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Parts markup

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
[emoji35] anyone else notice how the retail stores have a huge markup on parts? My wife's envoy blew a map sensor. Now we can't trust it to make it a block without stalling. So I called around this morning and the cheapest in town is $100. I looked online and both ebay and amazon were $15. What a freaking rip off. But I can't wait for the part so I'm stuck paying premium.

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bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
That sucks. What's a map sensor and why can't you drive without it?
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
That sucks. What's a map sensor and why can't you drive without it?

Ditto.

But yes, local stores do charge a premium for having it when you need it, where you need it. But that seems like an extreme premium!
 

tiredretired

The Old Salt
SUPER Site Supporter
[emoji35] anyone else notice how the retail stores have a huge markup on parts? My wife's envoy blew a map sensor. Now we can't trust it to make it a block without stalling. So I called around this morning and the cheapest in town is $100. I looked online and both ebay and amazon were $15. What a freaking rip off. But I can't wait for the part so I'm stuck paying premium.

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Should be able to get 1 day shipping from Amazon and still save a lot from that brick and mortar store.

I feel your pain. Amazon has the cat back stainless exhaust system I want for my truck for $199 and no shipping for being a prime member. A local parts store needs to order it and it will take longer to get then from Amazon for $325.00 plus 6% tax.

Either these brick and mortars can't compete with online or they do not want to.
 

mbsieg

awful member
GOLD Site Supporter
If you unplug it will it throw the computer in open loop. But still run? Give that a shot till new one shows.
 

Av8r3400

Gone Flyin'
...and more business goes to the online wholesalers requiring the local store to have to charge even more for their products in order to pay rent, employees, taxes, etc. Try calling Amazon or Ebay when the part doesn't work or fries the ECM on your car because it wasn't the correct one or was a counterfeit knockoff…

I buy online, so I understand. I also own a small local retail operation so I get that side, too. It's a nasty circle.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
That sucks. What's a map sensor and why can't you drive without it?

From what I've read on it (and I'm not an expert mechanic..lol), the map sensor, which is usually found on the air intake, helps regulate the amount of air and fuel mixture getting to the engine.

A while back the check engine light came on so I did a scan with my cheap scan tool I picked up on ebay for $15. It gave a code showing a rich fuel mixture getting to the engine. Now it makes sense. I'm guessing the MAP sensor was on it's way out.

What happened yesterday is that we were driving along. Stopped at a stop light and when we got going again as soon as she let off the gas the engine died without warning. Turning it over, it wouldn't spark or sputter. So I thought immediately that the fuel pump had let go. Here we were in the inside lane of a 4 lane busy road just past a set of lights stopped dead in our tracks. We put the four ways on while my wife called CAA for a tow. I decided to try it again and it fired up so off we went. We drove a few blocks then turned down the side street going to our house and it died again as soon as she let off the gas at a stop light. This time it fired up again so we made it home. I did some online research and it all pointed to either the ignition switch or the MAP sensor. The more I read the more I suspected the map sensor. Sure enough, after I scanned it today after installing the new sensor, the code for map sensor came up in the history. So I suspect that is what the problem was. Before changing it, I disconnected the map sensor but left it in place and tried to start it. It started but would barely idle and would spit and sputter. Before now I had never even given much thought to a map sensor and didn't know what it was.

I should look at the bright side of today though. Even though I got raked on the price of the new part at least I avoided the hefty garage fees. First, they'd charge an hour to diagnose, $60 to scan it. And an hour labor to install the new part when it only took me 5 minutes to change.

MAP Sensor Symptoms
by fixcars.net
​A vehicle with a faulty manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor will usually display symptoms of a rough running engine during acceleration, deceleration or at idle.

The manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor is a common component on modern fuel injection engines that vaporize gasoline by pumping fuel into the engine under high pressure. The MAP sensor helps the engine determine its optimal combustion needs by calculating the mass of the air going into the engine, air temperature, and the rotations per minute of the engine. This allows the engine’s electronic control unit (ECU) to determine the density of the air flowing into the fuel mixture and the ECU can then adjust the both the air flow or fuel flow to maximize performance.

Although a vehicle will usually continue to run with a faulty MAP sensor, overall engine performance can suffer significantly and increased emissions are also a common side effect. Most normal car owners will not worry how their MAP sensors are working until the notorious “Check Engine” light comes on. When the engine’s computer sends out a diagnostic code indicating a malfunctioning MAP sensor is feeding incorrect readings to the engine it can suggest the vehicle may be running either "fuel rich" or "fuel poor," and both conditions are obviously not desirable and can eventually damage the engine. It is not uncommon for an engine code to incorrectly report a faulty MAP sensor due to simple vacuum leaks in a hose or port attached to the intake manifold. Fixing minor vacuum leaks can often solve MAP sensor problems and this means it is always a good idea to inspect all of the vacuum lines and hose attachments before replacing a sensor. A bad fuel pump or faulty exhaust gas recirculation valve can also cause MAP sensors to send out incorrect readings.

If the MAP sensor is faulty itself, the symptoms of rough running will often be the most noticeable during acceleration or slowing down, when there is the greatest difference between atmospheric pressure and the pressure inside the manifold. . Delayed acceleration followed by a sudden surge of power is a common sign of this condition. Another common symptom of a bad MAP sensor sending incorrect signals to the engine’s computer is an engine that runs very roughly or erratically at idle. Most modern cars today can be connected to a diagnostic code reading tool that will interpret the underlying causes and display codes indicating specific fuel/air mixture problems that will need to be addressed. MAP sensor problems can become especially important when a vehicle fails an emissions tests prior to its registration being renewed. When emissions’ testing detects an excess of exhaust emissions and other mechanical causes have been ruled out, the cause is usually a faulty MAP sensor that needs to be replaced.
- See more at: http://fixcars.net/map-sensor-symptoms#sthash.8duXAXcH.dpuf
 
Last edited:

tiredretired

The Old Salt
SUPER Site Supporter
...and more business goes to the online wholesalers requiring the local store to have to charge even more for their products in order to pay rent, employees, taxes, etc. Try calling Amazon or Ebay when the part doesn't work or fries the ECM on your car because it wasn't the correct one or was a counterfeit knockoff…

I buy online, so I understand. I also own a small local retail operation so I get that side, too. It's a nasty circle.

I love to buy locally and am willing to pay a small premium to help support the merchants, I do it all the time, but 40% more (in my case for the exhaust) is just too much and regressive sales taxes do not help.

I am not made of money and as much as I have tried watering it, I just cannot get that money tree to take root in the back yard.

BTW, Amazon is wonderful about returns. Never had an issue with them.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I agree. I don't mind paying a little more for something locally but when I can buy 4 of the same products online and still save? Same thing with my truck. I recently changed the coils. Locally they wanted $95 per coil. And there's 8 of them. I got all 8 for $45 online.

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NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
At least it looks like I fixed the problem even though it was about 75% guesswork after doing some research. Which is good. I'd hate to be on the highway or in heavy traffic and have it just die on us without warning.

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Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
map stands for manifold absolute pressure and in layman's terms is a vacuum sensor the computer needs to know vacuum to properly control f/a mixture and also to see what load is on the engine also the gm flex fuel rigs will also throw a rich code when the alcohol content learn needs to be reset
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I agree. I don't mind paying a little more for something locally but when I can buy 4 of the same products online and still save? Same thing with my truck. I recently changed the coils. Locally they wanted $95 per coil. And there's 8 of them. I got all 8 for $45 online.

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The farther up the line you go, the worse the discrepancy. Parts stores exist because they can sell for far less than the dealer who has a direct line to the manufacturer. Online exists due to both.

My own recent experience. Fuel pump for my truck. $50 on line. $375 from parts store. Near $500 from dealer.
 
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