Surprising to me, to bring it back to cars, we have an emergencey call out vehicle that ocassionally gets left out in up to 20 degree below temps and needed a new hard drive. This was a couple of years ago, but ended up with a ruggedized standard drive as ssd’s typ operating was maybe 45 to 100 degrees. I think the specs on the ruggedized standard drive are -25 to 120 degrees. The other odd thing about ssd is if left unpowered for a length of time a ssd can loose all data
The cool factor, the computer has 2 power sources, one tied to the ignition and one to always live. I installed a switch for Auto and off, as sometimes short trips did not need the computer and 1250 nit (daylight readable monitor) powering up every time the van is used. On auto, the computer fires up when ignition is turned on, then goes through proper shutdown when ignition is turned off.
When the computer fires up it loads the gps antenna driver and a moving maps program where the vehicle location is the center of the map showing our utilities.
That is interesting. Obviously these characteristics would make an SSD undesirable in cars where temps can get quite hot! I know SSDs require being powered on to retain data which makes them undesirable for backups whick may sit for a while. Again, better ones tend to hang on to data longer. Also, as you start to wear them out by writing to them more and more, they require more frequent power ups to hold their information. I think this may be one of the reasons they rate the drives so conservatively. They will still work but not hold the data long after turned off.
I knew they used to make ruggedized hard drives but figured SSDs made them obsolete in cars but guess I was wrong. That is very interesting.
Since the initial report came out stating SSDs can loose their data, it’s been debunked many times. Some say it was taken out of context as it only pertained to drives that already reached their end of life.
I’m not trying to state which position is more correct, but rather noting there isn’t agreement on this.
HHD’s are probably more robust in harsher environments and extreme temps - like the inside of a car… But that’s changing. New technologies have SSD’s lasting YEARS and can live in very harsh environments.
Lifetime part? My 86 park ave used to eat mufflers because of the location and that it only went a couple miles each day. The brother of my step mother which I suppose would have made him my step uncle, had a muffler shop and put a new lifetime muffler on. Two years later it was shot and took it back. As we chatted I found out it was no different than any others and he had to cover the whole cost. What could I do? Not wanting to screw him over, I just paid for the muffler and he did the labor. We agreed next I’d pay the whole thing. I had a similar experience with lifetime Monroe shocks I bought from an army buddy that had an auto parts store. After 100k they were shot. I got them replaced but only once. I really don’t like taking advantage of people. These parts are no different and it is likely the store that covers the cost. Now the 90 day warranty is different and usually covered by the manufacturer.
Warranties can be a big problem. My invoice specifically stated that parts and labor were warranted for 3 months or 3,000 miles unless otherwise noted but that was to protect me more than the customer. The rate of failed repairs was less than 2% over the years and I took care of problems up to 12 months and unlimited miles unless the customer wanted to get hostile at which time I highlighted the invoice note and said goodbye. And the manufacurer’s warranty from parts stores is not worth chasing after 30 days so it’s best just to take care of the customer and let the store know how disappointed you are and use the disappointment for future bargaining. And with this thread being about NAPA I will add that parts from NAPA were excellent and rarely failed but when they did fail, even out of the box, the store was a real pain to deal with. And for sure lifetime warranties are a marketing gimmick from the McParts stores that I totally ignored.
I really don't like taking advantage of people. These parts are no different and it is likely the store that covers the cost.
How are you "taking advantage" of anyone? The store volunteers to warranty parts. Presumably, the business the warranty brings their way exceeds the payout costs. The store's "playing the percentages" that MOST purchasers will misplace the receipt and thus be SOL when the part fails: if anything, the store is taking advantage of the shoppers! It's no moral failing to be organized...
The store’s “playing the percentages” that MOST purchasers will misplace the receipt and thus be SOL when the part fails
Plus a lot of people will have gotten rid of the car by the time the part fails. Most people don’t keep a car forever, especially when they have to start replacing part after part.
Certain chain garages around here used to advertise “brakes for life” “muffler for life” (but come to think of it, I haven’t seen one of those ads for quite awhile). The “lifetime” warranty referred to the cost of the part, you had to pay them for the labor to install it. So they’d just mark up the labor price to include the cost of the new part. No such thing as a free lunch. And again, most people won’t keep a car for 20 or 30 years like myself and some of the others here. The lifetime warranty is the selling point that draws 'em in, but very few people actually come out ahead.
I’m not going to put words in anyone’s mouth, but I get the impression he didn’t want to “take advantage” because his close friend / family member owned the store and would have to eat the cost. Might make for an awkward Thanksgiving dinner after you done hit your step-uncle up for 4 or 5 free mufflers, heh heh.
While I’m not making a statement on the quality of Autozone’s parts, it is difficult to beat their lifetime warranty. Whenever I’ve had to return anything (exhaust, brakes, etc), no receipt was needed. They just look up the purchase in their online records and replace the part “no questions asked” - ever.
We have a muffler guy lifetime warranty on mufflers, bends his own pipes and I needed all the pipes replaced on my old truck. He did the job for less than I could buy parts for. Even welded a split cat for 10 bucks. 5 or 6 years later the muffler went, and i had a 3 or 4 dollar charge for a new pipe clamp. He is srill in business, and gets my reccomendation to anyone who needs work.
Wow. I didn’t know that. I always keep my receipts filed away, but lifetime on virtually everything? I have to check that out. Problem for me is that the nearest AZ is 50+ miles away.
I get receipts from Advance, many parts have a lifetime warranty, but the receipts often turn into blank paper after a while because they’re printed on cheap thermopaper. I’m sure it’s not intentional, right? Ordering online gives me a better hard copy.
@“common sense answer”
^^ It’s not lifetime warranty on virtually everything, but a lot of what they sell has it.
Some of their parts, like alternators, starters, etc, may not be the greatest quality, though they do carry lifetime warranties. If something takes a lot of labor to install, I’ll pay extra and shop at a place that sells quality parts - just to reduce the chance I have to redo the labor at a later time.
Quality is really all you can control,just like the old delco parts(good stuff)NAPA silver(junk)Sorenson(good) you get the idea,sometimes you get what you pay for.
I live in a very rural area and if I drive 20 miles to town I find a NAPA (independently owned), a CARQUEST, and an Advance.
My first choice has been Advance because I order online to pick up in the store. I get discount codes and often get 40% off my order. Our old trusty 01 Impala, an ordinarily very quiet ride, (3800 engine, north of 250,000 miles and going strong) had started suffering from a perforated resonator. Advance had by far the best price, even before applying a 40% discount. So I headed to town.
It was a Saturday, DIY day of the week. Imagine my surprise when I got there and of 4 counter-people, I recognized none. After a brief discussion and listening in on other customers I discerned that nobody working there had any car knowledge… On a Saturday! People with little knowledge, but a will to DIY, trust they will get parts and advice at the old auto parts store. Not this day.
Imagine my shock when I received the resonator and gasket I ordered and asked for a muffler clamp to fit the end opposite the gasket end, and after a brief search, was told they had been wiped out of muffler clamps. No muffler clamps! Mufflers and resonators, but no clamps!
I felt bad giving them my business and heading to NAPA for a clamp, which they had.
I am considering paying more and taking all my business to the independent well stocked NAPA. Perhaps it’s not NAPA, but rather any store, in any line of retail, that can turn ugly.
In my neck of the woods, NAPA is the preferred choice of mechanics. To be more specific, it seems that a lot of the small independent shops get parts from NAPA
NAPA also lets you order parts online, and pick them up in the store. Their online inventory is updated, and it’s almost always correct. If the part has the green check mark, you can head to the store, and it’ll be there.
Another thing I appreciate about NAPA . . . they don’t try to sell you stuff you didn’t ask for. Such as hand cleaner, tune-up grease, etc.
The issue seems to be that . . . among non-professionals . . . NAPA doesn’t really have much name recognition. So the DIY guys usually head to autozone, pep boys, or o’reilly. Those stores appear to be more busy. So, even though there may not appear to be many customers in a particular NAPA store, you will observe that the employees are always busy pulling parts for their regular customers, who tend to be independent shops
Years ago an employee of the local Auto Zone store gave me some e-mails between corporate and mid managers which showed that some at the top had a very poor opinion of their counter help and someone indicated that they were developing a computer look up system that would enable the stores to successfully man the counters with trained monkeys. I haven’t seen any monkeys in these past 20 years but they have a high turnover and sometimes their requirements seem minimal considering the vacant stares I have sometimes gotten from accross the counter. Auto Zone does lead the way on the market though, while NAPA has been somewhat level.
