Many of you buy parts at parts houses, and I'm sure you have favorites. The industry is consolidating a lot now, there are fewer independents and bigger chains every day. I work at one of them, and have for another.
We all pretty much know what we own - XJ's. That can still be a challenge, as Jeep did change things up over the years, with Renault transmissions, Chevy V-6 motors, two wheel vs. four wheel drive, carbs, Renix, OBD I, and OBD II.
What probably won't change at all are the kind of parts countermen and women you meet at stores. Let me set the stage:
A parts house is an auto pharmacy. We sell chemicals, repair parts, and accessories. The chain organizations are set up to sell, sell, sell.
We don't do much in the way of emergency room work. A lot more cars get towed away than towed in, right? You all pretty much know that - but the general public is, as usual, clueless about what we can do.
Federal court decisions tell us we can't attach and run a code reader. Too many folks were erasing codes under warranty, and "Detroit" was left with the bill to make warranty repairs they didn't even get to find. If a Friend/Neighbor asks, go ahead and tell them we read codes - but the owner does the work.
We sell light bulbs and wiper blades, and can install them. Most stores will - but there's no promise or guarantee. We get swamped some days, no time to even dump the trash. Sure, go ahead and tell your F/N we can do it - but if it's a down pour on Sunday afternoon and the store is full, they may have to wait.
Some stores will install other parts. My town has an actual regulation preventing any work in the parking lot. Pulling axles to press bearings, installing alternators, thermostats, or popping in new brake pads generally can't happen. We don't have the tools, training, work area, time, or liability insurance. Remember, we're the pharmacy, not the emergency room.
That gets back to the countermen. Many have auto experience, some have high school or college, most have done repairs, work on their own cars, may even have been mechanics. Under the parts house roofs is a lot of knowledge - but ASE certified, factory trained and qualified mechanics are damn few. They can work in a dealer or repair shop for double the pay. Most Jeepers understand that - and wouldn't expect a Toledo trained expert there. Let your F/N know that they can get some simple answers to a lot of questions, but that's all. The rest is in the Chilton/Haynes they should buy from us.
Most of you also know that calling over the phone for specific directions on disassembling a Ford Focus interference motor isn't something we know off the top of our head. We can look it up in the Chilton book they should have bought, and tell them they need the cam clamp tools to keep them indexed, or that they have to release the cam bearing bolts in the correct order to keep from bending the cams. But - it would be better if you let your F/N know before diving in that they should have gotten the right information up front before causing damage to $300 worth of cams and a $350 cam indexing fee from a shop. Modern motors are NOT what they used to be.
Auto parts houses get a lot of turnover, good and not so good countermen come and go. What your F/N's need to know is the EXACT year, make, model, engine, transmission, transfer case, differential, brakes, etc., if they are doing the work. They're being the mechanic - the surgeon. Surgeons don't often ask pharmacists much except what for potentionally harmful interactions - like pouring green antifreeze in a late model with red. And not knowing the exact information can lead to wrong parts - an 88 Ranger extended cab has a different left brake hose than a 89. They don't need to go to three parts houses trying to correct their part because they keep changing the year. They blame the countermen, and as we know, the customer always thinks they're right.
Help your friends and neighbors from misunderstanding what a parts house can or can't do - and help teach new Cherokee owners around you, too. That's the legacy I was handed in the '60's and '70's, and it's an even bigger job today.
We all pretty much know what we own - XJ's. That can still be a challenge, as Jeep did change things up over the years, with Renault transmissions, Chevy V-6 motors, two wheel vs. four wheel drive, carbs, Renix, OBD I, and OBD II.
What probably won't change at all are the kind of parts countermen and women you meet at stores. Let me set the stage:
A parts house is an auto pharmacy. We sell chemicals, repair parts, and accessories. The chain organizations are set up to sell, sell, sell.
We don't do much in the way of emergency room work. A lot more cars get towed away than towed in, right? You all pretty much know that - but the general public is, as usual, clueless about what we can do.
Federal court decisions tell us we can't attach and run a code reader. Too many folks were erasing codes under warranty, and "Detroit" was left with the bill to make warranty repairs they didn't even get to find. If a Friend/Neighbor asks, go ahead and tell them we read codes - but the owner does the work.
We sell light bulbs and wiper blades, and can install them. Most stores will - but there's no promise or guarantee. We get swamped some days, no time to even dump the trash. Sure, go ahead and tell your F/N we can do it - but if it's a down pour on Sunday afternoon and the store is full, they may have to wait.
Some stores will install other parts. My town has an actual regulation preventing any work in the parking lot. Pulling axles to press bearings, installing alternators, thermostats, or popping in new brake pads generally can't happen. We don't have the tools, training, work area, time, or liability insurance. Remember, we're the pharmacy, not the emergency room.
That gets back to the countermen. Many have auto experience, some have high school or college, most have done repairs, work on their own cars, may even have been mechanics. Under the parts house roofs is a lot of knowledge - but ASE certified, factory trained and qualified mechanics are damn few. They can work in a dealer or repair shop for double the pay. Most Jeepers understand that - and wouldn't expect a Toledo trained expert there. Let your F/N know that they can get some simple answers to a lot of questions, but that's all. The rest is in the Chilton/Haynes they should buy from us.
Most of you also know that calling over the phone for specific directions on disassembling a Ford Focus interference motor isn't something we know off the top of our head. We can look it up in the Chilton book they should have bought, and tell them they need the cam clamp tools to keep them indexed, or that they have to release the cam bearing bolts in the correct order to keep from bending the cams. But - it would be better if you let your F/N know before diving in that they should have gotten the right information up front before causing damage to $300 worth of cams and a $350 cam indexing fee from a shop. Modern motors are NOT what they used to be.
Auto parts houses get a lot of turnover, good and not so good countermen come and go. What your F/N's need to know is the EXACT year, make, model, engine, transmission, transfer case, differential, brakes, etc., if they are doing the work. They're being the mechanic - the surgeon. Surgeons don't often ask pharmacists much except what for potentionally harmful interactions - like pouring green antifreeze in a late model with red. And not knowing the exact information can lead to wrong parts - an 88 Ranger extended cab has a different left brake hose than a 89. They don't need to go to three parts houses trying to correct their part because they keep changing the year. They blame the countermen, and as we know, the customer always thinks they're right.
Help your friends and neighbors from misunderstanding what a parts house can or can't do - and help teach new Cherokee owners around you, too. That's the legacy I was handed in the '60's and '70's, and it's an even bigger job today.
)/ engine/ transmission info. And to not expect the customer to diagnose the Unit, though this is a service that some of your competitors do perform. However, atleast to me, it came off as an unsuccessful attempt to compare your industry with the medical field.
