The phone rings. It's your garage advising you that the alternator on your car needs to be replaced; the estimate is $120. The breakdown is $90 for the alternator, $30 for the labor. You say to yourself, "Wait a minute, where's yesterday's paper?" After rooting through the trash for ten minutes, you triumphantly return with the paper raised high in your right hand. You look like a victorious knight just returning from a jousting contest. You exclaim, "Here it is! I knew I saw a sale on alternators!" The ad states that "the same" alternator is on sale for $29.95 (with a 90-day warranty). You call your garage and tell them you are going to supply the part. They agree to install it, but with absolutely no warranty on the labor, to which you agree. What a deal! The part is installed and it goes bad four months later (just 30 days out of warranty)! You have to purchase another alternator and pay to have it installed again. Wasn't such a bargain after all, was it?
I can't tell you how many times this scenario takes place in repair shops on a regular basis. What the customer in this situation does not realize is that this is not an issue of price, it is an issue of quality. You get what you pay for. Externally both alternators look alike, with the same connections, markings, and castings. However, the internal construction of the cheaper model explains the price difference. A good rule of thumb to follow when selecting parts is to look for consistency in price, warranty, product specifications, manufacturer and country of origin. Let's look at each of these points in detail.
Consistency in Price: After shopping and pricing parts, you will get a feel for what the average price should be for a particular part, based on warranty, specs, and manufacturer. Be wary of drastic differences. Higher is not always better but cheaper usually means inferior quality.
Warranty: A warranty is only as good as the manufacturer backing it up. Make sure they are a solid company and that the warranty is comparable to other respected manufacturers' warranties.
Product Specifications: Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it is the same. The specifications will tell you exactly what the product can do. If it does not meet the needs of your vehicle, then STAY AWAY FROM IT!
Manufacturer and Country of Origin: This factor is especially important with respect to quality. Offshore companies, wanting to capture as much of the market as they can, many times put out products that are inferior in design and/or raw materials. This greatly reduces the durability factor of their parts. For instance, offshore brake rotors can cost one-fourth that of domestic rotors. The problem is -- they simply do not hold up under normal operating conditions due to the use of poor quality steel. Consequently, premature warping and excessive wear take place. Ignition parts also fall into this category of "wonder-priced parts." They may look the same, but an internal inspection usually reveals their inferiority. After-market parts should match up to the expectations of the original equipment parts.
Your repair facility should be offering you good quality parts that meet manufacturer's specifications with fair warranties. In return, you should expect to pay for just that. Don't shortcut on auto repair. Your vehicle is transporting very valuable goods -- your family and friends.
Warranty: A warranty is only as good as the manufacturer backing it up. Make sure they are a solid company and that the warranty is comparable to other respected manufacturers' warranties.
Product Specifications: Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it is the same. The specifications will tell you exactly what the product can do. If it does not meet the needs of your vehicle, then STAY AWAY FROM IT!
Manufacturer and Country of Origin: This factor is especially important with respect to quality. Offshore companies, wanting to capture as much of the market as they can, many times put out products that are inferior in design and/or raw materials. This greatly reduces the durability factor of their parts. For instance, offshore brake rotors can cost one-fourth that of domestic rotors. The problem is -- they simply do not hold up under normal operating conditions due to the use of poor quality steel. Consequently, premature warping and excessive wear take place. Ignition parts also fall into this category of "wonder-priced parts." They may look the same, but an internal inspection usually reveals their inferiority. After-market parts should match up to the expectations of the original equipment parts.
Your repair facility should be offering you good quality parts that meet manufacturer's specifications with fair warranties. In return, you should expect to pay for just that. Don't shortcut on auto repair. Your vehicle is transporting very valuable goods -- your family and friends.
'Til next time -- keep rollin'
