Deciding on Remanufactured Car Parts

You go out to start your car and nothing happens. You know that the starter has been sounding odd lately. You could take it somewhere for repairs, but it is very expensive. You decide to the job yourself. Maybe you like to enjoy the exercise and challenge of doing your own work? How do you go about obtaining the right car parts? Here are a few things to consider.

Which Part Do You Get?
Most local auto parts stores have websites. You can go there and search for the part that you need. Enter the right information for the model of your car. You will see the parts that are available. There may be a number of options for the same part. For example, you may see four starters that will fit your car. One may be re-manufactured with a ninety-day warranty. Two of them may be re-manufactured with a lifetime warranty. One of them may be brand new. How do you decide which part to buy?

Re-Manufactured
Many parts that you can buy will be rebuilt. This is not the same as a used part from a salvage yard. When you buy a re-manufactured or rebuilt part there is an extra fee. It is called a core charge. For example, the starter might be fifty dollars. The core charge might be fifteen dollars. The initial cost will be sixty-five dollars. When you bring your old part in, the store refunds you the core charge. As long as the starter is not severely damaged, you will get the money back.

What Happens To Your Old Starter?
The old starter is placed in a box and sent back to the rebuilding facility. It will be rebuilt and replaced with new parts to make it work properly. It is then sold back to auto parts stores.

New Parts
A new starter is one that has never been on a car before. It is all brand new. They will usually be more expensive than re-manufactured parts.

Warranty Decisions
Deciding on which part to get will depend on the situation. If you do not plan on keeping the car very long, a short warranty is fine. If you intend to have the car for years, a good warranty might be the best choice. Both the new part and re-manufactured part may have a lifetime warranty. If that is the case, the least expensive would be the better option. The guarantee will usually be a LLT warranty. LLT stands for limited lifetime warranty. This usually means that if the part fails, you return it to the store for a new part. However, remember to read the fine print of the warranty to be certain of your rights.

Summary
The decision to buy new or re-manufactured car parts can be determined by the warranty. Also take into consideration how long you plan to keep your car. Always read parts warranties to be certain of your rights.