Thinking of purchasing a used part from a junk yard online?
You have a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero with 220,000 miles or a 1999 Volvo driven 175,000 miles and you are looking for used parts to fix some of the defects on your vehicle. The car could be in great shape or other wise, but you just need a door trim, or an alternator, perhaps a bumper or a water pump.
Buying one of these can be very expensive if you have to buy them new and if you are not mechanically inclined to do the repairs yourself your bill can be mounting. So you decide that you will repair the defected or worn out part by purchasing one from the junk yard, but which one, and where should you begin.
Well, a few years ago everyone used the yellow pages to locate a junk yard, now almost everyone use the internet to search for salvage parts, wrecker services, used and rebuilt parts suppliers and local junk yards. No longer do you have to take the trip to the salvage yard for used parts, you can search online for the part you need through a database of online salvage yard services.
Many junk yards that are online, use an online parts locating system to help their customer easily find the products they need. Most of them are linked up with car-parts.com or automotix.com, which sells used and rebuilt engines. So, if you are looking for that door trim or alternator some salvage business, perhaps not one in your city will have one in stock. Perhaps it is a part that came from a vehicle that was only driven for 20,000 miles before it got totaled in an accident.
What Kind of Parts to Buy Online From Junk Yards
There are some vehicle parts that are not recommended that you purchase online, instead you should physically go the recyclers to select these parts. Parts such as
transmission, crankshafts and the major parts of the engine, those that are expensive with a high ratio of repair labor to parts cost are not recommended.
Also, parts such as brake pads, calipers and alternators which may have been left expose in the weather should not be purchased online. Only gears that are inexpensive, such as wheels, air pump. hoses, belts, headlights, bumpers, mirrors, etc., should be purchased online.
It is not recommended that you pay more than $300 for parts from junk yards over the internet, unless it is a business known for quality used and rebuilt components.
Check for Warranty Before Purchasing Used Parts Online
Some online junkyards will give a warranty for every part that lives their salvage service. Before you purchase that clutch or compressor, ask if warranty is provided.
In most cases a 30 day warranty will be issues, since what you are purchasing is used and is offered to you at a sizable discount from a new one purchased from the manufacturer.
Discount could range from 50 to 80 percent of the new compressor price. If you are unable to purchase that alternator for your 1965 corvette online, you will have to visit the yard. Ask you mechanic or repair man whether the alternator should be purchased at recycles.
