What's Hot
The two fastest rising applications in the crank position sensor category in August were the 2003 Nissan Altima (up 12 positions to No. 1 overall) and 2001 Cadillac Deville (up 11 positions to seventh overall). In both cases, according to two shop owners, as well as research conducted through the International Automotive Technicians' Network (IATN), a variety of drivability symptoms might lead the repair provider to mistakenly assume a crank sensor is at fault.Nissan did issue a recall notice for the crankshaft angle sensor, but in many cases, according to one shop owner, the required reprogramming ("relearn") of idle air volume on these repaired vehicles is a hit or miss proposition. When the vehicle is returned with similar driveablity concerns, technicians often replace the crank sensors again.
"In a lot of cases, the problem is with the dealer who performed the original repair," reports one technician. "If the crank angle sensor is replaced in the aftermarket, you can't do the 'relearn' without Nissan-specific instruments. After the repair, you might continue to have problems. This is a job that's best done at the dealership unless you want to spend a lot of non-billable time chasing codes."
Technicians who have repaired the Cadillac Deville report that driveability problems often can be traced to vacuum leaks rather than crank sensors.
"Smoke machines (used in detecting leaks) are very handy, but too few technicians actually use them," says a shop owner. "You'll often see a tech assume that a crank sensor is faulty, only to find out later that the plenum boot is cracked."
Ask chassis and/or ride control manufacturers about common coil spring breakage problems and they'll most likely mention Ford Taurus and Focus models. In fact, a representative of one manufacturer noted that the top five applications in this month's snapshot are virtually identical to his top-selling parts.
"Ford has recalled the front coil springs on 1999 through 2001 Taurus and Sable models because the spring material doesn't stand up to corrosion," a shop owner says. "This is a real safety issue because the springs can puncture the tire."
The manufacturer added that these applications are ideal candidates for installation of unitized replacement strut assemblies, which include not only the coil spring but also a new strut and bearing plate. Some shops also recommend replacing the rear coils on these vehicles as well.
Rather than component design issues, this month's snapshot of oil pump demand is more likely reflective of vehicle usage patterns, according to a leading oil pump manufacturer. Each of the top 10 applications is a light truck.
"These are probably trucks that are used on the job – in construction, hauling or some other demanding vocation," says a manufacturing representative. "You'll see these engines getting overhauled a couple of times or more throughout their service life because the bodies and the rest of the mechanicals are still in decent shape. Oil pump replacement is part of that process."What's Not
The 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 1998 Cherokee model fell from the top 10 – to 12Just as they dominate the most common coil spring lookups, Ford models also rank among the fastest falling applications in this category. The 1995 Taurus and Escort models each fell from the top 10 – to 13
In the oil pump category, the 1994 GM C&K 1500 pickup dropped from sixth position to 14
Methodology: The parts demand data captured through the Activant Vista solution is processed and aggregated on a daily basis through Activant's unique statistical methodology. Collected information includes eCatalog lookups, product availability and sales transactions by vehicle and SKU. For a complete analysis of these three categories, please visit www.search-autoparts.com.
