In having your car or truck repaired you may be surprised that for late model cars often many of the parts that your vehicle may be repaired with come from auto “junkyards”. Yet many auto buyers are not familiar with these auto part depots and the procedures in dealing with them if they need to obtain automotive parts and components that are either hard to come by or just too costly to purchase or acquire.

The first step and rule is to do your homework before stepping in the parts source door or lot. Before visiting a junkyard or “auto parts recycler” it is wise and prudent to have a good idea and fix for comparative purposes to have a general idea of what the new -part cost is.

As well note there may be more than one option for “new “parts. Automotive supply parts are supplied either by the brand name auto maker themselves – say GM, Toyota, Chrysler or Ford for example. These are referred to in the auto service and repair trades as “O.E.M…” That is from “Original Equipment Makers (or manufacturers)”. As you might expect a real brand name part goes for a premium price with union labor at the factory and distribution channel. Another option is third party “knock off” or “aftermarket” parts. These will be substantially less expensive than the brand name OEM parts. Generally these aftermarkets are adequate although many in the trade may tell you that often they don’t fit, are poor copies or substitutes overall. Yet it’s your choice. A “new” third party non official part may be in the same price ranges (brand new in the box, carton or sealed bag) as a thoroughly used brand name part from a wrecker, which may come with overstated history.

Yet how is the price at an auto wrecking parts yard determined? Generally it can be held that the price you will pay out of you wallet for a used auto or auto body part will be determined by several factors, including the wholesale price of a new part, the corresponding wholesale price of a “rebuilt’ part or unit, how easy, hard or complex – the part or complete modular one piece unit is to remove from the source vehicle. Lastly incorporated into the marketing price mix is the relative availability or scarcity of that part or set of parts in your geographic area and if the whole setup is small or easily and cheaply shipped – nationwide within the US and Canada.

In addition when it comes to configuring the pricing formats of used automobile parts is a calculation in the mix of the amount of work – time, unique skills and complexities of making that part or series of components reusable to a sell able state. These last two factors usually concern body panels themselves, rather than mechanical or even electronic parts and components. It is the experience in this trade and industry that overall mechanical and simple electrical parts can generally be had cheaper than body pars , comparing both new and used prices and pricing overall simple because mechanical and electrical rebuilds are for the most part more plentiful on the auto parts markets.

Lastly when shopping for used auto parts at auto wreckers and junk yards three points of experience from experienced auto mechanics and expert diagnosticians. First always check that all individual components are included for setup. Next remember in most cases electronic components and units are strictly “non -returnable”. Lastly make it a solid practice always to get a receipt. This is important for a number of reasons – one to insure that you paid for the correct part if there is a question or dispute. Second is to prove ownership and authenticity.

Author Bio: William Piker Edmonton Dodge 1 Ton Trucks Camrose