Cautionary Rock Auto engine sensor tale

Long story short- I beat my head against the wall on my '98 Dodge Ram for the past two weeks due to the fact I got defective crank/cam sensors from Rock Auto.

I would suggest anyone who is considering purchasing sensors from them to either get them from Mopar or at least a local store where you have some recourse. Rock Auto is giving me crap since they were installed (of course I installed them fool, that's what the were purchased for!) and states they have to send the back to the manufacture for testing before they will issue a refund.

Care to guess how that is going to go? I don't expect to get my money back.

Truck banged and popped and pinged like crazy until the Standard sensors was pulled and a Mopar ones installed in their place. You field techs know what a ***** it is to change on a hot engine, I had to do it twice this week chasing the problem.

My buddies who are still dealer techs told me there have been a rash of drivability problems related to aftermarket sensors, so its not an isolated event.

We had the truck on a scope, pulled the intake and changed the belly pan, swapped out coil, cap, rotor, wires and TPS with known good units, borrowed a DRB-III to make sure the distributor sync was set, checked the grounds all to no effect till Mopar ones were installed.

I'm not saying to not buy from Rock Auto but I'm damn sure saying I'd not buy anything electrical, sensors in particular for sure. And every time they will say the same thing- Well looking at our sales history we sold "x amount" and no one complained. They said the same thing when they sent a junk O2 sensor a few months ago.

Well guess what bub, I got the junk ones and it laid up my truck for two weeks. It cost me money have to rent a truck for a job.

I'll keep you posted as to what they report, the sensors went out yesterday for return.

PS they were not the bottom of the barrel sensors either but the more expensive premium brand name units. Fool me once...

PPS The phone jockey at RA also indicated that "of course the dealership techs would say Mopar is better" but could not explain why the truck runs now. I have worked with both before I retired and known both over 2 decades. If they say they are seeing a lot of problems with aftermarket sensors you can take that to the bank.