The 15 tips for using auto salvage yards include:
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
- Do your research
- List the specific parts
- Don't forget the tools
- Be prepared
- Understand your purchases
- Do not accept the first offer
- Familiarize yourself with the return policy
- Learn about the cost of shipping
- Walk away if things don't work
- Check out the available discounts
- Consider salvage vehicles
- Be patient
- Check the online resources
- Check the warranties
- Ask for help
Over 2022 and 2023, there's been a significant trend in car parts shortage, and that's why people are looking for parts of placements from locations like auto salvage yards. These yards are great resources, and you can find not only parts replacements but also you can find whole vehicles.
While there are many advantages to visiting auto salvage yards to get parts replacements, it can be overwhelming and frustrating to find what you're looking for without hassle if this is your first time doing the job.
That's why our team put together a list of 15 tips for using auto salvage yards to help you make the process as easy as possible and encourages you to find the best deal in the salvage yard.
15 tips for using auto salvage yards
Visiting the auto salvage yard is a great experience; you’ll learn about the car parts and the whole system. However, there are a couple of things you need to remember and prepare for before going to the service yard and looking for your parts replacements.
Let's take a closer look at what automotive experts recommend for the 15 tips for using auto salvage yards:
1. Do your research
Before you visit your local auto salvage yard, the first and most critical tip is to research. There are a ton of available online resources that helps you familiarize yourself with the local salvage yard.
For example, you might find information about whether this salvage yard is licensed, and you can get an idea about previous people's experiences. By looking into this information, you save yourself a lot of hassle and decide whether it's worth visiting this local salvage yard or looking for a different one.
You also want to ensure that you select the salvage yard with the best auto reputation. The last thing you want to do is to get stuck with a location that doesn't provide you with the best customer service and reputation. You also want to ensure that you're going to a place with fair prices compared to market values.
2. List the specific parts
Another thing you need to do before visiting the auto salvage is to create a list of items you're looking for. You can get easily overwhelmed and distracted by the number of parts and items you'll see at the salvage yard, which makes your process much more frustrating.
This list will provide you with a road map for what to look for, whom to ask, and what type of health you will be looking for. The worst thing you want to deal with is not knowing what you're looking for and getting drowned in the number of unnecessary items you might come across.
3. Don't forget the tools
The other thing you need to understand is that auto salvage yards are not simple to navigate. You need to understand what parts you're looking for and familiarize yourself with the tools required to take these parts out.
At the older salvage yard, there will not be workers helping you to part out the components you're looking for. Your responsibility is to know where to find them and how to take them out without damaging the surrounding components.
That's why understanding what tools are required to take out any part you're looking for is extremely handy and can help you save time and effort at the salvage yard. If you haven't parted out any car before, you should familiarize yourself with the process so you take the parts safely without damaging them.
If you feel that the process is overwhelming, you should bring some family members or friends to help you throughout the process and easily remove the parts without breaking the components.
4. Be prepared
Another important tip to help you have a great experience in the auto salvage yard is to wear proper clothes. You need to understand that these yards need to be cleaned, and there's a high chance that your clothes will get very dirty. Therefore, you want to avoid wearing your best shirt or suit going to these locations.
The other thing to consider is that working with automobiles and taking out components might involve exposure to contamination and toxic material. Therefore, experts recommend having a pair of gloves that's good enough to protect you from these materials and help you avoid getting injured.
5. Understand your purchases
Once you get to the salvage yard and identify the parts you're looking for, you need to understand what you're purchasing. Look at the components and ensure they don’t have any damage or problems.
The salvage yard has everything starting from completely damaged components to components in really good condition. Therefore, you want to be very careful about what you’ve taken out and what you purchase at the end of the day.
Remember that you're purchasing something from a salvage yard that doesn't have any warranty or protection, so you can return it and buy a better one. Your full responsibility will be to understand what you're buying and only pay for something you’re confident about.
6. Do not accept the first offer
Did you know that purchasing parts from salvage yards is a great experience where you can negotiate the price? Yes! Some people think that whatever price they get, they don't have a say on whether they accept it. However, that's not the case.
Therefore, your research for the parts you're looking for w will come in handy once you negotiate the price. You need to understand the typical range for the current part price and the used car market so you can negotiate the price based on your knowledge.
You need to have strong evidence why you shouldn't accept a lower price for the parts you're looking for. For example, these parts might be very cheap, and there might be little demand for a certain part. So, you have a strong reason for why you shouldn't accept the price they have.
7. Familiarize yourself with the return policy
When you purchase parts from a salvage yard, a very important tip is understanding the return policy. Not all salvage yards have the same policy, and that's why you have to read through carefully and understand whether you can return the items or whether there is a specific deadline for when you can return the items.
The more familiar is with the return policy, the less headache you're going to deal with once you have a problem with any components.
8. Learn about the cost of shipping
You should understand their shipping costs if you purchase large parts from salvage yards. Sometimes these items might require very expensive shipment costs, so you must be mindful of whether you want to accept purchasing the part from a salvage yard or a different location.
That's why it's very critical to select a salvager that's as close as possible to your address to avoid very expensive shipment costs. However, some of the salvage yards might not have the best reputation, and that's where you need to go a little further than where you live.
9. Walk away if things don't work
It is okay to walk away if you don’t like the deal or if the part you found was not good. The experience is to look for something very useful that you can use easily on your car. If there are no good parts in this salvage yard, consider checking another one or coming back at a different time when more automobiles are brought into the salvage yard.
10. Check out the available discounts
Like any other store, salvage yards do have discounts. Therefore, check with customer service and ask if they have any offers for certain vehicles at this particular time of the year.
There might be discounts before receiving a new shipment of junk vehicles. You should select your time for visiting the salvage yard based on the available discounts. You can call them before visiting the salvage yard and waste your time and effort.
11. Consider salvage vehicles
Did you know that salvage yards even have entire, complete vehicles? In some scenarios, it might make sense to purchase the whole vehicle rather than purchasing only one component. It could be much more money-saving if they do it this way.
However, understand that all these vehicles are typically in need of fixing, and that's why you're just getting a bulk of junk and putting it on your property. Unless you understand what you are going to do with the rest of the vehicle, it might not be worth the challenge and the hassle of purchasing a complete vehicle in bad condition.
12. Be patient
The process of purchasing parts from salvage yards is not easy, and it requires some patience. Therefore, with this mindset, you will enjoy the process and get the best out of your salvage yard.
13. Check the online resources
While auto salvage yards are great locations to get parts replacements, some experts still recommend checking online resources. There are many websites where you can check for parts, buy them, and ship them to your house without moving out of your couch.
For example, you can check Craigslist, which is a very common place for people to post their items, and also they can post car parts replacements. Also, I can check eBay motors, a great resource for people who post purely automobile-related stuff.
You can even ask your mechanic for additional resources that you can check online or in person. Many of those mechanics have their ideas, and they've been in business for decades. They will know exactly where things are available, especially those near your house.
14. Check the warranties
Did you know that some car parts in salvage yards come with warranties? That is a great addition; you can enjoy it when purchasing these parts. Therefore, ask customer service if they have any current warranties on certain car parts you're interested in.
However, if the part you're interested in does not have any warranty, it's not the end of the world. You can still purchase it and take the risk of checking whether it will work. That's why it's important to bring someone with the experience to determine whether these parts are in good shape.
15. Ask for help
Finally, don't be afraid to ask for help. Everybody is different, and everyone has different type of levels of experience when it comes to navigating salvage yards. There are many great people whom you can only ask questions and check for help without wasting your time and effort trying to Navigate basic stuff.
The more you ask, the easier it gets to navigate and learn about the auto salvage yards’ capabilities to help yourself find the parts you're looking for without hassling around.
Final thoughts
Although salvage yards can be a great resource to help you overcome the current car parts shortage and find your car parts, the process might be overwhelming, specifically if you have yet to gain experience. This article provided you with 15 tips for using auto salvage yards, including doing your research, bringing your tools, negotiating the price, and walking away if things don’t work for you.