1.4. Acquisition of spare parts
An important role at repair work is played by use of the spare parts and quality expendables intended for your car.
In general spare parts can be subdivided into two big groups:
Original spare parts. These spare parts extend through official representative offices of the companies manufacturers of cars, always have original packing and the corresponding marking. At the same time quality of a detail is guaranteed by producers of the car. In warehouses of official representatives of the manufacturing company usually there are in assortment all spare parts for the car of this brand. If any detail is absent, it is possible to deliver it in the shortest terms from the central warehouse.
Stereotyped spare parts. Definition "stereotyped" tells nothing about quality of details. It means only that they are on sale not in company packing of the manufacturing company of the car and extend not through official representative offices. The main frame of this group is made by the known manufacturing firms of spare parts delivering to a detail to assembly lines sometimes at once of several automobile plants. In a type of high power of the production similar firms provide also delivery of spare parts for sale in the free market. Such details have packing and marking of the producer of the spare part and are not of a lower quality than original spare parts at much lower cost at all (the difference in the price can reach 50%). However, the range is usually a little more modest in view of the fact that for free sale try to release only the most running, the details which are in the greatest demand. Many wholesale western merchants spare parts use own packing, buying the big range of stereotyped details in large lots directly from producers and selling them under own trademark. Stereotyped spare parts, as a rule, extend through independent shops of automobile accessories, automobile repair shops and the service station (SS).
Special attention should be paid to quality of the acquired spare parts. Try to avoid purchase of absolutely cheap details (in comparison with original and stereotyped details of production of well-known companies) as often they do not meet standards of quality and safety. If installation of a second-grade decorative molding is capable to affect negatively only appearance of the car, then use of low-standard brake blocks / an oil filter poses threat to security of traffic and can be the reason of serious damage of the engine. At the same time costs of recovery repair time many times over exceed the sum saved upon purchase of a cheap detail. Told means that it is necessary to try to use services of official representative offices of the company manufacturer of the car (original parts), or well proved suppliers of stereotyped spare parts.
There is also a possibility of acquisition of the restored details, at the same time the old, failed element usually is given in exchange for restored. This approach is most productive when replacing such difficult, expensive components as knots of the power unit, the generator, a starter, etc. The marked service is provided by both official representative offices of the manufacturing company of the car, and independent suppliers of spare parts and allows to cut down significantly expenses on car repairs. At the same time the firm offering the restored unit usually gives on it almost same guarantee, as on new.
Identification of spare parts
As it was already mentioned above, the companies manufacturers of cars, being typical representatives of mass production, seek to improve constantly the production, constantly making certain changes and additions to a design of the produced models. Can happen so that within one series and one option of execution of the car some knots and units in insignificant degree will differ from each other, and the spare part intended for a complete set of cars of one, for example, earlier year of release will not be suitable for others, released later. In view of told, at acquisition of spare parts it is very important to provide to the seller the fullest information on the vehicle.
Besides a standard data set, including year of release, body type, option of execution of a body, number of the chassis, number of the engine, etc., the seller can be interested in the following data:
- Transmission type;
- Power supply system type;
- Whether any additional equipment is installed on the car (for example, an additional heater, more powerful generator, the air conditioner, etc.);
- Whether the catalytic converter is included in the model package;
- Installation site of the acquired detail.
If for any reason the documents reflecting the listed data no, it makes sense to consult previously at specialists of representative office of the company manufacturer of the car.
Sometimes, buying this or that spare part, it is useful to take with itself for comparison the old, subject to replacement detail.