Tag Archives: OES
How to Save Money While Keeping Your Car Value High
Whether it’s your first car, or your fifth, I’m sure you want to take good care of it, either to keep it running longer, or have a better resale value. Let’s face it: the current state of the economy is not presenting a good picture, and with this in mind, it is all the more important to find the best ways to get the maximum value for your vehicle.
Repairs and replacements are costs that are necessary to keep your car in top shape. However, there are several tips that you can follow to save instead of spending more and more. If you are practical and willing, with a few simple tricks in mind, you will able to save more bucks and lengthen your car’s value.
Use the right parts
When I say you can save money by buying the right parts, it does not necessarily mean that you should only buy the parts that are the cheapest. You should be wise in deciding when it is better to buy parts straight from your car manufacturer’s dealers, and when it is more advisable to buy replacement parts from OEM, or aftermarket parts sellers. As a rough guide, if the original parts and the replacement parts cost almost the same, perhaps it is better to buy the original. However, if the price difference is big, and the OEM and OES parts are being sold by reliable sources, and at the same time, they are non-critical components, then buying those parts should be preferred. For example, most parts under the chassis, like small bearings, tie rods, rack ends, etc. can be easily replaced by cheaper alternatives without posing much risks. If you do choose to buy the original for the more critical parts, you can still get discounts if you shop from reliable online sources who cut middlemen costs to make parts more affordable.
Treat your car with occasional carwash service
Before you raise your eyebrows in doubt, yes, I know that washing your car by yourself seems like the better way to save money. However, if you don’t know the proper way to clean your car, you might end up causing unwanted damage. Sure, it can appear like a simple task: just get the cleaning instruments, a generous splashing of water, and you’re good. But is you’re not careful, your vehicle’s paint and finish might be damaged by simply using the wrong type of detergent, or brushing too hard. Over time, they may even develop into micro-abrasions and even scratches.
I suggest you go to a carwash once in a while, and really observe the process. Admit, most car owners wouldn’t be able to clean their cars with the same quality as do the professional carwashers. An occasional trip should not hurt your wallet too much, especially when the result will be a spic-and-span car that would last longer. Also, once you master the art of carwashing by observing, you can then buy the right instruments, use them over and over again, and save even more money.
Don’t skip the Oil Change
Changing oil is probably the most common car maintenance practice there is, and every car owner should be familiar with it. As basic tips for saving money on oil change, you should be smart in choosing where is the best place to change the oil, and which oil is inexpensive, but with good quality.
Get involved and not just leave your car to some garage or independent service station who might skimp on the use of quality materials and products. Beware as well of some service stations who try to delay the time prompting you to give a “tip” for speedier mechanic service. You can also have your oil changed in the dealerships, but it would be more costly. But of course, you would be assured of the better quality and other advantages.
Pay attention to your AC compressor
If you are the type who ignores minor problems manifested by your air conditioning system, you just might encounter big problems eventually. Most AC compressors ultimately fail because of age, and when this happens, repair would not cost cheap. Normally, you would have to replace several parts, like the expansion valve, evaporating coil, condensing oil, etc. So, you should have a reliable source where you can buy discounted, yet quality parts.
Another option is to find a certified and trusted mechanic who can rebuild the compressor for you. There may not be plenty of shops offering this service, but if you are able to find one, they can take your compressor and rebuild it using working parts from other compressors.
These are just some of the ways to save money, while at the same time, take care of your car to keep its value high. If you remember these tips, whether there is recession or not, you and your car would surely benefit from them for life.
If you would like to purchase high-quality parts with great discounts, please check out Autopartsway.com.
Tips and Terms for Smart Auto Parts Shopping
Ever wondered or been confused about codes and acronyms when checking out auto parts online? It can be difficult to find the best part if you do not fully understand what the terms mean. Also, there are some misconceptions about some types of parts that may lead you buying the more inferior products. So read-on and know the truth about the smart way to shop for auto parts.
Here are some basic terms to start:
- Original Equipment (OE) – a generic term that refers to the brand that came as original equipment of the car, either manufactured by the carmaker, or made by a supplier, but ends of being branded with the carmaker’s name. Note though, that most auto manufacturers assemble the cars from component parts that they purchase from suppliers, and mostly manufacture only their own sheet metal components.
- Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) – the company that manufactures the products or components that are purchased by the auto manufacturer. In this case, the purchased parts are sold in retail under the purchasing company’s brand name. OEM then specifies the name of the company that originally manufactured that product.
- Original Equipment Supplier (OES) – Mostly the same with OEM, these are genuine parts manufactured by a company other than the auto manufacturer. So, these parts are “supplied” by those original manufacturers, in those manufacturers’ brand names. Examples of popular OEMs and OES are Bosch, Bilstein, Boge, and many others.
- Aftermarket parts – These are non-OEM replacement parts that are not made by the car manufacturer. They can be made by an OEM company, or by a completely different manufacturer. These aftermarket manufacturers usually buy the rights to reproduce the same parts and sell them to the same distributors of the OEM/OES parts. Although these companies are not associated with the car manufacturer, many aftermarket companies have proven to make parts of the same, sometimes even better quality, than the ones that originally come with the car, at a much lower price, through cutting the middlemen much like in OEM/OES.
- Dealer Only Parts – Some parts, especially for cars which only 2 years or less, are only available through the car dealers. This is because some OEM/OES companies cannot independently release the parts because of licensing agreements. After a few years though, is when most OEM/OES companies are free to sell the very same parts under their names. Although a bit inconvenient, buying dealer-only parts can be an advantage to the customer for warranty reasons, exceptionally if the car is very new.
PROs
The most basic advantage of OEM/OES and Aftermarket Parts are the cheaper price, for some reasons:
- OEM/OES parts are less expensive simply because they do not go through the car manufacturer’s parts system. OE parts are more expensive because every time an OE part goes through the long process and many transfers from the OEM factory, to the warehouse or parts depot of the carmaker, to the dealer, to the customer, the cost of the part increases. Put simply, buying OEM/OES parts cuts the “middleman” by buying the exact same parts from the original maker.
- Many people don’t know that many OEM/OES brands are not only normal, but in some cases, they are actually mandated by international standards as part of the qualifications for ISO certifications.
- This is the same with Aftermarket parts. Because they are sold by the part manufacturers, they are cheaper. The advantage is that these cheaper, differently-branded parts will work just as well as the OE parts or other branded parts. Technically speaking, there are some car parts that will perform similarly even with parts from different brands.
- There are also aftermarket parts that are not OE, but have better quality than OE. There are cases when the car manufacturer does not select a certain parts supplier, even when they produce the better product. In this case, they are branded as aftermarket parts. A good example is Stewart EMP BMW water pumps. Stewart EMP is not an OE, nor an OEM/OES, but the pumps they make are known and tested to be better and stronger than the BMW OE.
CONs
While it is completely acceptable and safe to buy aftermarket parts, be careful not to be “conned” by some knock-offs! This is the biggest burden of reliable “aftermarket parts” companies. There are some countries where reverse-engineered fake parts are not forbidden, and so there are some fake parts that hit some markets. It is not rocket science: if it’s a knock-off, it is probably made of substandard products that may harm instead of help your car. If it’s a perfectly working, yet cheaper product, then they can be sold as they are, and not as fake goods. There is a huge difference between big discounts made by OEM/OES and genuine aftermarket producers through cutting middleman costs, and knock-off parts that are way too cheap to be real.
But although aftermarket parts sometimes receive a bad reputation because of those companies that make knock-offs, there are many more respected sources that make high quality aftermarket parts. Autopartsway carries aftermarket parts only from these respected manufacturers, which add to a huge selection of OEM parts. In addition, Autopartsway has excellent Customer Service Policies, valid shipping methods, secure and trusted payment systems that are proven by its many satisfied customers.
With more than 4.2 million parts available, http://www.autopartsway.com/carparts.cfm is your trusted online parts source with incredible lowest price guarantees for genuine parts. If you would like to be a smart shopper, look no further. AutoPartsWAY.com is the best way to buy auto parts online.
