How to Select the Correct OEM Auto Parts for your Vehicle |
Buying any product can sometimes be tricky and takes research to get the right product. Purchasing used OEM auto parts is a great option when repairing or upgrading a part on your car. Like many other purchases it takes a little research and a little effort to get the correct part. You will find by following the few simple steps outlined below that you will be able to select the correct OEM auto part for you every time.
Part Fitment or Compatibility
Making sure the part fits as intended by the manufacturer of your vehicle is the most important aspect to consider when the selecting the part.
Most of our auto part pages have a list of compatible vehicles. The compatibility list is based on vehicles that came with that particular part number. In some cases this list can be misleading. Some auto makers may have made five, six, or more different versions for the same part. This mostly occurs when there were options or packages for your vehicle. An example of this would be if you are looking at selecting a rear view mirror. Your mirror may be a basic mirror but your model vehicle could have also come with a rear view mirror that had auto dimming, or with garage door buttons, or both auto dimming and garage door buttons.
Now you may be asking yourself, "How will I ever find the correct part?" It is actually very simple and the most important thing to know when purchasing OEM parts. This is, to match the part numbers. 80% of the parts on your vehicle will have the automakers part number on the part. You can look at your part and write down the part number. You can look at the part you are looking at purchasing and compare the part numbers. If the part numbers match it is the same part. Part numbers take the guess work out of selecting the part. We generally have the manufacturers part number listed on the part page as well as a picture of the part number so that you can see what it looks like.
As a double check you should visually inspect your part with the picture of the part you are looking at purchasing. As an obvious example, you may be looking for a headliner for your vehicle with a sunroof. You find one for your vehicle but it has no hole in it for the sunroof. Visually comparing the picture with your original part would clearly save you from purchasing the wrong part.
If the part you want to replace is missing altogether you can usually ask for help on forums or if you own a BMW you can use realoem.com to look up the part number.
If you need help selecting a part you can always contact us for assistances. We prefer that you email us for compatibility questions so that we can research it and send you pictures or diagrams if needed.
Many of the parts can be put on vehicles that are not listed in the compatibility section and do not have matching part numbers. We generally don't know if the part is compatible in these instances unless it is something that we have performed ourselves. We recommend researching online or posting a thread on a forum for details on how to install the part is the compatibility of the part.
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Color Matching
Color matching is also important when selecting a replacement OEM part. Usually the color is contained inside the part number so by matching the part number from your part with the part number of the part you are looking to purchase will usually allow you to also match the color. Some of the parts will say the color on it or you can find exterior paint colors on the underside of the hood or on the strut tower housings.
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Understanding Hermes Auto Parts Fitment / Application Section
Many of the detailed auto parts pages on our website have a fitment or application section. This information generally comes from the manufacturer, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc. The information can mislead you or is incorrect in some circumstances so it is recommended that you match the part number when purchasing a part and use the information as a general guideline. Below is an example of what you might see. The E46 for example is BMWs chassis code. It is a notation which is referring to BMW 3 Series from 2000-2006. You will also notice that there is a note and the end of the a few lines which says (From 09/2001). Many auto manufacturers will phase in or phase out a particular part at different months of the year. You can look at the inside of the driver’s door frame to find a sticker with the VIN and other information about your car there. It will state the month and year that your vehicle was manufactured.
BMW 3 Series (E46) 320i Sedan 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 325Ci Convertible 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 325Ci Coupe 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 325i Sedan 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 325i Wagon 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 325xi Sedan 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 325xi Wagon 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 330Ci Convertible 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 330Ci Coupe 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 330i Sedan 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) 330xi Sedan 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) M3 Convertible 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (From 09/2001)
BMW 3 Series (E46) M3 Coupe 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (From 09/2001)
BMW 6 Series (E63,E64) 645Ci Convertible 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
BMW 6 Series (E63,E64) 645Ci Coupe 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
BMW 6 Series (E63,E64) 650i Convertible 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
BMW 6 Series (E63,E64) 650i Coupe 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
BMW 6 Series (E63,E64) M6 Convertible 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
BMW 6 Series (E63,E64) M6 Coupe 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
BMW X Series (E83) X3 2.5i 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
BMW X Series (E83) X3 3.0i 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
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-header.jpg "BMW 320i (F30)")
-header.jpg "BMW 545i (E60)")
-header.jpg "BMW 550ix (F10)")
