Can't find part for your vehicle

[arodini]

unless you go to the dealership for OEM...

I have a 1995 Acura Legend GS with Type II engine (the last year of the Legend and arguably the most attractive looking car of Acura line). It's an old car. And it had power steering leak so the pressure line hose needs to be replaced. My next door neighbor (Ed) is a master technician with 20 years under his belt who's been working this car for awhile. So I went to get the part from autozone yesterday. Came home to find out from Ed that it was not for my car; the end fittings are snap-on type vs the threaded. I thought it was kind of strange as I've never run into this problem before.

So I went back to autozone today, and had a store manager helping me out. He was pondering why too because his database (same with other stores like advanced and napa, etc) only shows what I bought was the right part for my car. He even pulled out the so called Rack-n-Pinion where the pressure hose assembly connects to, and it fits fine. So I thought Ed was probably mistaken. Therefore, I didn't return, came home to find out that the store's database was wrong as the part would NOT fit my car for sure. Darn it! And I had to go back to the store to return it.

I searched the entire google's database for the past 2 hours to find that everyone else is selling the same looking assembly that's supposed to be for my car, but it doesn't fit! Argh!!

Ed will call the Acura dealership tomorrow...

Has this ever happened to you?

 

[fishwhisperer]

nope but iv owned cars that i could not afford to fix and ran them getto rigged and loud as hell and torn to ****.. so i feel your frustration none the less.. cheer up mate, it could be worse!

 

[Ash]

Yup you own an older car now and you are not going to find the correct parts readily available anymore. I am slowly running into this issue with my 94 integra. I need a few new random parts which I will have to contact acura for (there are a few things they are even discontinuing now, so I am hoping to find what I need b/c I have not checked up with them yet). You may want to start checking junk yards (what I usually do).

 

[jlnguyen74]

Probably, your car was made in Japan, and the part at Autozone is for American made model. Fortunately for us in So Cal, there are many autopart store, so I haven't run into such problem, yet...

 

[Greg31]

I work at one of the largest used auto parts places on the east coast. If anyone needs anything just let me know. Shipping isnt usually more then $5.

I actually have 2 95 legends here on my lot.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

Try owning a 73 dart swinger and snapping a tortion bar. Most places cant get it or list it under a dif name. Got a set from a junkyard so I got an extra now

 

[longv]

if you take the old hose to a hydraulic hose place they'll be able to reuse your old fittings to make a new one

 

[nikond70s]

theres lots of car parts for honda/acura here in socal.

your best bet is going to car forums online and asking.

 

[chonhzilla]

From my personal experience with Honda is that there were three main manufacturing plants worldwide. Honda of America, Japan of course and Honda Manufacturing of Canada. Although most of the car parts are universal; it greatly depends where your car was manufactured. Most parts like I've mentioned are completely universal and work perfectly; but in serious cases like A/C expansion valves and uncommon parts are strictly listed by where the car was manufactured. Under your hood on the radiator support, if the car still has the original one it should have a sticker labeling where the car was manufactured; then go from there.

My beater: 1995 Honda Civic Coupe. All stock w/ my old trusty HKS intake.

My personal experience was replacing the A/C expansion valve. I went autozone and purchased a new one for $25 bucks. Installed it and serviced the A/C. The result was nothing but hot air blowing out, the A/C service tech simply said all the parts are functioning fine; but by the looks of it, it seems like A/C expansion valve is not working. I was pissed! I spent the last 4 hours trying to figure out how to get into this thing and change it out and he tells me I wasted my time? Then he asked me where I got it, I told him autozone. He chuckled and said I really did waste my time and I would have to do it again or he can do it for $400. No way! So he told me to try another shop across town and I did. This time after telling then which part I needed they asked me one question I have never been asked before. Where was the car made? In this case my Civic had the label Honda Manufacturing of Canada. The part was special order but it would be there the next morning. When I picked up the part the price was no longer $25 but instead it was $45. Also the two parts looked nearly identical! The only difference was that the copper lines were a bit shorter. I installed it and it worked.

 

[Polypterus]

Have a 78 Mustang that had the same part blow... Could not at all find the correct metric replacement so I just re tapped it for Standard.. All parts really for the 77 and 78 Mustangs are a PITA to find.. Also have a couple Yugos... If I did not have a direct source for parts they would have been gone long ago...