Where to buy MAP sensor(s) other than the dealership?

[Axekicker]

So... I walk into my friendly neighborhood Chrysler/Dodge dealership parts-depo yesterday and ask for a MAP sensor (part#5139278AA) and they say they don't have one but the dealership on the other side of the valley does. Before I can tell him to grab the phone and double-check that they do (in-fact) have it in-stock and on-hand... he grabs the phone and calls their sister dealership and voila! They have one left and the parts guy will put it on the counter with my name on it. It's 3:30pm Friday and I'm heading into rush-hour traffic. 55 minutes later I arrive at Dealership-B and hand them the slip of paper Dealership-A gave me... with the part number shown... and give them my name... and everyone looks at me in confusion (red-flag #1). After passing my 'story' around to all 6 guys in Parts... . they all say the same thing... "we never talked with anyone at our 'other' sister dealership and do not have the part you need" (red-flag #2). I tell them to pickup the phone and call 'Kelly' (at Dealership A) and find out whats going on. Over the phone I can hear Kelly saying '... I don't know who I talked to over there but they said they had it and would put it on the counter for the customer... ' (red-flag #3). Everyone there swears it wasn't them. After checking their computer again... they confirm that it shows they have 1 sensor in-stock but upon checking the shelves... it's nowhere to be found (red-flag#4). Then they check the computer again and find there's only 1 MAP sensor in all of southern Nevada and it's at a dealership in Pahrump (ever watch 'Mars Attacks'? Yeah, that Pahrump) only 53 miles away... and it's now 4:55pm Friday afternoon. They hurry and call the dealership and 'Parts' tells them they sold the last MAP Sensor they had earlier that afternoon. Wonderful!!! (Red-flag #5... . ). So... they get back on the computer and find that a dealership in New York (I'm in Nevada) has 20 MAP sensors and can ship one next week. Does this all sound too familiar?



So I go to bed mad. I get up this morning calm-er (no I won't tell you what transpired in-between) and I go on-line and put in my MAP sensor part# and voila!!! There are a dozen parts houses that can ship me the sensor at a substantial discount... right to my door within the next 3-5 days. So I pick the one with the best rating on Amazon.com... . and the best price and 'click'... . it's on it's way.



I guess this is what we've been reduced to. I'd rather deal face-2-face with real-people, but when they display the level of incompetence I got sucked-into yesterday... . I'm going to modify my purchase-behaviors in the future and cut-out the 'middle-men' at every opportunity. There are some 'parts' we'll have to go and pick up personally... . some 'Services' we'll have to go 'in' for; but when it comes to simple parts-purchases and routine maintenance. I guess we're largely on our own.



I miss the days when I could walk into Clark County Auto Parts and every guy behind the parts desk knew what they were doing... . and half of them had the 'Hollander' manuals memorized. (You've got to be an old-guy to know what the Hollander Manuals are. Ok... I'll tell-you... . they were the auto-parts interchangeability Bible of the automotive parts industry. If they didn't have the exact 'starter' you needed on-premises... they'd check the 'Hollander' and see if there was a substitute 'starter' that would work for your application. )



Ok... that being said, I was amazed at the price disparity for that particular MAP sensor. From $120 to over $200.

Even higher on Ebay.

Even higher at the dealership... . IF... they had it.

Pays to 'shop-around' eh?

I don't know if it will help you guys out any... but I found a parts 'search-engine' that came in handy. It's

Frugalmechanic.com

Really simplified things for me.



Ok..... I'm done.

Gotta go outside and clean and reinstall my old MAP sensor until my new one arrives.

 

[AH64ID]

Geno's Garage sells them too.

The dealership is generally more trouble than they are worth, hopefully your part shows up soon.

 

[Axekicker]

Geno's Garage sells them too.

I checked there first. . but didn't see anything.
So... . I just spent a bunch of time back on their website and STILL couldn't find it.
I've heard they've got parts and components that are not 'listed' on their website or catalog.
This must be one of them.

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[jelag]

I didn't check rockauto.com but have found a lot of parts there... and when I need trailer parts its always etrailer.com

Both have excellent web skills, with a copy of the order by email, a copy of the tracking data usually within a few hours of the order... If I plan ahead, I just shop there... its so easy...

 

[AH64ID]

I searched sensor on the Geno's website and found it on the bottom of page 1.

http://www.genosgarage.com/CUMMINS-MAP-SENSOR-03-07-59L/productinfo/3971106/

 

[mwilson]

I searched sensor on the Geno's website and found it on the bottom of page 1.



http://www.genosgarage.com/CUMMINS-MAP-SENSOR-03-07-59L/productinfo/3971106/

That's a fair price, within $5. 00 of Cummins 3971106 on my price tape.



Mike.

 

[Axekicker]

I searched sensor on the Geno's website and found it on the bottom of page 1.


Ahhhh grasshoppa.

I put the part# (5139278AA) into the search window and nothing came up.
I should have used the word 'sensor'.

Live and learn.
After putting a few more 'terms' into the search-window I can see that Geno's has a lot of 'stuff' that's not visible when casual-browsing on their web-site or their catalog. You've got to use the 'search' window to dig these items up.
Kind of like playin' 'Wheres Elmo'... ... .

Thanks for the help.

 

[Axekicker]

That's a fair price, within $5. 00 of Cummins 3971106 on my price tape.

Mike.

Mike,

Am I right in a*s*s*u*m*i*n*g that 5139278AA is the 'Chrysler' part number and 3971106 is the 'Cummins' part number... . for what is essentially, the same (MAP) sensor?

 

[mwilson]

Mike,



Am I right in a*s*s*u*m*i*n*g that 5139278AA is the 'Chrysler' part number and 3971106 is the 'Cummins' part number... . for what is essentially, the same (MAP) sensor?

That's right, anything that was on that motor when it was shipped to Dodge to be installed in a Ram is a Cummins part.

A few items are not on it when Dodge buys it such as the alternator but the engine components, starter, ECM, electronics, injectors, much of the harness, sensors etc. are all Cummins items and can be looked up for you by me, Shadrach and a few others on here. All we need is your truck VIN or Engine Serial Number to do so.

Then you can go parts shopping at Cummins dealers or Geno's and pay sometimes 1/2 but always at the very least 2/3 as much as you would at a Dodge dealer.



Mike.

 

[Axekicker]

That's right, anything that was on that motor when it was shipped to Dodge is a Cummins part.
A few items are not on it such as the alternator but the starter, ECM, electronics, much of the harness, sensors etc. are all Cummins items and can be looked up for you by me, Shadrach and a few others on here. All we need is your truck VIN or Engine Serial Number to do so. Then you can go parts shopping at Cummins dealers or Geno's and pay half as much as you would at a Dodge dealer.

Mike.

Super.
Thanks for the help Mike.
I'll take you up on your kind offer... when I replace other 'Cummins' pieces-parts in the right-near future.

Glenn... ... ... ... ... ... ... .