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By NAPA
Shopping for Spark Plugs With NAPA
Automotive ignition and engine work are some of the most straight-forward DIY projects that at-home mechanics have performed for decades. At NAPA, not only do we want to guide you on which
link hidden, please login to view to purchase, but also educate drivers on how they function and the process for link hidden, please login to view. Your vehicle’s ignition system routes high-voltage current from the ignition coils to the
link hidden, please login to view in a synchronized firing order. The timing is critical to optimize the power created from the explosion or spark. Spark plugs use precisely crafted ceramic insular bodies and punched steel casings, which house two electrodes with a gap in between them. When voltage is sent to the plug, an electrical arc is formed between the two electrodes, thus igniting the fuel/air mixture. Spark plugs determine the power output, fuel economy and even engine temperature of your automobile. Signs that it is time for spark plug and coil replacement include jittery or rough idling, power surges from the engine, diminished acceleration and decreased gas mileage. Remember that spark plugs are not designed to last the lifetime of a vehicle. Built-up deposits and natural widening of the electrode gap can cause spark plugs to fail as time passes, so replacing spark plugs is a routine part of vehicle maintenance. Note: It is always best to replace all the spark plugs at the same time.
NAPA experts recommend
link hidden, please login to view every 30,000 miles on older models, which matches most manufacturer recommendations. With a modern vehicle, you only need to change spark plugs every 100,000 miles thanks to advances in materials and ignition design. Replacing spark plugs will take roughly an hour if your vehicle has a four-cylinder engine. Spark plug replacement takes longer for vehicles with a V6 or V8 engine. A standard vehicle typically has the same number of spark plugs as the number of cylinders. So, a V6 would need six replacement spark plugs. There are exceptions like Chrysler V8s, which use two plugs per cylinder. Which Plug Sparks Your Interest? link hidden, please login to view
At the heart of each spark plug is an electrode that connects to the vehicle’s ignition coil via a thick wire. Spark plugs installed by car manufacturers often contain copper, nickel or chromium core electrodes. The metal mentioned in the replacement part’s name indicates the material used to construct its electrode, which gives you an idea of the different
link hidden, please login to view in most retail aftermarkets. You can also find high-performance spark plugs composed of rare, powerful metals like ones with fine-wire iridium centers and double platinum ground electrodes. Glow plugs are typically used for heavy-duty diesel applications. So, are you wondering what type of spark plug is best for your car?
link hidden, please login to view are ideal replacements for older model vehicles. These copper spark plugs are applicable to a wide range of makes/models and are guaranteed to deliver quick starts, good fuel efficiency and smooth acceleration. Although, for commuter vehicles that aren’t classics, some of the best types of spark plugs come from link hidden, please login to view. This product line includes reliable conventional spark plugs, specialized marine spark plugs and link hidden, please login to view. Our experts highly recommend spark plugs from the top-tier levels: ACDelco Silver (Advantage) and ACDelco Gold (Professional). One of the reasons to go with a premium spark plug is that their platinum construction provides better performance and more durability when compared to copper. For example, platinum spark plugs are typically good for up to 100,000 miles of service. These plugs are engineered to generate more heat, which means they can operate in hotter environments. Due to the minimizing of carbon deposit build up, platinum plugs give a better spark for a longer period of time. For an ideal upgrade, go with the
link hidden, please login to view, which delivers optimal engine performance and fuel efficiency. This Autolite spark plug is specifically designed for Ford pickups and SUVs, such as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. Because iridium conducts energy better (an iridium electrode’s durability is six times harder than platinum), it’s the optimal choice if you want to get the most out of a performance engine. Iridium spark plugs are engineered to offer excellent engine idling stability and a smooth performance, which is critical in newer vehicles that use
link hidden, please login to view. NGK Spark Plugs manufactures replacement parts for virtually every automotive, motorcycle, marine and small engine application. link hidden, please login to view are specifically designed for the performance enthusiast, because they provide outstanding acceleration and high fuel efficiency. Get Started With NAPA
Are you looking for where to buy spark plugs and
link hidden, please login to view? NAPA Auto Parts stores and NAPAonline.com are proud to offer thousands of spark plugs and ignition components for sedans, pickups, minivans, SUVs and more. Make sure to select the ones specifically engineered for your vehicle’s make and model. Plus, take advantage of our convenient link hidden, please login to view option. If you are concerned about how much spark plugs cost, we have some good news! The cost of spark plugs ranges as low as less than $2 per spark plug to more than $100 dollars for spark plugs used in industrial or racing vehicles. You can purchase a long-lasting, high-quality, aftermarket replacement spark plug for less than $6 each.
Keep in mind, you need to remain patient while removing spark plugs and make sure to remove one spark plug at a time in the correct firing order. You must remove and replace each spark plug, along with any accompanying wires, before moving on to the next one in the chain. Most modern vehicles incorporate coil-on-plug technology, which don’t utilize external spark plug wires.
Finally, you must check to see if there are proper gap spaces on your new set of spark plugs to finish this installation. This technical auto repair requires using a
link hidden, please login to view with a swivel head, a spark plug wire puller and a link hidden, please login to view just to name a few specific tools. With that in mind, you are probably wondering how much it costs to get spark plugs changed by a professional mechanic. The average cost of spark plug replacement is $140 for a four-cylinder engine, $180 for a six-cylinder engine and $220 for an eight-cylinder engine. Schedule an appointment with your nearest link hidden, please login to view today! Photo courtesy of
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By AutoZone
MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Feb. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) today reported net sales of $3.7 billion for its second quarter (12 weeks) ended February 11, 2023 , an increase of 9.5% from the second quarter of fiscal 2022 (12 weeks). Domestic same store sales, or sales for stores
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By AutoZone
MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Feb. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO), the leading retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the Americas , will release results for its second quarter ended Saturday, February 11, 2023 , before market open on Tuesday,
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By Counterman
Founded in 2014, NEXUS Automotive International SA, based in Geneva, Switzerland, describes itself as a “growth accelerator for progressive companies in the automotive light vehicle and heavy-duty industry.”
The allure of this mission has created a strong pull, as the organization now boasts approximately 161 members in 139 countries. This encompasses nearly 20 regional divisions that include: Adriatic, Algeria, Argentina, Asia Pacific, Brazil, Bulgaria, Central Europe, Eurasia, France, Germany, Italy, Nordic Baltic, North America, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Among these players in NEXUS’ international membership are 2,043 warehouse distributors, 9,023 retail stores, 90 suppliers (76 of which are global) and 75 heavy-duty suppliers, responsible for $37 billion in purchasing power.
Talk about strength in numbers.
The North American division of NEXUS Automotive – N! N. America for short – was formed just a year later in 2015. Founding shareholders of NEXUS Automotive North America include The Network/Parts Plus, now under the umbrella of the Automotive Parts Services Group (also known as “The Group,” comprised of the Pronto Network and Federated Auto Parts), Automotive Parts Associates (APA) and VIPAR Heavy Duty. In addition to the founding members, members of NEXUS in North America today also include Refacciones Originales Automotrices (Mexico), Uni-Select (Canada) and Advance Auto Parts (U.S.).
According to Gael Escribe, CEO and founder of NEXUS Automotive International SA, one of the strengths of the North American Division is its broad range of players.
“The NEXUS North America members are made up of a diverse group – ranging from traditional distributor to retail to light vehicle and heavy-duty. So, there is a lot to learn from each other, through best practices and collaboration,” Escribe said. “There is also an appreciation and a next level of loyalty consideration for those global supplier partners who work with our members at the local North America level and with NEXUS from a worldwide perspective,” he added. “They see long-term viability in suppliers who are engaged at both levels.”
This strategy makes a lot of sense, particularly with international issues such as economic recession, supply chain challenges, labor issues and more creating great waves of change across the automotive aftermarket landscape.
Escribe added that supplier partners are provided with instant credibility when soliciting business with NEXUS members from other parts of the world. This eliminates what can often be a major hurdle when trying to establish business partnerships in a new country.
The benefits of joining NEXUS Automotive are many, Escribe said. In addition to greater global collaboration and international credibility, they include exposure to a broader base of suppliers who can provide coverage range needs, an OE pedigree, a premium brand and quality alternative, availability (especially during these challenging times in the supply chain), competitive price; training and education enhancements through the NEXUS Academy; and awareness of global automotive, mobility and general economic trends.
Added Value for North American Distributors
As Robert Roos, president of The Pronto Network Cooperative, who also serves as president of NEXUS North America and a board member of NEXUS Automotive International, explained it, being involved in NEXUS adds value well beyond what the typical North American program group could offer.
“For us, NEXUS becomes really that add-on to what we do as a program group. It allows us to now partner with some of those folks in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, learn from them and collaborate with them. Really, through The Group we’re still negotiating our programs for our members, yet we like to add value with NEXUS and collaborate with them where we can. We were very intrigued with some of the projects that they were involved in, which really weren’t about putting a traditional marketing program together, or let’s negotiate a discount or a rebate on a product line,” said Roos.
“It’s really more about companies they’re investing in, the sustainability projects they have, and Marketparts.com, which is an avenue for trading inventory across the globe. They are really doing some out-of-the-box thinking and they’re looking much farther down the road than we might have an ability to do on our own. That’s what really drew us to NEXUS because we’re so busy with some of these other things, we just don’t have the resources, we don’t have the time to get it done. Being able to partner with all these organizations across the globe, now all of a sudden, we’ve got the structure and have the ability to do some of this stuff, which we think long-term is going to give us just a huge leap forward,” Roos added.
As Roos mentioned, all members of NEXUS Automotive across the globe have first-hand access to Marketparts.com, a B2B website to sell or buy inventory globally, as well as other global sourcing opportunities through the DRIVE+ private label program. This however just scratches the surface of the multi-faceted resources NEXUS provides its members. Resources are organized around three main areas: growth, transformation and sustainability.
Sustainability that Goes Beyond Being “Green”
In terms of sustainability efforts, NEXUS Automotive International offers support that is becoming increasingly critical to doing business today — both domestically and internationally. Inteliam is a sustainability/ESG rating company that was incubated by NEXUS, and provides members, non-members, installers and suppliers with guidance and direction on sustainability rating efforts that are becoming a prerequisite to many financial transactions in business today.
Steve Tucker, president of Automotive Parts Associates – a founding member of N! N. America – shared that this is particularly helpful for a lot of APA members involved in government bid business today.
“They’re having to provide proof that they are working toward establishing a sustainability index or state their sustainability score. Most of these guys are smaller businesses, some are larger, but they don’t have the wherewithal or even know where to begin [with this process],” said Tucker. “NEXUS has provided a blueprint and they actually have a sustainability person on staff who can help write it up or help explain what they need to do. It’s more than just being responsible to the environment. Obviously, that’s important, but it can also impact your ability to borrow money from the banks. It can impact who you can sell parts to and actually who will sell your parts.”
Tucker added that in some cases today suppliers are looking at customers from a sustainability perspective because it impacts what that supplier can do financially, as well. “You can go back and say, ‘Hey, 80% of my customers are recycling cardboard or pallets or are utilizing electric vehicles as part of the delivery fleet.’ All those things play into it,” he added.
Roos confirmed his members are seeing the same changes in business today. “We had one of our large members that did a sustainability program, presented it to their lender, and got a better loan rate,” Roos said. Becoming educated and aligned with these sorts of efforts through NEXUS Automotive International is a win-win, not only helping global environmental efforts, but helping aftermarket businesses stay competitive in a challenging time.
Creating a “Spark” Through Innovation
Joe Stephan, a longtime aftermarket executive, joined NEXUS in February 2021 as vice president, sales & business development – North America, NEXUS Automotive. In this role, Stephan works with NEXUS North America supplier partners to strengthen the value proposition of the regional entity and introduce the different N! services and concepts to members. As such, he is well-versed on the innovative growth opportunities NEXUS has developed, including Inteliam and an aftermarket-specific startup incubator called SPARKER.
“The SPARKER idea came about because of suppliers talking to NEXUS about either products or services that they would like to look at to bring to the automotive community,” he said. Stephan explained that as NEXUS looked deeper into this, they realized there are thousands of mobility and automotive startups around the world that could be consolidated into a portfolio to both assist the startups with things such as HR, sales & marketing, strategy development, etc., and also offer suppliers and distributors the ability to review startup opportunities they could potentially help bring to market.
“This created an opportunity for suppliers or distributors to have a peak into the portal to take a look at either at a very high level – or a detailed level and pay an annual subscription – to be able to look in at these 2,500 to 5,000 startups that are in there,” Stephan said.
“In addition, we are all learning from technologies like the NEXUS funded Ki Mobility Solutions in India where an automotive ecosystem has been created,” said Stephan. “Distributors, suppliers and vehicle owners are participating in this digital platform automotive aftermarket community providing parts and service solutions in the form of aftermarket alternatives.”
Better Together
Like Roos and Tucker, on the heavy-duty side, Chris Baer, AAP, president & CEO of the VIPAR Heavy Duty Family of Companies, sees strength and value in the global partnership. VIPAR not only is a founding member of N! N. America, but also the founding heavy-duty member.
“Some of the core reasons why we joined [initially] are still very valid today,” said Baer. “NEXUS has done a very good job over the years to add to their value proposition. They’re very innovative, and they’re very quick at executing. VIPAR’s strength over the years has been local and regional and you could say maybe national. Our distributors are local or regional. But as you start to look at the rest of the world, things have changed so much in the last five years. The timing was really good for us to join NEXUS because they’ve got this whole global game down. … There’s a whole portfolio of tools available and they keep bringing out more,” Baer added.
While N! N. America members certainly see competitive advantage to their involvement in NEXUS, the North American members have something to offer as well – particularly in heavy-duty, Baer said.
“What we bring is what the guys on the automotive side are all trying to peek over the fence at, which is how do we get in this heavy-duty business. So, there’s a whole bunch of collaboration opportunities that we’ve done fairly well with, some technology stuff and collaborating on national account programs where the customer has vehicles on both sides of the road. Technology’s making that easier and easier to execute. So, there’s a NEXUS North America influence that we have on the heavy-duty side because we’re the exclusive player,” he added.
The Future of NEXUS Automotive
Looking ahead to 2023, Escribe shared several goals for the international organization, including revenue growth for supplier partners; launching the NEXUS Academy training program for the North American market; introducing additional key N! N. America suppliers to the rest of the world; and finding new innovative ways to add value to members and supplier partners — supporting mutually beneficial growth all over the world.
To learn more about a supplier partnership, membership or access to some of the innovative projects that NEXUS Automotive International has introduced to the market, visit its website at
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By NAPA
NAPA Shopping Guide: Best Truck Accessories For Winter
Whether you are shopping for a loved one this holiday season or hoping to treat yourself after a long year,
link hidden, please login to view has what truck lovers need! Winter truck accessories are hot items that never go out of style. But aftermarket vehicle upgrades are designed for more than just trendy personalization. Most pickup truck accessories are engineered for protection, safety and lifelong performance. The NAPA truck accessories catalog features trusted, popular brands like BAK, Trident, link hidden, please login to view, Bestop and link hidden, please login to view. When it comes to winter accessories for trucks, there is no better protective feature to start with than
link hidden, please login to view. If you are searching for heavy-duty floor mats with a universal application to any vehicle, our NAPA experts recommend the link hidden, please login to view. This line of high-quality floor mats is geared for any budget. The deep ridges and raised edges are guaranteed to trap melting ice, snow and muck dripping off construction boots. The raised perimeter keeps messes in the mat and off your interior surfaces. These mats will not shift or slide, and can be easily trimmed for a perfect fit. Husky Liners can be quickly removed, sprayed clean, and repositioned in a matter of minutes. If you are shopping for laser-measured liners that are manufactured to pair precisely with your exact make and model, we highly recommend the
link hidden, please login to view. Built from High-Density Tri-Extruded (HDTE) material, this all-weather interior accessory combines strength and flexibility. Each set comes in your choice of Black, Cocoa, Gray or Tan. This product is made in the U.S. and backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. If showing off your team spirit is the goal, you can’t go wrong with a set of link hidden, please login to view. Including a wide range of sports logos and military insignias, this line of vinyl or carpet mats is sure to gain you the traction and attention you want from an link hidden, please login to view. NAPA Has You Covered With Exterior Accessories link hidden, please login to view
A deluxe set of
link hidden, please login to view for any vehicle can be an investment. When it comes to link hidden, please login to view, the choices, styles and brands can seem endless. But, if you delay installing robust exterior truck accessories, you may not be using your powerful vehicle to its full potential or might even be risking your safety! One of the most common truck exterior accessories is the
link hidden, please login to view. A soft-rolling cover is the perfect stylish addition to your pickup, which helps keep rain, snow and harmful UV rays out of your truck bed and off your cargo. A hard-folding or automatically retractable tonneau cover, coupled with a locking tailgate, can deliver the security you need. Don’t just take our word for it. Check out this 2022 product review by AutoGuide.com on link hidden, please login to view, which also includes things to consider before making a purchase. Speaking of keeping items in your truck bed secure and safe, now’s a great time to install a built-in
link hidden, please login to view. A standard link hidden, please login to view, fabricated from solid aluminum, is sealed to prevent water from seeping in. This strong, long-lasting upgrade keeps your tools easily accessible, while protecting your truck bed liner from scratches and dings. If you are concerned about retaining as much visibility as possible out of your rear window, opt for the
link hidden, please login to view. It still generates up to 9.5 cubic feet of storage space, and incorporates lockable paddle handles so all of your tools stay right where you left them. If a toolbox behind your cab isn’t accessible enough, or the contractor in your life requires multiple truck bed toolboxes, our experts recommend our full line of link hidden, please login to view. Outfit Your Pickup In The Whole Winter Package link hidden, please login to view
Personality meets protection with the most visible aftermarket truck accessory: a
link hidden, please login to view. A grille cover creates a barrier against hard ice and broken-apart asphalt that kicks up from roadways, which have deteriorated over a long, grueling winter. A grille also promotes faster warming of your engine in cold weather. A customized grille is a great display of your truck’s personality. Take a look at the
link hidden, please login to view, which is made of stainless steel and comes in many finishes and flame colors. This innovative product fits over your factory grille with no need for drilling or cutting. Too much? Take it down a notch, while still displaying a touch exterior, with the link hidden, please login to view. Available in a chrome finish or a black powder coat, this grille is engineered for a precise fit. Another simple, DIY exterior upgrade that any truck owner can tackle is adding on
link hidden, please login to view. Also called mud guards, these winterized features are designed to cover the back of your tires. Mudflaps are great for preventing rocks, mud, sleet and standing water from spraying the sides of your truck and the vehicles behind you. Not only do mud flaps improve visibility and traction, they also keep your paint job in better condition and your undercarriage free of dents. This protection product is typically sold in pairs, and is often made of rubber with optional steel accents. For many truck owners out on the road, the improvements and replacements performed on their vehicle is never ending, and always exciting. Winter is a great season to shop for truck accessories, from
link hidden, please login to view to link hidden, please login to view. And when you shop on link hidden, please login to view, all direct shipping to your door is free! The post
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