When you need replacement parts for your car, you can save a lot of money by going to a salvage yard. A salvage yard or auto wrecking company is a business that sells working components of wrecked or unwanted vehicles to customers who need them. Common customers include individuals who need repairs on a budget or clients who have older, vintage, or exotic vehicles that are hard to find modern parts for.
When you buy parts from a salvage yard, make the transaction easiest on everyone by knowing what to expect from your experience.
KNOW JUST WHAT PARTS YOU NEED
It is your responsibility to know the exact type of car you have so you get the right parts when buying from a salvage yard. You can do this by identifying the year, make, and model of your vehicle via your driver’s door panel. You can also see part numbers on existing car components to guide you when choosing a replacement. When in doubt, call your vehicle’s manufacturer or a dealer to identify the parts you need. A salvage yard often cannot do refunds or returns for an incorrect part purchase.
KNOW HOW TO REMOVE PARTS YOURSELF
More common auto replacement parts, such as radiators, ignition coils, and fuel pumps are often pulled from popular makes and models of vehicles and placed on salvage yard shelves. Hard-to-reach or time-consuming replacement parts such as windows, steering columns, and solenoids are left on the vehicles and entered into a database for customer retrieval. So you should be ready to remove the parts you need yourself and have the tools handy to do so.
Sometimes a salvage yard is willing to send an employee out to remove the parts you need for you if you pay for it and a possible convenience fee in advance. If you need the part right away, it’s best to call your auto wrecking company so they can have it ready for you.
KNOW HOW MUCH A USED PART IS WORTH
When it comes to buying used auto parts at a wrecking yard, what you pay for the things you need is based on a few factors. The type of part, how much wear is left on it, the overall condition, and the make and model of the vehicle it goes to all come into play when a price tag is slapped on. You should know exactly what comprises a used part’s worth so you can compare different prices for the same parts at your salvage yard.
KNOW WHAT PROTECTION COMES WITH YOUR PURCHASE
Some salvage yards have an ‘as-is’ policy on their inventory. This policy means there is no guarantee the parts you buy are in working condition, and it’s up to you to choose the best parts for your needs.
Choose a salvage yard that offers some type of protection for you as the buyer in the event a part does not work. This protection can be in the form of a money-back guarantee for a set amount of days or an exchange for different parts of the same type. Keep in mind that a salvage yard will usually not refund or exchange a part due to a customer changing their mind, so know that all sales are considered to be final.
A salvage yard is a wonderful way to get quality or hard-to-find parts for your vehicle at a competitive price. Whether you are renovating an older car or giving your current vehicle a tuneup, you can often find everything you need in one auto wrecking company. The friendly, family-owned AAA Truck and Auto Wrecking company is eager to assist you in your parts-shopping needs and can work with your budget to help you find just what you are looking for.