Used car parts

Archive for December, 2006

Used car parts

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

Did you know CarSpareFinder is not just for new car parts but for used car parts as well. When you make a request you can specify new, reconditions or used car parts (or van parts).
Getting used car parts can actually save you money and in perfect working order. The used car parts might be off a recently damaged vehicle, but that does not mean the used car part is damaged. For example a car is in a front collision and has to be written off, however the rear remains as new. Breakers get the car and take off all the good used car parts and sell as used car parts.
So just remember sometimes used car parts is just as good as new, and can save some pennies for other things such as beer or Christmas.

Posted in UK Automotive Sector | No Comments »

My car gearbox problem

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

Well here is a little true story about my Nissan Micra Hollywood 1995. It started about 3 months ago and a scratching sound appeared when driving. It was shuttle and quite and at this point and of my car parts could be to blame. I thought it might be the car engine in which case i would have sold the car for scrap since it is worth nothing. Anyway.
I was not too bothered about the noise, i got to work ok and did my normal weekly routines. Over the next few weeks the scratching sound only occurred in 1st gear, thus narrowing it down to the car gearbox or my car engine, however i did nothing.
A few weeks later the scratching sound had spread to gears 1 to 4, only leaving 5 as a healthy gear. With my family convinced i was going to die in a car accident and everyone who got in the car told me to get it checked, i did just that.
They confirmed it was my car gearbox and it was completely broken. They wanted to supply the gearbox themselves for 200 GBP, however i used CarSpareFinder to find a car gearbox for 143 GPB located near me so i picked it up and got it fixed.
My car has now been fine for several months, so im happy. rock on my 1995 Nissan micra hollywood!

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How to check car parts - car engine

Tuesday, December 12th, 2006

ever wondered how to check certain car parts when buying a car, well here is our new section and its all about how to check car parts so you know your getting your moneys worth.
Our first post is on checking a car engine. This is a much needed post because a salesman can make up a nice looking car, but you don’t know whats underneath the hood.
Firstly you could get the car engine and the entire car checked by a specialist. but if not then here are a few simple rules.
Firstly check the car engine levels e.g. oil, and water. The oil should be dark black for a diesel and a yellow/orange color for petrol. If the oil level is low then you can suspect lack of maintenance and possible damage in the future. It may also represent a leak so check for those.
Try as much as you can to look at the internal car engine parts. These hidden parts can give allot away. What you should look for in the car engine parts is sludge from the oil. If there is a buildup of oil sludge it suggests that the oil has not been changed in a while and bad maintenance has occurred.
If you can check the oil pressure then do so because low oil pressure means the engine is on the way out. Other checks should be on any repairs made to the vehicle. are they hiding bad parts?
Many people check the car engine oil levels and water levels of their washer but never the engine water which contains water and antifreeze. If this is low or you find oil in it it may suggest a engine radiator problem. It should be clean and transparent and within the min and max levels, else you don’t buy the vehicle or get it fixed immediately.
One obvious test is to drive it. From this you can tell some errors such as lights coming on and increased emissions (e.g. smoke) from the exhaust. Note there should be no smoke at all. You can also listen to the car engine, does it sound normal? does it feel right?
Finally a often forgotten rule, check the millage and if it has loads of millage (over 100 000 miles) then think about what your going to use the car for, if its anything major then get a lower millage vehicle.
Remember if the car engine is damaged the car wont last long and you will have have thrown your money away