Bring the rugged outdoors into your truck, car or SUV with RockAuto's selection of new Dash Designs Camo print Seat Covers and Dash Board Covers! Proudly made in the USA, Dash Designs uses premium quality fabrics to ensure your new Seat or Dash Board Cover will stand the test of time.

Dash Designs' Custom-Fit Camo Seat Covers, available in both solid and two-tone patterns, are waterproof and easy to clean. The Neosupreme fabric provides a balance of durability and comfort, while protecting your seats from dirt, spills, pets and kids. Offered in a wide variety of Camo patterns, these super-tough go-anywhere fabrics ensure your vehicle's seats will have stylish good looks while always being protected from daily hazards.

Dash Designs' Camo Dashboard Covers are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and their vehicles. These Dash Board Covers feature TrueTimber® DRT™ and TrueTimber® Kanati™ premium materials that are tough and durable to withstand harsh environments. With a 5-year warranty, custom fit and rugged good looks, these camouflage dash covers provide protection that really stands out.

Camouflage not the style you prefer for your vehicle? Dash Designs makes a wide selection of prints with multiple color and fabric options. Find the Seat Cover or Dash Board Cover that compliments your vehicle's interior in the RockAuto.com catalog under the "Interior" category.

Shop RockAuto.com to get your holiday shopping done early; no need to worry about "supply chains" or searching for sales. RockAuto's prices are reliably low every day of the year!

Give tools for successful repairs/maintenance.

Caliper Piston Compressor, Impact Sockets, Folding Lug Wrench, Driver Extension, Repair Manual, Cordless Grease Gun

Accessories that increase enjoyment and performance.

Wireless Virtual Dashboard, Rear View Mirror, Exhaust Tip, Emblems (in the "Body & Lamp Assembly" category), LED Headlamp Replacement, D-Ring Shackle

Not sure what someone needs or would enjoy? Make your gift giving easy with a RockAuto Gift Certificate! A Gift Certificate will let the recipient get the parts or tools they most want!

The Honda CR-V Owners Club forum is an online hang-out to discuss CVT, Hybrids, trim levels and all things Honda CR-V. With over half a million posts covering all generations and variants (including UK & other international markets), find the information you need or join a discussion on topics such as modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance 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 December of 1970, my grandfather called my uncle to tell him he could not back his car out of the garage. There was speculation that the transmission was shot. My uncle and cousin picked me up, and we eagerly went to help my grandfather.

My uncle got behind the wheel and tried to back Grandpa's 1954 Chevy Bel Air out of the garage. The wheels did not move. The cement floor was old and uneven with several icy spots. A quick look revealed the tires were literally frozen in place! That had to be the reason the car would not move. We used hammers and crowbars to break free the frozen rubber. My uncle again tried to back the car out but to no avail. We then shifted the car into neutral so we could push it out. Needing additional leverage, we put our backs against the garage wall and pushed while our feet were on the bumper. The big Chevy did not budge.

Tired, limbs frozen, noses running, we were ready to give up. My uncle got back into the car for another attempt to back it out of the garage. It was then that he realized the parking brake was on...

John in Minnesota

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!

What is GeVeCo battery service?

A. A new (in 2020), SPADR funded company that plans to use the energy stored in electric cars' propulsion batteries to mine Bitcoin whenever the vehicles are parked for more than 15 minutes.

B. A network of battery chargers to be built around New England and Ontario capable of charging most electric vehicles in less than 15 minutes with minimal shortening of the battery's lifespan.

C. Electric trucks sold by a subsidiary of General Electric quickly exchange their depleted batteries for freshly charged ones. This battery exchange service was operational from 1910 to 1924.

Answer below

I did not notice my 2014 Dodge Challenger had a Battery Vent Tube until I lifted its dead battery out of the well in the trunk floor and the tube's connector popped out of the battery's vent hole. Luckily, the plastic connector did not break or go flying off into dark recesses, never to be seen again.

The Challenger is the first and only vehicle in the family fleet to have a battery vent tube, but vent tubes have been standard equipment for decades on BMWs and other vehicles that have the battery located in the trunk, below the floor or under the seat. Even a battery mounted under the hood may have a battery vent tube if the battery is mounted near the air intake for the interior's ventilation system.

Battery vent tubes are intended to prevent flammable, corrosive and/or smelly gases (oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur dioxide...) from being released into the interior. The tubes typically pass through a grommet to vent any pressurized gases outside the vehicle.

Car batteries were relatively gassy/leaky thirty years ago and definitely needed vent tubes. Modern absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery designs are so robust, RockAuto ships them to customers via regular FedEx trucks without having to worry about gasses, leaks or spills. To maximize safety, even newer vehicles with original equipment AGM batteries still often come from the factory with battery vent tubes. There is a chance that even some AGM batteries may vent gases if badly overcharged, excessive pressure builds up and an internal safety valve opens.

Batteries with ports for battery vent tubes typically have ports at both the positive and negative ends. As with my Challenger, the battery vent tube's nipple is inserted in the closest port, and the opposite port is blocked with a plug that comes with the battery; pre-installed in one port or the other.

Battery vent tubes may need to be replaced after becoming brittle over time or getting damaged during a battery installation. Replacement Battery Vent Tubes with the correct length of hose, grommet, etc. for specific vehicles are found under "Electrical" in the RockAuto.com catalog. What also comes to mind is all the kit cars, hot rods, race cars, antique vehicles, etc. with batteries relocated to the interior. The replacement Battery Vent Tube for several different generations of BMWs (part number SK924254) is an inexpensive, convenient way to get a long length of tubing, a grommet and the plastic connector that inserts into the battery vent port.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

This is my 2004 Mini Cooper S, which I bought in 2017. I was a college student for the first three years I owned it, so I learned how to work on cars by fixing and maintaining it myself. I have done some performance modifications to it, but a majority of the work has been to keep it running, with most of the parts purchased from RockAuto. I have lost track of how many parts, but my largest projects were a complete front suspension rebuild and replacing the clutch assembly.

Erika in Massachusetts (RockAuto customer for over three years)

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! For submission instructions and tips for taking pictures of your car, please visit our Photography Tips & Submission Info page

What is GeVeCo battery service?

A. A new (in 2020), SPADR funded company that plans to use the energy stored in electric cars' propulsion batteries to mine Bitcoin whenever the vehicles are parked for more than 15 minutes.

B. A network of battery chargers to be built around New England and Ontario capable of charging most electric vehicles in less than 15 minutes with minimal shortening of the battery's lifespan.

Answer: C. Electric trucks sold by a subsidiary of General Electric quickly exchange their depleted batteries for freshly charged ones. This battery exchange service was operational from 1910 to 1924. (source: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6384804)

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