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could be another idea for a ETCG1 discussion but i have no idea if this has already been suggested and right now i want too make this a topic of discussion and for everyone too put there thoughts into this and your experiences! when replacing parts on your car is OEM always better?
the answer too this question for me is no… OEM is not always the best solution, for example with my car just about everything Electrical and even filter wise is AC Delco! now i will admit AC Delco makes good plugs and Sensors… But there are some other things outside manufacturers make better or simply take from what other parts manufacturers make and improve on them, i think the reality is a lot of the time AcDelco is used because its a cheaper alternative and the parts mark up is what makes the parts so expensive, but for the manufacturer they get a major parts cost cut because they pretty much advertize there parts!
now once again using what i know well as a example and what i know works good that is OEM for this car is spark plugs, and AcDelco makes a very good set of plugs! the ignition timing of the engine is heavily impacted and tuned in the factory buy the plugs, and some cars can be VERY picky about what plugs you use in them, now there are several factors that determine how well a set of plugs may work in your car, form performance too longevity for the spark plugs i usually stick with AC Delco and have the best of luck, however too be honest spark plugs are one of the only things i stick too AcDelco for
for spark plug wires and some other sensors i really like BWG “Borg and warner.” i am currently running a set of 8.5MM low resistance spark plug wires buy MSD and the engine LOVES them! EVAP solenoid i have replaced in the car replaces what is probably the AcDelco unit with a BWD and i haven’t had a single issue! but i have stuck with original factory OEM iridium AcDelco plugs, though i find NGKs work very well and so do Autolite plugs.
as far as filtering is concerned i go with K&N and WIX, my car has a cold air intake with a K&N filter, and when i do a oil change a WIX filter is what i prefer, after seeing the insides of a AcDelco oil filter i find that its not too far from FRAM, which lets face it is a poor excuse for a filter, in my opinion something we just slap on the engine too make work and say “yea i change the filter with the oil!” the internal construction of a WIX filter i find is far superior too a AcDelco filter, and K&N filters are even better yet! but at $13 a filter vs about $6 a filter for the WIX and ill stay with the WIX since they do a very good job anyways, maybe if i wanted to take my car too the track id put on a K&N
as far as Oil is concerned they choose Mobile 1, i find Royal Purple works great if not better than the Mobile 1 does, so does Valvoline it works awesome! in my opinion as long as you are changing your oil every 3,000 miles and avoiding Penziol you should be fine!
as far as brakes are concerned i really like Raybestos.
now as far as this goes this is GM, not Honda, Ford, BMW, Fiat and i really think it all depends, Ford likes Valvoline and Autolite, BMW and other German manufacturers seem too like Bosch, and Honda Subaru and other Japanese oreanted makes seem too enjoy NGK.
once again, what are your thoughts and experiences?
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Here’s a wacky fact: For my 2012 Camry which uses an oil filter element (no canister), I can get K&N from Amazon cheaper than Fram. I still use Fram for some other cars but then again I’ve never had problems with them and a long time ago Consumer Reports liked them best – no kidding but I’m thinking about trying more WIX and Purolator. I use Valvoline (non-syn) and Mobile 1 but also like Castrol, and even Pennzoil. I’ve always like brands like BorgWarner, Raybestos, Gabriel, Monroe, Walker exhausts, Standard ignition, Champion (and AC for that mater), NGK, Denso and Bosch – the list goes on. I’ve also found, for some cars, certain parts just need to be EOM.
At one time I used to think that after market parts were superior to OEM. They seemed to take a given part and improve on it’s weakness. Ignition coils for example had a higher voltage spark than OEM because of more windings even though the engine didn’t require it.
Since off shore countries have appeared on the scene big time I don’t think most aftermarket parts are worth a crap anymore.
The only reason I use them is because they are usually much cheaper. You have to be able to compete with the shop down the street.
Poor Pennzoil, they put out a batch of bad oil around 1980 and they still are not forgiven. There were lawsuits and Pennzoil had to replace engines. Don’t you think they would have gone down the aisle and explained to the person responsible for adding antioxidant that management was not happy.
Anyway, I was one of the victims of this snafu. I figure the way they got burned should make them a little more careful.
To change the subject from oil, I’ve been going through the spouse’s Subaru replacing parts right and left. This on a car with only 56K that shouldn’t be having these issues. Meanwhile my Evo with twice the miles hasn’t needed anything. We are talking build quality here. So, I’m thinking finding aftermarket parts for a 2004 Subaru that are better then OEM shouldn’t be difficult.
the best thing i can say in that respect is do research and ask around about what parts people have the best luck with when it comes too there cars, it all depends on what parts wear out, for me i will always stick with BWG but for spark plugs i say stick with NGK with that car no matter what! as far as breaks and suspension components go i would ask around…
With the nearest Subaru dealer 100 miles away and few Subaru vehicles in evidence here because of that I’m just happy to find a parts supplier that has anything. I had to go to five places this morning to find an upper radiator hose.
Advance Auto scored me a new metal A/C idler to replace the singing plastic OEM one.
is it just hard too find parts for a Subaru in general or is it just hard too find parts for it where you live? yea that sucks… why did you have too replace the radiator hose at some 50,000 miles if you don’t mind me asking?
when it comes too hoses i like two companies, Goodyear, and Gates! Gates especually don’t know if they make radiator hoses but they make belts and hydralic hoses, and Gates i tell you i love Gates, not only are they good parts but they are made in the USA!
I have found that OEM often fits better and is better constructed, but not always. You also have to consider other factors– my Dorman window regulators were clearly less robust than the OEM ones I replaced and they raise the windows more slowly, but they do the job and cost less than a 3rd of OEM. Sometimes highest quality is just not necessary for an older vehicle.
[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=106496]is it just hard too find parts for a Subaru in general or is it just hard too find parts for it where you live? yea that sucks… why did you have too replace the radiator hose at some 50,000 miles if you don’t mind me asking?[/quote]
The car has 57015 miles on it. I just looked.
As for parts I only know about here.
As for the hose, the OEM radiator popped last winter. While installing a replacement the OEM wire clamp on the radiator end of the hose broke. I replaced it with a worm drive clamp. About the time you get these wire ones loose they fall apart whether broken or not. I don’t like them
The hose was grooved deeply by the wire clamp. They always say to put the clamp back in the same position. There is a reason. The worm drive clamp although tight was leaking enough to accumulate deposits on top of the radiator.
Last fall I had the engine end of this same hose leaking through the wire clamp there. This OEM clamp had never been touched and it started leaking on its own. To top it off it wasn’t visible until the intake was removed. It took me several trips to the garage to find this leak.
All of this is OEM stuff. Maybe I could have gotten by with the old hose but this is my wife’s car and I want it right. The new hose was a Dayco.
In a few days I’ll have some pictures up I took of recent work I did on the Subaru. This will include a photograph of a collection of questionable or failing parts I replaced.
My pictures are up. So go over to Repair Central (2004 WRX timing belt) and see how I fared with both OEM and aftermarket parts.
With many parts, the OEM and aftermarket parts are manufactured by the same company. The only difference may be ID stamps and packaging.
Example; and this covers just about every car on the planet. TRW manufactures suspension and steering components for the aftermarket and which is sold over the counter in many parts houses. TRW also supplies those same parts to Ford Motor Company just to name one.
Six of one; half dozen of the other.Same goes for Federal Mogul bearings. Over the counter at the closest parts house by the box or sold by the truckload to Ford, GM, or whomever. Same part; different packaging.
[quote=”Bluesnut” post=107121]With many parts, the OEM and aftermarket parts are manufactured by the same company. The only difference may be ID stamps and packaging.
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Absolutely. Everything comes down the same production line, then some get put in boxes with the OEM branding, others go into boxes with aftermarket branding. I don’t see why I should pay sometimes 100% more just to get the same part in an OEM-branded box.Yes, there is some very cheap, low-quality aftermarket out there, but my experience is that if you buy mid-market stuff, it’s just fine. Country of manufacture doesn’t bother me, quality of manufacture does, and China – just like the USA and Europe, and well, everywhere – makes excellent-quality products as well as cheap crappy ones.
In addition, I haven’t been hugely impressed with the longevity of OEM parts on my Jeep, which I bought new in 2005. I’ve been through three Mopar radiators in that time, and the next time I’ll go aftermarket. I have an aftermarket rad in my 1993 Grand Cherokee, and that’s working just fine after three years. Ditto the water pump.
When the OEM high-pressure hose in my Liberty’s power steering started leaking, I was told that if I used anything other than OEM to replace it, I’d regret it. I looked at the price of the OEM hose and almost collapsed. I then bought an Edelmann hose from RockAuto for about $40 and it’s been working fine for almost as long as the OEM one did…
I’m enjoying the posts regarding this issue. It’s been very good reading. I think there’s probably three distinct variations in aftermarket parts. There are cheap replacement parts where there was at least an attempt to replicate the original part, there are quality aftermarket companies that in many cases also produced the original part for the auto manufacturer, and then there’s the specialty manufacturer who actually takes the time to build a better part (possibly a high(er) performance or upgrade part, etc.). Because I have purchased some cheap replacement parts recently that were either defective or badly designed, I tend to want to now only buy either OEM or the OEM equivalent from a good aftermarket company. It’s also meaning that I’m shopping more online at companies that sell OEM and name brand parts (at a discount) versus my local discount auto parts stores which sell lesser quality aftermarket parts.
OEM is not always better. Anytime you use always or never in an argument you’re typically going to be wrong.
There will always be cheaply made replacement parts, OEM parts and higher quality replacement parts.Just look at the cruddy OEM coolant elbows and LIM gaskets on the 3800 GM cars. Aftermarket companies have made better LIM gaskets (Felpro) and metal coolant elbows instead of the OEM plastic. Also look at the heater hose Y on the 2008-2009ish Caravan/Town and Country. They break right along a mold seam and are right above the exhaust (wonderful engineering). Gates has come out with a superior to OEM replacement part.
OEMs source and price parts largely by supply cost so they’re not always getting the best part, they’re getting the best part for the price they’re willing to pay.
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