How to Buy Auto Parts

Buying auto parts can seem like a daunting task, and many people are warded off of it simply because they feel overwhelmed. Walking into an auto parts store by itself can seem like walking into an unknown world, and often people who are repairing their cars or having them repaired will allow a repair garage to order the parts and charge extra just because they don’t want to deal with the hassle.

Saving Money

However, you can save yourself much money if you take the time to pick up parts yourself and bring them to a repair garage to have installed. Often all you need is a part number. Other times you will need information about the car, size of the engine, etc. It could actually pay to have all of the possible information you will ever need on a sheet of paper in your glove compartment or wallet/purse.

Preparing to Shop for Auto Parts

On your crib sheet, first write down the make, model and year of your car. This will always be important information no matter what kind of part you are ordering. Underneath that, write down any special designations your car may have. Most of the time this will come in the form of letters.

Next write down the size and other pertinent information about your engine. This will tell a retailer much about the kind of part you’re looking for if it will affect the engine and its workings. For instance, if you need to fix something in the fuel injection system, the size of the engine may matter in some cars. If you buy the wrong thing, you will have to take it back and find another—a waste of time.

Also make notes on whether your car has air conditioning, etc., and how many doors it has. Often whether the car is a sedan or coupe will help the retailer or repair garage understand what sort of parts they will need to give you to fix a certain problem. For instance, a seat belt in a coupe may have a different mechanism than a seat belt in the sedan, or perhaps the door sensor goes in a different place and is therefore different.

Also write down the specific color your car is, and use the manufacturer’s own phrasing. For instance, “green” may not describe the exact color of your Toyota, and you may need “forest green” because plain green was used on a different model. If you just get green it may not match.