How to Ship Car Parts

Here are a few tips on how to successfully ship automotive parts, specifically small items that we repair here at Auto Tech Rescue such as instrument clusters, climate controls, ABS modules, etc.  Note that there is no top or bottom to a box.  Pack each item knowing that it will be safe from all sides of the box.  Shipping companies handle millions of packages each day.  Assume that at some point it will be stacked below or on top of something else.  It will likely travel on a conveyor belt and could be thrown along the way.  Keeping all of these things in mind, will help you choose the best packing material and box for the part you are shipping.

**When shipping automotive parts, please remember to treat each package as if it may be thrown at some point.  Use plenty of bubble wrap, foam, paper, etc. **

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Find a sturdy box to ship the part in. Make sure that it is large enough that there is at least one inch of space between the item and the box.
2. If using a recycled box, make sure to take off any old shipping labels.
3. Wrap the item in bubble wrap if available and place the part in the box.
4. Fill the remainder of the box with paper, newspaper, or foam peanuts to keep the box from losing its shape during transit and to provide an extra barrier of protection to the part you are shipping.
5. Place your completed customer information form in the box with the part.
6. Use packing tape to seal the box.
7. Measure and weigh the box.
8. Create a shipping label online or take the package to your local post office, UPS store, or Office Depot/Staples where they can create a shipping label for you. The post office requires that you round up to the nearest pound.  Do not round down.

INSURANCE: 

• The US Postal Service will provide $50 of free insurance with their priority shipping option. You may purchase additional insurance if desired.
• UPS typically provides $100 and will request a value for the item.
• If you choose to have us create a shipping label for you, we provide additional insurance for $2 per $100 of additional insurance.

USE CAUTION:

If the item has tabs, be sure to place them where they will not be easily broken if the box is dented in shipping.

If the item has a lens, it might be a good idea to place it in the box at an angle, so that if something crushes one side of the box, it does not fall directly on the lens and crack it.

DO NOT: 

1. DO NOT ship any parts in a BAG.   It WILL arrive broken.
2. DO NOT use scotch tape to seal up the box. You can purchase a small roll of packing tape at the post office counter if necessary.  They also carry this in any Wal-Mart or Target store in the office supply section.
3. DO NOT leave space for the part to roll around in the box during shipping.
4. DO NOT use a box that is too small for the part.
5. DO NOT leave old labels on a recycled box.

PURCHASE A SHIPPING LABEL FROM AUTO TECH RESCUE:

We are going to begin providing shipping labels upon request as a convenience to our customers.   Please be sure to find a box that is as close to our specified dimensions as possible to avoid any extra charges that the shipping company may request from you upon drop off of the item.

LINKS:

US POSTAL
UPS
FEDEX
Office Depot / Office Max 

IS IT THE CLIMATE CONTROL OR BLEND DOOR MOTOR?

Time after time, I will have customers call with the question about their 2001-2007 Toyota Highlander.  I replaced the climate control and it still doesn’t work.  What could the problem be?  We checked the blend door motor, but it isn’t getting any signal from the control head.  What is going on?

Here are a few suggestions.  A majority of the time if you have been having to wiggle the control knob on the climate control to get it to change from hot to cold or just stay on one, then it is very likely the climate control causing issues.  Eventually, it will fail altogether and will need to be repaired.  I have seen numerous items wedged into the control to keep the climate where the driver wants it to be.  That is a short-term fix.  However, if you haven’t been having to do this to your climate control and one day you start driving and cannot change the climate, it is very likely your blend door motor.  Both parts fail frequently.

One way to test this is to bypass the climate control.  Most mechanics can do this for you.  Simply put power directly to the blend door motor itself.  If you do this and it allows the door to move, then you know the blend door motor is good and the problem is in the climate control itself.  However, if you put power to the blend door motor and it does not move, then you know you have a faulty motor.  This part can be purchased at your local automotive parts store such as Auto Zone or O’Reilly the last time I checked.

Let’s go back to the climate control.  If you have tested the blend door motor and it is good, but still are having issues with your heat, vent control, AC, or fan speed, then the problem is very likely in the control.  The most common issue is for the middle knob on the manual control, which controls the air temperature, to fail.  It will then get stuck on just warm or cold air.  Secondly, if your control is stuck on heat, this will very likely not allow your AC to come on either.  Occasionally, the vent control knob will also become faulty and lose connections, causing you to be unable to change between the vent positions and control over where the air is distributed in the car : defrost vs. floor. vs face, etc.  Lastly, and this does not happen very often, the fan speed control knob can go bad.  This part actually just runs through the climate control, but is a part all to itself.  It can be replaced but not repaired.  If this ends up being your problem, then we do keep this part in stock as well.  Just remember to always check your blower motor resistor as well as this can also cause an issue with the fan speed control and might be the more likely cause of a problem.

Another issue:  I bought a refurbishment climate control, checked the blend door motor, and my compressor still will not engage.  What could be the problem?  Anytime we sell a climate control, we check the VIN  for the Highlander.  We do this for a reason.  There are a variety of interchanges.  If you install the incorrect interchange, even though it has been rebuilt, it will cause issues with the compressor not engaging on your vehicle.  Always make sure you are installing the same part number on the back and this will take care of that problem.  The face plates look the same, but the internal components are different.

I hope this sheds some light on the issue if you have been struggling with your vehicle.  Thanks for reading!

Purchase a repair service: https://autotechrescue.com/product/toyota-highlander-climate-control-repair/
Buy a refurbished control: https://autotechrescue.com/product/refurbished-01-07-toyota-highlander-manual-climate-control/

Fleet managers everywhere: Listen up!

The Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor is one of many vehicles used in a fleet situation.  Nearly every, if not all, police and sheriff units use these vehicles on a daily basis to ensure our safety.  With the vehicle being in a fleet, those law enforcement employees are typically required to track mileage traveled in those vehicles.  While this shouldn’t be a problem, it is.  The 2006-2009 Ford Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis have a chronic problem of the digital odometer display going out or becoming very dim on these vehicles, including the police interceptor package.  Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for anyone driving one of these vehicles to keep track of their mileage.

One solution for this problem is to order a new instrument cluster from the dealership.  I called on one just this week and the discounted price was approximately $460, so you can estimate probably around $500 or more with tax included.  Some dealerships require that they remove and install the cluster as well.  Go ahead and add on $200-$250 for this.  Now you are looking at $750 per cluster.  If this is for a police department I’m sure it is coming out of our tax dollars as well.  Ick!

The other option is to have the cluster repaired by someone such as Auto Tech Rescue.  Simply remove the cluster from the vehicle.  (contact us for instructions on this if you need assistance)  Ship it to Auto Tech Rescue.  We will repair this problem for the low cost of $100 and ship it back to you the next day.  We guarantee our work and are determined to satisfy each and every customer.  We don’t want you spending your hard earned money or our tax dollars on expensive parts from the dealership when they can simply be repaired.

Another problem that you may run into on these vehicles, actually all Crown Victorias and Grand Marquis ranging from 1995-2011, is air blowing out of incorrect vents and fan speed on the heater and A/C control (climate control).  We can fix that also.  The cost is $145.  The 1995-1997 Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car also carry a problem of the clutch not engaging on the AC compressor, which is a problem in the climate control unit.  We can repair this as well for $110.  Remember, we offer free shipping on all orders over $100!

Now, you can order these parts new from the dealership and spend lots of money.  You can also call your local salvage yard and order a used one for a decent price.  However, it may end up having the same problem.  If yours is beyond repair, I would suggest contacting us anyway.  We can order one in through our salvage yard, repair it, and sell it to you without any worry that it will have the same problems.   You can’t go wrong with Auto Tech Rescue!  Contact us today!

If you ever have questions about anything listed or not listed on our site, feel free to email or call us.  There are instances where we can fix items that we don’t have listed yet, though we do try to stay on top of this and continue to add new items frequently.  We hope you will trust us with all of your automotive electronic needs and will work our hardest to earn that trust.

Thanks for reading!

Lindsay Fanning

Toyota Highlander Climate Control Problems

I have to say I have always liked Toyota.  Growing up, my parents had a Toyota that they kept for years.  It looked good, it was comfortable, and it was reliable.  I have owned a few myself and enjoyed every one of them, including a Toyota Highlander.  We rebuild salvage title vehicles, so I switch it up pretty often.  It is fun to drive them for a little while, sell them, and build another.  Side note – if you are ever interested in doing this for yourself visit our sister company 43 Auto – www.43auto.com.  We would love to sell you a rebuilder.  Ok, that truly was a side note… moving on…

Although I feel that Toyota does an overall good job of producing a reliable, good vehicle, they are lacking on the climate control center for the year range of 2001-2007 for their Highlander model.  It doesn’t matter if it is the automatic controls, navigation, or the manual, they all seem to have trouble.

On the manual controls, we have had many customers complain that they can no longer adjust the temperature or perhaps the fan speed.  The knobs become loose and inoperable.  This can be extremely frustrating, especially if it has hit the dead of winter or summer.  And if you are like most of us, we wait until it is the 100 degree day in May (when it has been consistently 77 prior) to figure out that we need to have our heater and AC control fixed.  Oops!  I’ve been meaning to do that all spring….is usually what comes with it.  This is also a problem for the automatic climate controls.

Another issue that the automatic control carries is a total and sometimes spontaneous power loss.  It may flicker here and there, but eventually it will probably go out.

When this happens, you have a few options.  One, you can call the dealership and buy a new one for around $1000-$1200.  Yikes!  The second option would be to call your local salvage yard and purchase a used control.  However, you run the risk of buying another problem.  Maybe you should just fix the problem!  We offer an even better option.  Send us your faulty control.  We will repair it the same day it is received and ship it out the following day for a very affordable cost.  We also offer refurbished units that we keep on hand to sell in case you don’t have time to wait on a repair.   We offer a lifetime warranty and fast shipping.

Some would say you can do this repair yourself.  You may be able to.  There is a lot of information out there these days that will tell you how to do something.  But why spend your entire weekend trying to figure out how to take your climate control apart, fix it, and put it back together…ok so maybe a little longer than your weekend trying to teach yourself how to do something that you’ll probably only do once.  Seems silly to me.

I have a friend who says he went to school for a number of years and he no longer will do anything that is not required by his degree (when it comes to tasks like this).  Of course, he is being a little extreme.  And yes, he still mows his own yard on Saturdays, or he did until his children became old enough to take over this task.  However, his point is that he isn’t going to waste his free time (the little free time he has) trying to learn something or do something that he doesn’t have to do and that someone else could probably do better who is skilled at it.

This is why I recommend hiring someone like Auto Tech Rescue to do this for you.  We have done it enough times that we know what we are doing.  We have tools and necessary equipment to do it right.  We can get it done in one day for you so that you get it right back and it can be installed so you aren’t driving around in the 100 degree weather (or -4) without an air conditioner or heater.   We repair these so frequently and use materials that are much stronger than what was original with the unit.  This is how we can be confident in our repairs to put a lifetime warranty on the unit when all is said and done.

Spend your weekend with your family or simply relaxing.  Go to the beach.  Go to the lake.  Go for a walk.  Don’t pull your hair out looking for the right tools, staring at your computer, and then potentially messing up and ruining your controls.  Life goes by too fast to spend all of your free time messing with your car parts.  Leave this type of repair to the experts.

So, what was the point of this?  Simple.  Spend your free time doing the things YOU want to do.  Send your broken climate control to Auto Tech Rescue.  Keep your hair (don’t pull it out).  You lost your hair already?!  Well…go for a walk and send it to us anyway!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful morning, day, or evening!  We hope to see you soon!

http://www.autotechrescue.com/product/toyota-highlander-climate-control-repair/

Lindsay

**Another side note – to remove your heater and AC control try using an old credit card and wedge it between the control panel trim and the dash to pop it loose.  Then go to the opposite corner and do the same thing.  Jiggle it gently so that you don’t break it, but it will come straight out by doing this if you are patient with it.  You will need to remove some bolts holding it in place after you remove the trim.  Now, it may be worth spending a moment on you tube viewing how to do this.  I’ll make sure to add a video soon for these instructions as well.

Another option would be to run by your local mechanic and have him take it out for you.  It doesn’t take long, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.

GM Speedometer Cluster Repair

Do you have gauges that have quit working, gone haywire, or are stuck?  Do you have a display that no longer lights up or has gone dim?  Have you lost all power to your instrument cluster?  We can repair your faulty GM instrument cluster with a 24-hour turn around to get you back on the road in no time!

Here at Auto Tech Rescue we can repair numerous car electronics including GM speedometers and instrument clusters, GM ABS modules, transmission computers, FICM, third brake lights, vehicle clocks, Ford Message Centers, as well as a number of other speedometer clusters for makes such as Honda, Nissan, and Ford. Pretty much, you name it, we do it when it comes to defective automotive electronics.

One of our largest areas of expertise is in instrument cluster repair.

Many times your gauges will become sticky or completely stop working altogether. This is a chronic issue for GM vehicles especially. Lucky for you, we replace them with better functioning gauges that carry a lifetime warranty on them. So you don’t have to worry about this problem in the future. Another issue is power loss. All power to your cluster will suddenly go out. Not everyone who works on speedometers can repair this type of problem. However, we are skilled at mending this type of defect. When it comes to light bulbs, they are going to go out eventually. We will replace them with new ones, but we cannot warranty them. They should last for a number of years. However, unless they are LED, they will probably go out again if you keep the vehicle long enough!

When it comes to GM speedometer repairs we can fix the following issues:

Digital display malfunctioning on the following vehicles:

1999-2002 and 2007-2013 for the following:

Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevy Avalanche, GMC Envoy, Chevy Trailblazer, and Chevy Suburban. (This includes the NEW body style for the 2007 Silverado and Sierra.)

We also offer this service for:

1996-2000 Chrysler Town & Country

1996-2000 Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Voyager

1997-2005 Buick Century or Pontiac Regal

1994-1998 Ford Mustang

1997-2006 Ford F150

1997-1998 Ford Expedition

2002-2004 Honda CRV

2006-2008 Honda Ridgeline

We also will replace faulty gauges, repair burnt out lights, fix power loss issues, and problems with the PRNDL not lighting up on the following: 

2003-2007 Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Avalanche, Envoy, Trailblazer, and Suburban. (This includes the OLD body style for the Sierra and Silverado)

We also offer this service for the following GM vehicles:

2003-2006 Cadillac Escalade

2003-2006 Chevy SSR

2003-2005 Chevy Venture

2000-2005 Chevy Impala and Monte Carlo

2002-2005 Buick Lesabre

2004-2007 Buick Rainier

2000-2005 Pontiac Bonneville

2003-2005 Pontaic Aztec

2003-2005 Pontiac Grand Am & Grand Prix

2003-2006 Buick Rendezvous

Even though GM has won the popularity contest in this field, it is not alone. We can repair the gauges and lights on this list of vehicles as well:

 1995-1999 Dodge Neon

1999-2003 Ford Windstar

2005-2007 Ford Mustang

2003-2007 Hummer H2

2003-2006 Isuzu Ascender

2003-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada/Silhouette

Talk to anyone who has owned or currently owns one of these vehicles and I guarantee that they will confirm that this is a problem. Fortunate for those car, truck and SUV owners, businesses like Auto Tech Rescue are here to help!

We have a passion for taking these components apart and restoring them back to a like new condition! Send us your faulty instrument cluster today. You won’t regret you did.

Like I said earlier, we offer a lifetime warranty on the gauges that are replaced in your cluster. We also make all repairs the day we receive the item from you. We will ship it out the next day via UPS Ground service. That is unless you want it sooner. In that case, we will calculate a price on expedited shipping and let you decide if you want to pay the difference.

Keep in mind that you CAN drive your vehicle without the cluster installed. Of course, it is not ideal. However, it is possible.

Don’t live with inaccurate readings on your speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure, and etc. Call us today. We are ready to serve you! Our number is 417-483-7475.

Or if you are ready right now, go ahead and box it up and ship it to us. Make sure you put plenty of bubble wrap or paper around the cluster and a box that it is big enough for it to fit without touching. Ship it to: Auto Tech Rescue 5446 Butterfield Drive Loma Linda, MO 64804.

See all instrument clusters we repair

Instructions