RockAuto is excited to announce the addition of Dynamic Friction to our ever expanding selection of brake parts! Dynamic Friction Company (DFC) is an award winning brake components manufacturer headquartered in Southern California. Their part portfolio includes rotors, brake pads, calipers, drums, brake shoes, master cylinders, wheel cylinders, hardware kits, and brake sensors.

DFC's mission is to deliver quality, innovation, and value by manufacturing OE quality brake products for both foreign and domestic vehicles. OEM technology is advancing every year. DFC's research and development department is dedicated to ensure every part meets or exceeds OEM standards using the latest technologies. All parts go through an extensive quality control process before leaving their facility to ensure perfect fitment and performance.

Whether you need ceramic low-dust Brake Pads for a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300, drilled and slotted Rotors for a 2011 Lincoln Navigator, silver zinc coated Calipers for a 2007 Hyundai Sonata or Brake Shoes for a 1936 Chevy Truck, you can find DFC's brake parts in the "Brake & Wheel Hub" section of the RockAuto catalog.

Right-to-Repair will be on the ballot in Massachusetts. Visit www.autocare.org/government-affairs/issues/massachusetts-right-to-repair to learn more.

The TundraTalk.net forum offers the most comprehensive collection of Toyota Tundra information. Find discussions on the Toyota Tundra Diesel, TRD Pro, SR5, lift kits, towing capacity 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.

Recently, I replaced the strut assemblies and sway bar links on my wife's 2009 Honda CR-V. Shortly thereafter, when the car would go over bumps, I would hear a clunking noise on the front passenger side. Were the new parts I installed defective or did I not install them correctly? I went through the effort to remove and inspect both the sway bar link and strut assemblies. Everything seemed fine and worked okay. After getting the car to a driveable state, I went on another test drive but the clunking noise was still there!

Defeated, I put everything back together...and noticed that the windshield washer fluid reservoir was loose! Apparently the 2009 CRV has a two piece reservoir and the top part is held in by a plastic clip. The clip had broken off at some point and had gone unnoticed. After I pushed in a new clip the noise was gone!

Andrew in Maryland

Two piece construction of a 2009 Honda CR-V windshield washer fluid reservoir

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 the array of electronics in this car's trunk?

A. The first car phone built by Bell System and Motorola in 1946.
B. A Geiger counter data recorder intended to measure radiation levels at a nuclear test site (Ranger) in Nevada in 1951.
C. Equipment to generate variable noise frequencies and decibel levels used during development of Preston Tucker's prototype rear engine powered (589 cid!) Tucker 48 car.

Answer below

Complete assemblies are often great for everybody; car manufacturers, DIYers and professional mechanics. For example, a Strut/Coil Spring/Mount Assembly that arrives ready to install saves time and helps ensure success whether the vehicle is moving down the assembly line or is getting its suspension freshened-up after years on the road. On the other hand, an example of a complete assembly that really only benefited car manufacturers is the door lock actuator/door latch combo.

Starting in the '90s, car manufacturers realized every car was being built with power door locks. Why not save money and reduce the potential for assembly errors by consolidating the power door lock motor and door latch into one complete unit that arrives from the part manufacturer ready to install.

Unfortunately for the car owner, that meant a formerly inexpensive part that typically included just a motor, gear and/or lock-button linkage was now built into a model-specific black box that also included the door latch, linkage for the door handle and perhaps even some electronics for features like keyless entry. A new door lock actuator assembly for some new cars now cost hundreds of dollars and might only be available from a car dealer ("dealer-only"). Imagine being the professional mechanic who had to tell a customer that fixing one door lock now costs $400 instead of the $100 price for his/her previous car.

There are plenty of how-to videos online where intrepid souls cut apart the black boxes and surgically replace only the door lock motors using parts for older models and then glue everything back together. I imagine harsh words may be uttered if the MacGyvered old part has another failing piece inside, like a stripped plastic gear, and all the work was for naught.

The new door lock actuator/latch assemblies are usually not harder to replace than door lock actuators on older cars. Typically, the car battery is disconnected, the door panel is removed, wiring harnesses and linkages are unclipped (lock button and door handle), latch bolts are taken out, the old part is fished out of the door and then the process is reversed. (Find Repair Manuals with instructions for specific vehicles under "Literature" in the RockAuto.com catalog.)

Thankfully, RockAuto's part manufacturers gradually design and build new replacement parts and end some of the "dealer-only" part cartels. For many late-model vehicle owners, replacing a door lock actuator can once again be an enjoyable repair that may cost more than it used to but does not break the bank. Some of those how-to videos quote door lock actuator prices that are two or three times what the part now costs at RockAuto. See Door Lock Actuators available for your specific vehicles listed under "Body" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

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

I purchased this 1990 Cavalier Z24 in 2016 from the original owner who had it hidden away in a barn (almost cliche now, but 100% true in my case!). The previous owner had stashed it away in 1995, and while in storage, it had become infested with mice. That was not a problem for me as I have owned three other Cavalier Z24s from this generation. Challenge accepted!

Upon bringing the car home, I proceeded to take the next two years and rebuilt it from the ground up. The entire car was gone through, from the engine, to the wiring, to the interior. It was all replaced. The only thing kept from the car was the body and major suspension components. The old 3.1L V6 was swapped out for a tuned 3400 from a Grand Am GT. The automatic transmission was replaced with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Every nut and bolt was cleaned, powder coated, and reassembled. Many RockAuto sourced parts were utilized in the rebuild including brakes, body and interior parts, electrical, engine, filters, fuel system, steering, suspension, etc. Without RockAuto, the restoration would have taken a lot longer and surely would have cost more money.

I have only accrued 1,200 miles on the car since completing the restoration. Since very few people saved these "disposable" entry-level cars from the 1980s and 1990s, they are virtually non-existent (especially in the Midwest Rust Belt), and my car gets a lot of comments and waves as I drive it when the weather permits.

Brad in Illinois

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! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with the vehicle history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

What is the array of electronics in this car's trunk?

Answer: A. The first car phone built by Bell System and Motorola in 1946.
B. A Geiger counter data recorder intended to measure radiation levels at a nuclear test site (Ranger) in Nevada in 1951.
C. Equipment to generate variable noise frequencies and decibel levels used during development of Preston Tucker's prototype rear engine powered (589 cid!) Tucker 48 car.

(trivia photos courtesy of Robert L. “Bob” Burchett)

Back up to trivia question