When comparing high performance vs. standard replacement parts, it is of extreme importance to weigh performance and durability against value and cost. Long term costs of replacing OEM items with low-priced “budget” items or after-market replacement parts can, in many cases lead to higher consumer long-term costs. It can also lead to irreversible damage to primary and connected related systems. Obviously, if a replacement part is of lower quality and of shorter durability, it will need to be replaced more often. There are costs associated with the labor to replace these parts more often, as well as time lost for actually doing the work of replacing an automotive component. There are other “hidden” costs as well associated with this practice. They may not be costs in cold, hard cash out of pocket, but they are costly, nonetheless.
A good example of this is simply shopping around for spark plug wires for my old Buick. I got in the habit of replacing the wires at least once a year, sometimes more if a problem arose. I go to the Internet and find several varieties of options online and I read the descriptions of what my choices are. They look like this:
Description: Taylor Cable 69.95
8mm Street, Ignition Wire Set, Custom Fit, SST, Blue, Tin Coated Copper Braid, Non RFI, Blue Double Spring Locking Spark Plug Boots, High Temperature Rated To 550 Degrees, Competition Looks, GROUND SHIPPING ONLY
Description: OEM 37.41
Premium Wire Set, Spark Plug Wire Set, OEM Fit And Quality 37.41
Description: Taylor Cable 29.95
8mm High Energy, Ignition Wire Set, Custom Fit, Blue, High Temperature, Oil Resistant, RFI Suppression, 100% Silicone Boot Ends, Double Spring Locks At Plugs, GROUND SHIPPING ONLY
The first thing I notice is the huge difference in price, and like any good spendthrift, I am drawn to the cheapest spark plug wires available. Ignoring the statements about temperature ratings and RFI, I immediately think to myself, without any further research, I may want to buy the bargain set of wires. But then I think I want good wires, and the OEM brand is only eight dollars more. These are the spark plug wires that came with my vehicle, so they must be what I need. I buy them online for $37.41, have them shipped to my house and install them on my vehicle.
I take my old car for a ride, to see how much better it is going to run with the new wires on it. I notice it doesn’t run any better, as a matter of fact, it now has a slight miss in the engine. So I turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle and make sure everything is connected properly. The miss isn’t there anymore when I start the vehicle back up, so I am happy. I turn the radio on to listen to some tunes on the way back to the house, and I can hear the sound of my engine “running” on the radio, like a whining sound, drowning out a portion of the music.
I get back to the house and look at the old wires I took off in favor of the new “original equipment” wires. They don’t look the same. The old ones look heavier and bigger. The next day, I start the car up and the “miss” is back, and the engine “whine” is still on the radio. Frustrated, I put the old wires back on the car and the problems go away. So I go back to my computer and look at custom and high performance plug wires for my old Buick, and here’s what I see:
Spark Plug Wires
Brand: Taylor Cable $108.95
8mm Street, Ignition Wire Set, Custom Fit, Full Metal Jacket, Black, RFI Suppression, Braided Stainless Covering To Polished Aluminum Covers Over Silicone Plug Boots, High Performance, Custom Appearance
Spark Plug Wires
Brand: Taylor Cable $25.95
8mm High Energy, Ignition Wire Set, Custom Fit, Blue, High Temperature, Oil Resistant, RFI Suppression, 100% Silicone Boot Ends, Double Spring Locks At Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
Brand: Accel $99.57
Custom Fit 300 Race, Stainless Spark Plug Terminals, Complete EMI/RFI Suppression, 600F Temperature Resistance, More Spark Energy, More Power, Spark Plug Wire Set, 8.8mm, Wires Routed Over Valve Cover, Black
This time, I do a little research to find out what I do not understand about the sales descriptions offered. Here is what I find out about the difference in spark plug wires:
OEM wires generally rely on carbon conduction and are also used in the majority of stock replacement wires. This form of ignition wire is cheap to manufacture and generally provides adequate initial suppression for both RFI (radio frequency interference) and EMI (electromagnetic interference). The conduction portion is generally made of fiberglass or kevlar over which resistance conductive latex or sometimes silicone is layered over top. This reduces spark current to provide suppression. This works well while the conductor lasts, but it has a limited life. This type of conductor quickly fails if a high-powered ignition system is used. Temperature resistance is generally in the 550 degree F range.
I also find out that EMI from OEM spark plug wires can cause incorrect signals to be sent to engine management systems and on-board electronic devices. This is why suppression is so important. It works the same way that RFI can cause unwanted signals to be heard on my radio receiver. Engine running problems like intermittent misses to a major loss in power loss can be the result. I also find out that the problem can get worse with age due to corrosion of the sensors and connectors. Also, high performance wires can protect in temperatures as high as 1000 degrees F.
I went back to my Buick and looked at the ignition system. It had not been replaced by a high-powered ignition system. I ordered the Taylor custom 8.8-mm wires with RFI suppression for $25.57.
$11.84 less than I paid for the OEM ignition wires. I installed them a few days later when they arrived and have had no problems at all. In fact, my gas mileage has increased and my responsive acceleration increased. I have had them on my Buick for two years now and they still perform as well as the day I put them on.
Replacing with high performance automotive parts are generally considered upgrades and higher costs are associated with better quality and higher performance. As this exercise taught me, this is not always the case. Higher performance means value-added in the long-term. This relates to better customer satisfaction, better performance and durability, sometimes even less expense, but always a better value and a lot less hassle.
Archive for March, 2011
High Performance Doesn’t Mean High Price
Thursday, March 24th, 2011Online Automotive Repair Manuals
Thursday, March 24th, 2011Taking your car in to be repaired by shops and their certified technicians can be a surprisingly expensive experience. You may be surprised how much you are being asked to pay for an otherwise simple repair. This makes the ability of doing these repairs yourself a viable and cost effective alternative. However, lack of knowledge is a clear hindrance to this goal. Fortunately, repair manuals are available online to aid you in this endeavor.
The Internet is a wondrous innovation in which you can seek answers to practically anything. However, like most information on the Internet, they are not provided as equals. You should not fall prey to the false assumption that all information you come across will help. Some can even be detrimental to the process. The quality of the online automotive repair manuals depends on the reputation and knowledge of its author so you may want to check on this before putting it to use. It is also best to check the manual in detail to verify if they cover the repairs that you need to do. Certain repair manuals may only cover certain parts of the vehicle.
There are various ways of looking for haynes repair manuals on the Internet. It typically does not take more than a simple keyword search on search engines such as Yahoo or Google to bring it up. You may also do a search for specialized websites dedicated to vehicles which are usually maintained by reputable technicians or vehicle manufacturers.
Knowing a couple of mechanics personally and asking them where to look can make your online search more efficient. They may also provide you with tips or advice once you are doing the actual repairs. It is good practice to pass on this knowledge once you happen to come across a good source which helped you achieve good results on your repairs.
The Internet is also a good place to locate bargains on actual repair books online. Auction websites such as eBay or Amazon offer used books at a fraction of its retail cost. Many Bookstores may also have online websites in which you can buy repair manuals conveniently and have them delivered at your door steps.
How to Compete Against Foreign Competitors
Thursday, March 24th, 2011Competition for North American companies with foreign manufacturers during the past five years has been brutal. The domestic automotive industry has been in a virtual slugfest with Asian automakers such as Toyota. Now, even Toyota is coming under attack from even lower cost automakers from Korea and India. The once-proud furniture industry in the Southeastern US has been especially decimated by foreign competition.
So, whether it’s the competition from Asia, or the new Walmart store in town, how do you respond to fierce competition? Sun Tzu said…. “When your strategy is deep and far-reaching, then what you gain by your calculations is much, so you can win before you even fight. When your strategic thinking is shallow and near-sighted, then what you gain by your calculations is little, so you lose before you do battle”.
Before going into battle, take the time to step back and study the enemy. Get to know them. What challenges do they cope with? What are their strengths, their weaknesses? The specific characteristics for your industry may vary, but any offshore competitor still has the expense of shipping their products to North America, an expense you likely don’t have. Also, shipping takes time, especially if it travels via a container ship. How would you turn those two vulnerabilities into a competitive advantage for your company? If your company took a leadership role in dictating new and improved product features, these competitors are floating (literally) a lot of inventory with features that are now outdated.
During the last three months of 2007, the Business Performance Analysis Engine (BPAE) reported some additional interesting competitive data. Many companies, from the Pacific Rim countries especially, were reporting that:
• 73% indicated that their company realized significant sales revenue growth over the past year;
• 86% indicated that their company’s profitability remained steady, as a percent of sales;
• 84% indicated that their company did not do an adequate job of internally managing their corporate finances.
So where’s the competitive edge in that information? First, there is a significant opportunity to compete based simply on managing your corporate finances better. Carefully examine the ROI for each of your assets. Increase your efficiency by unloading assets with an unacceptable ROI. Secondly, eliminating idle inventory seems to be an especially sweet spot; a surprising number of Asian companies are exposed to this vulnerability. Finally, during the next six months, make a commitment to sharpen your personal skills and focus on financial management issues.
Many companies remain focused on competing via increased sales while maintaining current profitability levels. In other words, they continue to compete by selling more goods and services, not necessarily by increasing their rate of profitability via increased efficiency. In other words, do an even better job at what you already do. Constantly look for new technology, manufacturing processes, products, and services that you can take advantage of to improve your competitive posture. In the long term, the strategy of growing their profits via increased revenue growth requires additional (and expensive) resources as their manufacturing capacities become max’d out, they take on additional debt to expand facilities, and promised deliveries stretch further.