVID-19 or other viruses, HEPA filters have been recommended by the CDC as a minimum defense.

With the Bosch HEPA Cabin Air Filter, creating a healthier environment inside your vehicle is possible — and installation takes less than 20 minutes on nearly all vehicles! HEPA Cabin Air Filters keep you and your passengers protected from 99.97% (0.3 microns) of air pollutants including mold, dust, allergens and harmful bacteria, making drives more comfortable with noticeably cleaner air inside the vehicle.

Bosch's HEPA Cabin Air Filters are comprised of three layers, unlike regular cabin air filters which typically have two at most. These layers provide outstanding efficiency in trapping particles and dust to provide the cleanest air possible:

• Support Layer – A hard layer designed to support and protect the media on the surface of the filter
• HEPA Layer – Designed to trap microscopic pollutants, including pollen, mold and common allergens
• Cotton Layer – Included to improve the particle-holding capacity as well as prolonging the life of the filter.

During the month of September, Bosch is offering a 15% instant rebate on their HEPA Cabin Air Filters for RockAuto customers. Simply put a Bosch HEPA Cabin Air Filter in your cart to instantly save 15% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices. With coverage for over 75% of vehicles on the road, find these filters for your specific car or truck in the "Heat & Air Conditioning" category of the RockAuto.com catalog.

Are you considering installing coated brake rotors on your vehicle to help maintain through-wheel appearance and provide increased protection against corrosion damage? If so, consider pairing those coated rotors with Centric's Posi-Quiet Pro brake pads! From September 3rd through the 17th, 2020, Centric is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% instant rebate on their entire line of Posi-Quiet (PQ) Pro brake pads.

PQ Pro brake pads were developed to address key issues such as brake fade, weak braking response, and excessive noise that many pads face when paired with rotors coated with anti-corrosion compounds. Featuring Centric’s exclusive Mu500 friction coating, PQ Pro brake pads quickly and efficiently remove the rotor coating from the brake pad swept area while preparing the rotor surface to accept the delivery of the crucial friction transfer film layer required to optimize your braking experience. This provides an immediate increase in stopping power right out of the box and eliminates time consuming break-in procedures.

Whether you are looking for new brake pads for your 2019 Toyota Camry, 2016 Audi A5, 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee, or your 1997 Ford F-150, RockAuto has Centric's PQ Pro pads available for your vehicle. Simply put any set of PQ Pro brake pads in your cart to instantly save 10% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices!

Since 2005, YellowBullet.com has been an online community dedicated to drag racing drivers and enthusiasts. Join the discussion about racing, builds, pro mods, hot rods, events, turbos, nitrous, superchargers and more!

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.

In the early eighties, my daily driver 1971 Plymouth Duster (slant 6 engine, 3 on the tree transmission) developed a new issue that had me stumped. I had been doing all my own maintenance for about 10 years on a variety of cars and this was no different. I was proud that I had even rebuilt the engine on this car (my first rebuild) and it ran great!

One day, after starting, it would suddenly shut off as soon as I released the ignition switch. I thoroughly checked the ignition switch wiring diagrams and felt I was up to the task of checking and/or repairing it.

I was surprised when I finally removed the switch to see several small springs and pieces suddenly go flying! Not to be beaten, I spent the entire weekend checking all the connections in the switch (appeared to be fine), cleaned all the contacts and carefully replaced all the parts and reinstalled the switch. It worked exactly as before. I had not broken anything, but I had not fixed it either. I finally gave up and called my auto electrician friend who laughed at my story and said, "Bring it over and I’ll fix it, but it will cost you $5." I could not believe my eyes when I watched him replace the ignition ballast resistor behind the engine on the firewall (I had no idea what it was), and it worked perfectly thereafter! Lesson learned: Do not be afraid to ask for help when you do not know what you are doing.

Dave in Texas

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 RockAuto 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!

Why are there bumps and bulges all over the whip antennas on some newer cars?

A. Helical antennas with a wire wrapped around a fiberglass core increase radio reception from a shorter length antenna.
B. Metal antennas shaped in a subtle spiral reduce wind noise.
C. This appearance makes the antennas look more high-tech and desirable than antennas on older cars and/or competitors' new cars.
D. All the above

Helical whip & noise reducing metal whip antennas

Answer below

The exhaust pipes on my '71 Ford LTD are don't-you-dare-poke-me-with-that-screwdriver thin after fifty years of corrosion. I have to decide if I am going to duplicate the layout of the original exhaust system which has the pipes oddly meandering all over the underside of the car or work with an exhaust shop to design a custom system offering cooler sounds/performance. No matter what, I am going to have oxygen (O2) sensor bungs welded into the new pipes before they are put on the car. Welding is less work with the pipes off the car, plus it is easier to orient the bungs so that the O2 sensors will be at the top of the pipe where they are less likely to be exposed to moisture.

hodor, hodor, hodor

I was raised in the '70s when "emissions parts" were about as popular as too-small shoes. O2 sensors were one of the first emissions parts that worked as advertised, benefiting the environment while also enabling performance-enhancing fuel injection. Adding oxygen sensors to an older car makes it possible to replace the carburetor with an aftermarket fuel injection system, but it also enables anybody to install an Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge so the driver can monitor the performance of the carburetor or fuel injectors, spark plugs, ignition coils and more from the drivers seat. If too much (rich) or too little (lean) gasoline is in the exhaust then something is broken or incorrectly adjusted.

Some of RockAuto's air/fuel ratio gauges come with O2 sensor bungs and oxygen sensors (check the Info page and any Installation Instructions for the specific gauge). I am just going to have bungs installed during the exhaust work and will decide which gauge I want later.

O2 sensors should be installed close to an exhaust manifold so they heat up quickly and stay hot. I plan to install bungs near both the exhaust manifolds on each side of my car's V8. That way I can have a separate oxygen sensor monitoring each bank of cylinders. A generic switch mounted near the air/fuel ratio gauge will let me decide which cylinder bank's 02 sensor is sending a signal to the gauge. That will make it easier to diagnose if fuel mixture problems start upstream at the intake manifold (carburetor, fuel pressure...) or are occurring in individual cylinders (spark plugs, fuel injectors...).

RockAuto has a selection of stainless steel bungs (TIG welder recommended), carbon steel bungs, bungs already installed in a section of 2 1/4" ID pipe and bung plugs (see photos above). Luckily most (I am always reluctant to say "all") oxygen sensors share the same thread so you can install whatever oxygen sensor is recommended for your gauge. Usually the choice is just between a "wide band" heated oxygen sensor made for a newer car or a "narrow band" oxygen sensor made for an older ('80s, '90s) car.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

This is my 1987 Toyota DLX 4WD pickup I bought about a year ago. It is powered by a 22r engine, with a g52 5 speed transmission and a "gear drive" transfer case. It spent the better part of its life as a backwoods hunting truck in North Carolina, and while largely rust-free compared to similar Toyota trucks, it was mechanically trashed. I rebuilt the front and rear suspension, brakes, engine, fixed a ton of wiring issues, and have slowly been getting it closer to a complete and issue-free Toyota truck (all with parts from RockAuto!). It still has original paint and stripes along with a really cool patina. I only drive the truck about once a week, but it never fails me when I need it. I plan on using the truck for some overlanding/camping in the fall but otherwise it now lives a pretty easy life.

Kolben in South Carolina

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

Why are there bumps and bulges all over the whip antennas on some newer cars?

A. Helical antennas with a wire wrapped around a fiberglass core increase radio reception from a shorter length antenna.
B. Metal antennas shaped in a subtle spiral reduce wind noise.
C. This appearance makes the antennas look more high-tech and desirable than antennas on older cars and/or competitors' new cars.
Answer: D. All the above

Helical whip & noise reducing metal whip antennas

Back up to trivia question