Time to get the A/C Season in shape for summer. Don’t want to be stuck in the heat without AC.

Service your A/C System every 60K miles. Take it to a licensed repair facility and have them evacuate and recharge your system. During this they will replace the ac compressor oil which is key to long life.

A couple of tips if you need to replace any ac components;

1. Always buy new. You can get lots of new A/C Compressors here.
2. Always change the drier and orifice tube (if applicable)
3. Always flush the system and put in new oil and new freon.

A/C systems are violent and difficult, not worth cutting corners on. Should be done by a licensed mechanic or someone who has worked on these.

I get alot of questions about Bushing. (Alot of questions.) Half of them involve what they are. They are literally in every part of the car. They are esentially a connector between two pieces of metal. Most have some sort of rubber for impact absorbption. This article has to do with the Steering Rack bushings.

The rack and pinion steering unit goes the width of the car and thus has to mount somewhere. Usually there are two to three mount point and all have a bushing. The steering rack bushing can be a rubber grommet in the mount or a just a piece of rubber that goes inside a strap mount. These should always be inspected when replacing a rack. Worn or damanged bushings will cause too much movement and ultimately damage the steering gear.

The rule of thumb is that if they are pressed in, meaning they are permanent and do not get removed then you are good. If they are inserts and removeable you should change them.

If you have a old Ford, Dodge, any sort of bluebird or large truck you might have a York ac compressor. This was a very common Ford ac compressor on 70’s trucks and motorhomes. These are funny looking compressors, you can view a picture of York compressor here

The number could look like this.
ET 210L-25150
ER 210L-25149

You will often find part numbers like this on the compressor. This numbers Identify exactly what compressor it is.
1. E is Starting digit
2. T= TUBE-O and R= Rotolock Fittings
3. 210 is capacity.
4. L is left hand suction. R is right hand suction
5. The last 5 numbers are just code.

With this number you can call a ac compressor shop and they can find the part. You can call Discount AC Parts at 1-800-398-3128 if you don’t have a local shop. Most York compressors run $285-$350 new and $245-$295 for reman. The big issue on the York is that you will need to purchase the clutch separately. Get the diameter and number of grooves to figure that out.

As with all ac compressors, you should do a complete install by replacing the drier and doing a flush.

Have been getting alot of inquiries on Chevrolet Trailblazer Wheel Hubs recently. Don’t be alarmed. Looking at some sales data, it looks as though they are failing frequently.

A couple of things to keep in mind. Best to go with a new wheel hub unit. You never know what you are getting with used. As always, go with a good supplier or you’ll be in trouble. I like CarPartsWarehouse.com (1-800-565-5021) for a couple of reasons. 1. Best price to quality ratio. 2. because you can talk to someone that knows parts and 3. The big one for me; they are in the same building as the parts. They can walk out and look at anything you need.

Good news is that installation on a hub bearing assembly is straight forward. Get the car raised and the tire off. Its pretty straight forward. A good mechanic can do 1 in 10 minutes are the car is lifted. A backyard mechanic can do it, Just leave yourself and hour or so.

So I got a tip on a problem part, a Mercedes Benz ML320 Steering pump. Looks like all 1998-2005 ML pumps are failing at very high rate. I’ve heard complaints of noise, low assist, pressure problems. Looks like bad bearings in the pump. The same part fits all of the ML series, including ML320, ML430 and ML500.

The good news is that the price on these has come down a good bit. They used to be about $600. CarSteering.com (1-800-399-7845) has these at $385 Original Equipment or $285 for their brand. Good people there and the best warranty I have heard of.

The other good news is that the new ones are re-designed and fixing the problem. Much better bearing pack internally. Just make sure you do a flush on the system and get good clean fluid in there. Otherwise you could ruin the whole Mercedes Steering Rack which is a much bigger problem.

Just wanted to pass along a message of happy holiday to you and your family. We’ll be taking it mostly easy this month, but look foward to the car shows in January.

Now is a great time to get some good deals on auto parts. December is typically a slow month for auto parts retails, so they usually give good deals right now. Most people wait until the spring to fix their cars, and all the good deals dry up. If you have any repairs, now is a good time to

Car Parts Warhouse - P9Z5N2. This code gives you 10% off your total purchase. no restrictions
Buy Auto Parts - 5PERCENT - This code gives you 5% off and free shipping. No Restictions.
Discount AC Parts - PADRES - This code gives you 10% off any purchase.

if you have any others good deals, please let me know.

Some good things to look at in December. Start with the tires, those are key for good handling in slick weather. Now is a good time to get a deal on those. Check the wiper blades and air filters. Starters and batteries like to freeze up in the winter, check and see how yours is. You don’t want to be left for stranded in a storm.

Someone posed a question. With oil down to $42.24 a barrel, what does that mean for auto parts. What does that mean for cars.

The first answer is that everyone will be back on the roads. If gas is $1.50 a gallon, then everyone will start driving again. I remember during the summer with gas at $4, my commute was 1/3 shorter because so few people were on the roads.

For car parts, it doesn’t mean much. If you find yourself driving more, you need to up the maintenance. Such things as oil changes, spark plugs, O2 Sensor, tire pressure and such should all be kept a close eye on.

Other than than, not much changes on the automotive parts side. If you are in the industry, we should see increased demand for maintenance parts. If you are a driver, just enjoy the ride! We know it won’t last forever.

So one of the interesting things I saw at the show was a Dodge Ram Steering Stabilizer. Check out the picture below, this thing is pretty sweet.


The problem is that the Dodge Ram steering box is that there is lots of play and wander. This is mainly for all full size Ram trucks from about 1994 to about 2003 (when they went to rack and pinion steering) The design of the steering steering was just very bad and all of them develop play.

Rebuilding helps, but this is a much better solution. For about $250 you can get a full kit to beef up your steering. This will also keep a new box from developing play, so its a worthwhile purchase if you are buying a new steering box. Be sure to inspect the steering shaft, those can develop play as well.

After some technical difficulties, we are happy to say we are fully functional again. Starting after the Thanksgiving break we will return to normal.

Thanks again.