Car Repair Parts

Finding the correct car repair parts can be difficult. Even the most basic modern vehicles have countless electronic sensors and numerous on-board diagnosis systems. Some of these systems may require special tools and equipment, but a sizable amount of repair work is still within the abilities of an at-home mechanic.

The search for the right part begins with proper diagnosis. It's all too easy to simply buy parts based on a certain symptom or engine trouble code. This may work sometimes, but it is important to remember that self-diagnosis performed by computer controlled cars boils down to one clichéd saying: "Garbage in, garbage out."

This means that the malfunction sensed by the vehicle's engine computer might actually be based on inaccurate information gathered from malfunctioning sensors. Because of this, it is very important to conduct electrical tests on suspected parts before buying replacements. Time and money aside, it is quite annoying to fit a new part to a car only to have the same issue reoccur.

This is why the most important tool for any technician is a digital multimeter (or DVOM). Multimeters are used to measure electrical amperage, voltage and resistance. All of these readings are used in a number of ways to check electrical operation. There are many expensive meters available from various vendors, but a good basic meter can generally be purchased from Radio Shack for about $20.

When it comes to testing electrical components, vehicle service manuals are a necessity. They list proper electrical readings as well as connector locations. Not every manual will be able to document every possible test, but all will give useful breakdowns of how systems work, and important sensors to check. There are a few major publishers who produce quality manuals for most cars.

Chilton (http://chilton.cengage.com/) and Haynes (http://www.haynes.com/) write good service manuals for virtually all makes and models. Bentley Publishers (http://www.bentleypublishers.com/) are the standard source for European cars, but can also be excellent source for domestic models.

Once the diagnosis has been completed, there are a few helpful steps that can be taken to make sure the correct replacement part goes on the car. When ordering parts from a dealer, it always helps to have the part number available. Many times, the easiest way to find the part number is to check for a stamping somewhere on the part itself. Not every part will have this, but it never hurts to check.