How to Handle Old Car Parts

While DIY and home auto work aren’t for everyone, we know there are plenty of people who love spending a weekend down on the ground, working on their car. There’s definitely something to be said for being able to work on your vehicle yourself and the kind of satisfaction that comes with it. As one of the biggest Chevy dealers in Ohio, we love working with all of our customers, whether you’re looking for a new vehicle or the right parts to do some work on your car. Our service center is always here to help you if you have a task that requires a professional touch – but if you’re a DIY-er, then our parts department is going to be more your speed.

Anytime you do this kind of project, you’re going to be stuck with a tough situation: what do you do with the old car parts? While some people simply chuck them in the trash, this can be a bad idea for a number of reasons and may violate local laws in some cases. Today, we’re going to take you through some advice on how to handle those old parts in a safe way that might actually make you a few bucks.

What NOT to Do – Don’t Throw it Away

We mentioned this already, but we wanted to go into a bit more detail here because, with a lot of old car parts, the last thing you want to do is just toss them in the trash. Unfortunately, this is a common solution for many people, and the results can be wasteful at best and downright disastrous at worst. If you’re talking about a simple, external part like an old hub cap, then throwing it away might not be awful but can still be a waste.

The big danger with just throwing old car parts in the trash, however, comes with internal components – especially from the engine and drivetrain – that contain oil, coolants, and other fluids. If you throw those types of things into the trash, then they get picked up and taken to a landfill or garbage dump. While sitting in the dump, those parts can leak motor oil, lubricant, and other fluids into the ground, which then sinks down into the soil and can end up getting into underground water tables. Having an old engine just sitting in a dump is already bad, but when it begins poisoning local water, then that’s potentially catastrophic.

This is why some areas have laws against simply throwing away these types of parts or old motor oil. You’re not going to be hauled off to jail or anything, but it’s entirely possible that you could face a hefty fine for something as simple as throwing away what you thought was garbage. So don’t just toss that old part into the trash – there are better options.

Better Options: Junkyards

Some people get the idea that junkyards, landfills, and garbage dumps are all the same thing, but that’s simply not the case. While public garbage dumps are filled with all sorts of waste and trash, junkyards, despite their name, have particular types of “junk” that they take. The idea is that most of the stuff at a junkyard has some kind of use and isn’t just garbage.

For example, a lot of junkyards will have scrap metal that’s technically trash, but that can be used for recycling or torn apart for raw materials. People will take entire cars, usually ones that no longer run, to junkyards where they can be torn apart for scrap. You can take some old car parts to these types of locations too – especially if you have something large like a part of the frame or an old engine. We can’t guarantee they’ll take any old part you might have, but it’s worth a shot.

Better Options: Recycling Centers

Speaking of recycling, some car parts can be taken to recycling centers where they’ll be torn apart or melted down into raw materials. This will depend a lot on the kind of recycling centers and programs near you, though a lot of metal is quite valuable. Of course, this also depends on the particular part you need to get rid of. We should also mention that motor oil can be cleaned and recycled, so you should take old oil in a container to a service center or shop that will handle it for you.

Your best bet overall is to look at what your community has in terms of recycling and what they accept – you might need to give them a call. The best part about recycling is that they’ll often pick up your stuff as part of weekly recycling rounds, rather than requiring you to take it to them like a junkyard. If you do a lot of work on your own car, you might be best served using a bin to toss your recycling scrap into and once it fills up, have it get picked up.

Better Options: Sell Your Old Parts

Depending on your car, the part, and its condition, there’s also a chance that you might actually be able to sell your old parts. Sometimes old parts can still work or work again if they’re properly cleaned, refurbished, and repaired – though this is a pretty specialized process. Most of us don’t bother with that kind of thing and would rather replace an old part with a new one. Don’t expect a ton of money for something that needs a lot of work, but you can typically get someone to pick it up from you. Numerous sales websites exist that are perfect for listing old parts and seeing if someone in your area wants to buy them from you.

Better Options: Sometimes You CAN Throw it Away

When all else fails and depending on the type of part you have, sometimes simply throwing it in the trash is the best option. While you don’t want to toss an old engine in the garbage, something like small shards of glass from a shattered window, a stereo that’s stopped working, or pieces of worn upholstery really don’t have anywhere else to go. If you have an old part that can’t be recycled, used, or restored, and it doesn’t have anything in it that can leak out and pollute local water, then throwing it away is probably the right call. Just make sure it’s safe to trash it and that you haven’t missed out on a better way to dispose of it.

Still Not Sure What to Do? Give Us a Call!

If none of the options we’ve already discussed seem quite right for your situation and the part you’re dealing with, then we can still help. Here at our service center, we’re not only experts in working on great vehicles but also in what to do with the parts and old materials that come out of them. Most of the time, proper disposal is pretty easy, and we can answer any questions you have about the best way to deal with those old parts. Give us a call or come visit us at McCluskey Chevrolet today with any of your car questions and we’ll help you find the answers.