Defective new parts (Page 1/1)
Yellow-88 JUL 18, 10:42 AM
Hi

How common are defective new parts?
Do brand names mean anything anymore?
Can we tell "who" actually makes genuine GM parts?
Does price mean anything?

I've always trusted NAPA Echlin electrical parts in the past, but how are they today?
1985 Fiero GT JUL 18, 02:05 PM
I bought a brand new Walker TPS last fall, October to be exact, worked fine until the day after I fully finished my top end engine rebuild, then it decided to provide a range from 0 to 1 volts, completely random. I bought a standard brand TPS, that seems to work for now, me and my dad have always had good luck with standard, found on Rock auto.

As for actual GM parts, I think from what I've heard from Rodney and others, the parts made in Mexico/USA/Canada, are good, and the best you can get, but they switched to overseas countries several years ago, and parts quality is now similar to other brands, I've no experience with that though, I've only had the budget to order things like cap and rotor, spark plugs from AC Delco, which work well for me haha.
richard in nc JUL 18, 02:52 PM
i bought a WVE temp guage sender from Rockauto and it showed the car overheating when it wasn't.i used a heat temp gun to double check it.so i installed the one from my parts car and it was dead on.
css9450 JUL 18, 05:32 PM
I had a leaky brake caliper for another car (not my Fiero). Technically it was a rebuild.... But anyway the machined surface where the hose attaches was irregular, and wouldn't seal. It was an easy exchange at the parts store but a bit of a headache since it always takes a long time to bleed the brakes on that car.
Stingray92 JUL 18, 09:01 PM

quote
Originally posted by Yellow-88:

Hi

How common are defective new parts?
Do brand names mean anything anymore?
Can we tell "who" actually makes genuine GM parts?
Does price mean anything?

I've always trusted NAPA Echlin electrical parts in the past, but how are they today?



As far as my thoughts around GM making parts that are marketed as genuine GM you'll be looking at NOS.

IMO I think NAPA although might have a good part is also double dipping or at least putting their name on someone else's product.

I avoid the "A" stores without haste!

Brand names mean anything? Who owns them, what's their business model? Anymore its all about profit.
theogre JUL 18, 09:55 PM
new things bad right out of the box will only get worse.

Clinton Signed NAFTA & USA quickly moved a lot of things to Mexico but often didn't last long...
Because Many things from Mexico moved to China years ago for even lower cost labor & other issues...
Many things are or were made in China...

Is now all going to Vietnam & worse places.

Follow the Fashion Industry that move a lot of products out of China decades ago & why Triangle Shirtwaist class disasters keep happening in 3rd world countries. Example: Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh April 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwwahuXmhcI

Even Foxconn that makes things for Apple, Dell, & more have or soon will stop work in China depending what item.

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

Dennis LaGrua JUL 19, 07:24 AM
AFAIK, "genuine GM parts" are just now reboxed questionable quality "genuine Chinese parts" mostly awarded to the lowest bidder. GM closed their manufacturing facilities in the USA and went to China to make higher profits. While some of the Chicom parts can be good, I have found the quality is not uniform. Some parts are very good while others are very bad. One example of this is the clutch cylinders for manual cars. Best to buy from a large chain like Autozone that provides guarantee coverage. My local store usually has full pallets of returned goods going back each month. What does that say about Chicom quality?

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

theogre JUL 19, 09:02 AM
In Very Short... GM spun off all Parts Divisions to Delphi in the 90's to dump Union Labor that Strike soon after that happen. Delphi went Bankrupt, think Chap 11, then move most thing to Mexico then China. Even then went Bankrupt again, think Chap 7 this time, now "gone" & just a brand sold several times. Was BorgWarner UK but delphiautoparts.com now say "a brand of PHINIA Inc." founded in 2023 spin-off from BorgWarner.

For Decades ACDelco is nothing but Sears Kenmore that rebrand parts @ high markup. NAPA has always been same & worse All NAPA stores are Franchises & many are giant pains in the ass even when you have a business account. AC & NAPA Never had a warranty on many parts, others had only 90 days.

Some may hate AZ & Advance but you can get warranty covered Years, even Decades, later w/ just the phone # they ask when sold.
I had 15+ year old starter that failed & got new one under the lifetime warranty because had old phone # in old bills after move to another place.
Isn't like Pepboys & many other that want a receipt that is lost or faded days to weeks after bought a part. Worse, you have to return a part to the Same Store in most cases. PB is gone too now. It was going to dead before virus panic.

Many love Rockauto until need a return under warranty then often have a very hard time + have to ship it back etc so down time often is weeks.
pmbrunelle JUL 19, 12:22 PM
New parts are pretty terrible, regardless of brand. A bunch of my car maintenance/repair time is wasted dealing with quality problems.

Threads need to be chased out of the box, parts filed to fit.

I recently bought a brand-new pair of ACDelco brake drums that had so much runout and imbalance that I threw them away.

I find it is less trouble to keep a stash of good used OEM parts and repair/restore them as required.