When you think of recycling, you may think of glass, plastic, paper

and aluminum. But did you know that 47% of the hard parts on your vehicle

can be recycled, too? This is called re-manufacturing. During this process,

the worn part is actually re-manufactured to"like new" condition.

A good example of this process would be a water pump. The body,

shaft, impeller and hub don't wear out and can be reused. In the

remanufacturing process, they are thoroughly cleaned, inspected for any

form of damage, then get a new protective finish. Bearings are tested and

replaced with new ones when necessary. All seals are replaced with 100%

original equipment quality seals, and the "like new" assembly is ready for

resale. While all of these "remanned" parts meet original specifications, it's

not unusual for many of them to exceed the original specs. Remanufacturers

see the cause of failure and often have the opportunity to fix it.

The re-manufacturing process is backed by the same quality systems as the

original equipment manufacturers. In fact, some remanufacturers are

QS9000 and ISO9002 certified. As a result, the warranty on their parts

is often times better than those on new parts. Many parts come with a

lifetime warranty, to ensure satisfactory performance.

So what's the primary difference between new and remanned parts?

They call it the three E's: Economy, Ecology and Energy conservation.