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By Counterman
Bosch Mobility Aftermarket announced the re-launch of its passenger car and light duty truck battery offering, now known as the Bosch Premium Battery Program. The company said this revitalized program embraces a new name emphasizing its exclusive focus on premium batteries and includes new stock-keeping units (SKUs) for the Bosch S5 Premium Power Flooded Batteries and the Bosch S6 High Performance AGM Batteries.
“This emphasized focus on premium batteries, with 90% market coverage, guarantees shop owners and end-users alike will confront less complexity in our battery line, while enjoying greater inventory efficiency,” said Dennis Krob, senior product manager at
link hidden, please login to view. “We’ve been listening to customers and understand these two areas are critically important in today’s market. We’re proud to be refreshing our offerings at a premium level to meet these demands, while helping drive business and streamline operations.”
link hidden, please login to view said it will expand its portfolio of S5 Premium Power Flooded Batteries by 13 new SKUs. These batteries boast a three-year warranty and provide dependable starting power, a long service life and reduced risk of acid leakage in newer car models with high electronic demand. The new program also includes three new SKUs for the Bosch S6 High Performance AGM Batteries. According to the company, these batteries promise a lifespan up to two times longer than conventional alternatives and provide consistent, optimal power for start-stop vehicles and models that use regenerative braking. The S6 batteries offer a warranty guaranteeing free replacement for four years after the date of purchase.
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By APF
When selecting parts for a car repair, it pays to know the differences between original and aftermarket parts. Whenever possible, get estimates for both.
Choosing between original and aftermarket car parts — and even used parts of either type — is all about squaring your priorities with your budget.
You’ll have different options depending on the part and the shop. And the best choice will depend on whether you’re trying to keep repairs cheap, restore your car’s appearance after a wreck or soup up your ride.
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Before we get into that, here are the key differences:
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts match those that came with your car, and are of the same quality as its original parts. They’re also the most expensive. Aftermarket parts are cheaper, and made by other manufacturers — often several, giving you more options. Used parts may have a bit of wear and tear, but should be inspected or rebuilt to ensure they’ll work. These are the cheapest option. Choosing between aftermarket and OEM parts
Your decision will depend on the type of repair and the quality and price of the parts. Always look for parts that come with a warranty, even if they’re OEM, so you’ll be protected in case they fail.
Auto body repairs
Some aftermarket parts may be OK for
link hidden, please login to view, but others won’t be as good, says Michael Calkins, manager of technical services at AAA. “There’s a lot of variation in quality.” For example, he says, aftermarket parts often don’t have the same level of rustproofing as original parts, fit and finish don’t match, or panels don’t align properly. If OEM parts are used in auto body repair, the car should look and work exactly as it did before the damage, because everything will match up. OEM parts are also crash-tested, unlike many aftermarket parts.
Aftermarket parts come at varying price points and levels of quality, but because they are cheaper, insurance companies often prefer them. If you want OEM parts but are dealing with an insurer that wants the shop to use aftermarket parts, ask to pay the difference.
“There’s also the option of used parts, depending on the age of the vehicle,” Calkins says. “It may be cheaper than an aftermarket part but still have all of the original quality.”
Mechanical repairs
A used part, whether it’s OEM or aftermarket, can really save money on repairs under the hood, so long as it’s inspected first and warrantied. And some aftermarket companies reverse-engineer their products to be even better than OEM versions.
For example, many car buffs will tell you that you can get heavy-duty shocks and struts or brake pads that are made of stronger materials. Scan some reviews online, or talk with your mechanic if you’re not sure whether an aftermarket part could be an upgrade.
Adding some extras
If you’d like to modify your ride by adding something like a backup camera or back-seat TV screen, you’ll probably be looking for aftermarket parts. Certain aftermarket upgrades could increase
link hidden, please login to view. This is especially true for improvements like a better sound system or alloy wheels, rather than mechanical repairs. Who provides OEM or aftermarket parts?
The options you’ll have for parts depends on the nature of the repairs and what type of shop you take your car to:
Dealership repair shops will offer only OEM parts — they have no reason to offer a cheaper product from a competitor link hidden, please login to view may be able to offer you a choice between OEM and aftermarket parts Independent garages that specialize in your type of vehicle will likely have both, but with quicker access to OEM parts, including used OEM parts, which can really save you Auto body shops can offer both, but if your collision repair is part of an insurance claim, the insurer will likely prefer aftermarket parts to save money Depending on the job, the cost of OEM versus aftermarket parts varies. Whenever you’re given the choice, ask to see estimates for both so you can weigh your options.
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By johnwilliam
Hi everyone! 👋
I’ve been thinking about getting a GPS tracker for my car and wanted to know what you all think. They seem great for real-time tracking and keeping cars safe.
Have you used a car GPS tracker before?
What features do you think are the most useful?
Any recommendations for a good tracker?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips! 😊
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By Counterman
The Auto Care Association announced that an application programming interface (API) was launched in November, 2024 to select users and is now available to the entire auto care industry. With a continued goal to increase speed and efficiencies for users in the acquisition of the ACES, PIES and IPO reference databases, the Auto Care Association announced in May, 2024 that an API would become available to users in November, 2024.
The Auto Care Association’s ACES, PIES and IPO reference databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb, and Brand Table) currently and historically have been available to users for download through a manual download process via autocarevip.com in various formats, including Access2007, ASCII, MySQL, SQLServer2008R2, and JSON. Additionally, these databases were historically published with new content monthly but were increased to a weekly cadence (except for the VCdb) in January 2023, with the goal of delivering updated reference database content to users faster.
The API, which is in JSON format, allows users to:
Download updated reference database content as often as daily; Download complete database tables and/or updates (changes) to the database tables; and Automate IT processes for smoother, hands-off data exchange, creating workflow efficiencies. “As we move toward the goal of real time exchange of content between partners via API, the logical first step is leveraging that approach with the reference data we all consume from Auto Care,” said Marc Pappas, chair, technology standards committee and CIO, Federated Auto Parts. “This will serve both to proof the concept and also allow us to make any enhancements before moving forward with more functionality.”
The Auto Care Association will continue to make the reference databases available for manual download through autocarevip.com in the formats Access2007, ASCII, MySQL, SQLServer2008R2 and JSON. However, the frequency of receiving manual database updates will be reduced from weekly to monthly (except Brand Table, which will remain daily), beginning January 2025. The dates of these publications are posted on the
link hidden, please login to view on autocarevip.com.
link hidden, please login to view. Auto Care VIP and Auto Care Data Standards users interested in learning more about the new API can schedule a time to speak with the Auto Care Association’s technology team using
link hidden, please login to view and selecting the “API Support” option. The post
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