Maintaining our car can often accumulate a ton of costs, eventually leading to some of those costs cropping up during inopportune moments. To save cash on parts, people usually choose to go for used car parts. These aren’t necessarily worse than new ones but may have cases where they aren’t preferable. To get a better grasp on the way new and old car parts differ and how to get the most bang for your buck, read below.
1. Take your time
Before considering any of the other concerns, make sure to take some time to look over all the available parts. A price point or a location where we can pick up the part may seem very enticing on some of the first items we find. However, the fact of the matter is that there is always a chance to find a better deal. No matter how minute the change may be, it’s worth considering it. After all, we won’t lose anything but a bit of extra time.
When you are done with checking all the available parts, you’ll have a far easier time picking the optimal one to purchase. The price point as well as the age of a part will often be the deciding factor so getting a better grasp on the current market for those around us is always good.
2. Know your part
There is no end to the number of details one can know about car parts. With the amount of different types and models it’s possible to learn something new every once in a while. However, our focus here is on finding what you currently need. To do so, it’s good to understand the part you are looking for. While it isn’t necessary to understand it fully or on a theoretical level, you should still get acquainted enough to recognize when the part you are about to purchase could be damaged in some way.
Missing a screw or having a visible crack could be details that stick out to a savvy buyer no matter whether the part they are buying is new or used. Even parts that are fresh out of factory can have some defects. Understanding what those defects may be is often the easiest way to understand how these mishaps can be avoided when purchasing.
Needless to say, some of these problems and defects can make the entire part barely work or not work at all. The information you research now could cut down any costs tied to that in the future. Even if the part works perfectly, you may learn about other models that may be more cost effective or plain better.
3. Have a reliable shop to purchase from
Place where you buy parts is just as important as the items themselves. If a location is giving you bad deals it’s unlikely those will change just because you are looking deeper into the catalog. However, it’s quite fruitful to research a decent shop to consistently visit for car parts. Maintenance is a yearly cost that will include many repairs so having a reliable place to visit works well for any person seeking to keep their car in a good condition.
With that information in mind, used car parts benefit the most from knowing where to purchase them from. Both warranty and price will be a lot better at well-reviewed locations. If you want an example of such a shop you can read more here.
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4. Ask questions
Now comes the splitting point. The questions you ask will depend on the car part being new or used. A new car part will usually carry with it some generic questions tied to compatibility and performance, rarely touching on the history of it because there’s barely any. It is a great opportunity to get a closer look at the item and potentially locate aforementioned defects but other than that it’s a very standard buying procedure.
When it comes to older car parts, the questions about their history and use in previous vehicles becomes key. Information on maintenance as well as previous malfunction is warranted.
Going through questions that secure you from the potential pitfalls of the purchase is good practice no matter what you are buying.
5. Some parts should be bought new
Usually, we get the used ones for their lower price and overall affordability but it’s not always worthwhile to save money, especially for certain car parts. If you are purchasing an important component to your car’s overall function, it’s recommended to get a new part. This is usually aimed at the components that get worn out after use and can endanger us if we drive with them equipped. Best examples being brake rotors and brake pads. Those two items can leave us in a really dangerous spot where the brakes can fail at the worst time.
With the parts that are key to the car, we cannot afford the possibility of them failing. Which is why you should never buy them used without a really good warranty. These includes items like radiator and alternator but just about any key component within the car can be assigned here. Losing some extra money for the sake of a properly functioning vehicle is always worthwhile.
6. Warranties
Take care of warranties first and foremost. The quality of a car part can be somewhat gauged by the warranty that comes with. Warranty is how sellers showcase their trust in the product and reinforce ours. This is why warranty is incredibly important to seek out on products. Rule of thumb is that the longer the warranty the better the part is.
However, you shouldn’t settle for an item just having a big number for its warranty. Make sure to check what that warranty includes and how it relates to the potential problems with the part. They vary from shop to shop, so having a better grasp of what it covers is a good bit of extra knowledge. If the warranty has bad coverage it won’t matter how long it will last, because it will probably be useless when issues occur.