Rebuilt Versus New Car Parts - Which is the Better Option?

Suppose your alternator unexpectedly dies one day. Should you invest in a new replacement or is a used component sufficient? How about your catalytic converter, rack and pinion steering module, anti-lock brakes, and water pump? What about major assemblies, such as your engine and transmission? The decision between using a rebuilt component and its out-of-the-box counterpart is more complicated than it seems. A lot depends on the item you're replacing, your budget, and your outlook for the life of your vehicle.

In this article, we'll explore the issue in more detail by first considering the terms used to refer to "reconditioned" car parts. A lot of needless confusion springs from the terminology, so we'll clarify the most common expressions. I'll also explain why rebuilts often represent a more palatable - and sometimes, more reliable - solution than new components.

Forget The Terms, Look For Quality

Used... rebuilt... salvaged... remanufactured... reconditioned... these terms mean different things to different people. Much of the confusion surrounding them is due to their being used interchangeably to refer to the same thing.

For example, were you to ask a mechanic to define a "used" component, he might instinctively think of a part removed from a salvage yard vehicle. Another mechanic might think of a component that has been stripped, cleaned, reassembled, and tested to meet certain quality standards. Still other mechanics may consider "used" to mean parts that have been rebuilt from a core and OEM-certified to provide customers with a higher level of confidence.

The terms are less useful than they seem. The important factor is the quality of the replacement part and by extension, the craftsmanship of the rebuilder. For the remainder of this discussion, we'll use the terms "rebuilt" and "remanufactured" to refer to used components. These are parts that have been dismantled and inspected with worn pieces replaced before being reassembled and tested to meet OEM standards.

When Are Rebuilts Better Than New Components?

The biggest advantage to using rebuilts is that they cost far less than new components. You can expect to save more than 50 percent off the cost of the new part. In the case of replacing an engine or transmission, this can mean thousands of dollars in savings.

Many consumers buy new parts simply because they are unfamiliar with remans, or have an unwarranted negative perception of them. For instance, they might feel their quality is inferior to an out-of-the-box replacement. In reality, rebuilts and remans are often just as reliable - and sometimes, even more so - than their new counterparts.

For example, suppose your transmission dies much earlier than it should. Your options are to invest in a remanufactured assembly or to purchase a brand new replacement. The former will likely have been improved upon to eliminate flaws in its design. The latter option is new, but will probably incorporate many of the same weaknesses that caused your dead transmission to fail in the first place.

Just because a replacement part is new does not necessarily mean it will be more reliable. In fact, some new OEM components are designed with notoriously poor quality.

Important Considerations When Purchasing Used Auto Parts

The quality of used car parts varies wildly, which means you'll need to exercise your judgment. First, some components and systems are unavailable as rebuilts. If this is the case, your only option is to purchase new.

Second, keep in mind that "used" does not always mean "cheap." If a replacement component is priced at a small fraction of its new counterpart, there's a good chance corners were cut in its design. It's better to pay a little more for a reliable unit rather than trying to save a few dollars.

Third, the warranty offered by a rebuilder is a good barometer of the part's quality. Essentially, the longer the warranty, the more reliable the component.

Some parts, such as fuel pumps, brake pads, and head gaskets, should be purchased new, especially if a rebuilder refuses to offer a long warranty. Others can be replaced with OEM-certified rebuilts. Be willing to pay a little extra for quality that provides peace of mind.

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Which Parts of the Body Store Fat?

Apart from skeletal and muscular structure, fat distribution plays an important role in determining body shape. From studies, it has been estimated that the amount of fat in a woman's body should be less than 23%, while that in men should be less than 18%. It is considered unhealthy when the figures reach up to 40% and 35% respectively. Fat distribution in the body depends on several factors, namely, hormone levels, genetic factors, age, food habits and exercise.
The basics of body fat
Our body contains two types of fat: essential and storage. The essential fat consists of the fat storage around kidneys, liver and other visceral organs. These fat stores are very important in cushioning the important parts of the body from impacts. The storage fats are found in adipose tissues present all over the body, but the majority is stored under the skin as subcutaneous. A person can have any number of fat cells in the body between 50 and 200 billion. Generally, this type of fat is accumulated when the body receives more calories from diet than it burns through physical work.
Dissimilar distribution in men and women
Female sex hormone, estrogen, stimulates storage of fat in buttocks, thighs and hips in women. In menopausal women, decline of estrogen levels initiate migration of fats to their waists and bellies. Among men, higher levels of male sex hormone, testosterone, curb fat deposition by increasing its metabolism; fat is stored mostly around waist and abdomen in men. Due to the predominance of sex hormones in fat distribution, differential development of men and women kicks in at puberty, when these hormones start producing in the body. For the same reason, women assume 'pear' shape, while men tend to have 'apple' shaped bodies.
Fat deposition in definite parts of the body
This is a problem faced by many individuals who, despite regular workouts, find it difficult to budge stubborn fat from specific parts of their bodies. Genetic code dictates such deposition; women tend to have more fat in pelvic areas whereas men are more susceptible to deposition of fat around their midriffs. If these specific parts of the body are exercised, the fatty tissues may get firmer, giving a more toned look. But, to actually mobilize the fat depots, activities that burn calories and break down the contents of fat cells, must be undertaken without increasing food intake. Dietary restriction and regular exercise serves this purpose in the long run. However, a more prompt alternative is liposuction, which surgically removes local fats.
A common misconception is that sweating in sauna or steam rooms reduce weight. By profuse sweating one only loses water content, not fat; this 'loss of weight' is immediately regained on drinking fluids.
Measurement: Body Volume Index
Body Volume Index or BVI, an alternative proposed to Body Mass Index (BMI), is a method that not only measures human obesity but also mass distribution and waist-hip ratio, thereby giving an account of the varying allocation of fat among individuals with the same BMI value. While BMI can be calculated manually by collecting height and weight data, BVI uses 3D Full Body Scanner to determine where the fat is concentrated more conclusively.

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Automotive Relays - What Are They And Why Do You Need Them? What is a relay? A relay is an electromechanical or electronic draw through which a heavy load

can be switched ON & OFF with a nominal input of recent & voltage. This article

focuses on electro-mechanical relays passe in automotive applications.

How does a relay work?

The utility and function of a relay can be best understood by thinking of a lever.

A lever is inserted at a corner of a heavy load and by placing a wedge (fulcrum)

under the lever, the heavy load can be easily lifted by a runt amount of exertion.

Similarly, a heavy electrical load drawing heavy recent can be switched on & off

by applying a slight amount of unusual through a coil(solenoid) . What happens is

this - the coil gets magnetized with the new and attracts or repels a

plunger(a rod passed through the coil) . The attracting or repelling of the plunger

either connects two switching contacts in the relay (also known as NO or Normally

Open/Single Throw/Form A) or separates them (NC or Normally Closed/Double

Throw/Form C), as required. As soon as the energisation of the coil is stopped,

the main contacts go serve to their novel residence.

In automobile applications relays of different configurations with single or

multiple contacts are worn for different applications.

Why is a relay required?

Apart from switching a circuit with heavy load, on & off, a relay is required to

1. Conserve energy

2. Prolong the life of device

3. Improve the efficiency of a procedure.

For example let us remove the switching of two headlamps of an automobile. If the

same is switched on through a normal switch at the dashboard, the voltage plunge

from the battery to the lamps through the switch will be vast and the heat

generated in the circuit due to resistance will be much. The heavy unusual

will be drawn by the lamps which will not only heat the circuit but also drain the

battery heavily.

To give an example of the attain of voltage topple, a chart is given below:

Operating Voltage. incandescent Intensity of a Lamp.

100% 100%

95% 83%

90% 67%

85% 53%

To switch on a 12V-60/100 Watt Halogen lamp, a typical 12V Relay allows a voltage

drop of only 0.02V and the coil recent is only 2 milliamps.

Another critical function of the relay is hasty switching off(0.05Sec Max.) . The

more time the contacts of a switch prefer to crash at chubby load, the more sparks

will be generated due to electromagnetic attain on contacts in a switched on

state. Prolonged sparking will mean more wear of the contact points and the effort

of contacts melting and generating a fire. International standards have very stringent relay specifications. The endurance of a relay is generally specified in millions of switching operations.

Where should a relay be installed?

Wherever manual switching has been musty for express switching of a Lamp or Motor or

any gadget exceeding 10 Amps of load, a splendid relay must be build in the circuit.

It is best if the relay can be kept as reach as possible to the load (but not in a hot situation surrounding come the engine)

How should a relay be installed?

1. Wires connected to the manual switch should be connected to any Coil terminal

of the Relay.

2. The load should be connected to any one contact terminal of the Relay (unless

Positive/Negative are specified) and the other to the definite terminal of the

battery (for Negative Ground circuit), with an appropriate Fuse.

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