Fake Auto Parts Sdn Tanggung

Counterfeiting in the automotive industry is not a new problem. In the past fake/imitation/counterfeit parts were mainly on non-safety items such as skirting, spoiler and body parts.

Today, the authority has many times warned that many cars could be death-traps for using safety-related fake/imitation items - such as brake pads, brake discs, suspension and steering linkages. There were many cases where cars fitted with fake brake pad /discs and steering linkages made of very low quality materials involved in fatal accidents.

Consumers should use reputable service centers. However, even some service centers may be unaware the parts are fake because they may be conned into buying what they believe to be cheap genuine products. The problem is that the fake/counterfeit products today have been designed to look like almost perfect replicas of the genuine product, so people don't know a counterfeit when they see one.

Now... fake engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, spark plug, oil filter, air filter, etc. are easily available on-line and from your own 'friends' at lower costs and you think can save some money....but you are probably buying fake/imitation/counterfeit products.

Now, think a moment. .. how much is your life worth?

Are Your Brembo Discs Genuine?

I asked Brembo how to identify if the discs are genuine. I was informed that Genuine Brembo Discs should...

• be either blanks, cross-drilled, or slotted. No combination of cross-drilled and slotted. The drilled or slotted discs are coated in a zinc/cadmium plating to help prevent rust and ensure disc longevity.

• have identification number starting with "09" or "08" such as 09.xxxx.xx. The Brembo discs also have a Brembo Logo and stamp on the disc lip.

• came in a thick brown cardboard box. The fakes came in a thin white cardboard box.

• be machined all surfaces including inside hat except on the ventilation vanes. Fake discs have rough cast hat, with a wide gap between the rotor vanes and the braking surface - not machined at all.

• weigh heavier than the fake discs. Brembo brake rotors are high carbon discs, and have the ability to better dampen vibration and noise

• have two equal and identical braking surfaces. Both sides have exactly the same thickness [10mm?]. Fakes Brembo discs have one side thicker than the other.

• have Ventilation Vanes extend out to the very outer edge of the braking surface (both inside and outside). Fake Vanes are sunken into the disc surface around 6mm (on the inside and outside), meaning there is less material connecting the two disc surfaces.

Fake Brembo Discs...

Both discs are fake!

The Genuine "Brembo"stamping c/w logo are clean and more easily distinguishable...

... whereas the disc shown below with not-so-sharp "Brembo MAX" stamping and w/o logo is questionable. You judge it for yourself. I'm doubtful and I will not buy this one...

WARNING! Imitation Spark Plugs

How to Identify Imitation Spark Plugs? [from NGK website]

click on the image to enlarge

When I checked the factory fitted NGK platinum spark plugs on my Peugeot 308 I got these laser-print "four-digit number" on the bi-hex... "H7Z8." as shown in the picture below.

and also some numbers are stamped on the spark plug body [serial number or something?].


Genuine NGK electrodes [platinum tip and disc] at 40,000km!...

...the tip and disc are still shiny and intact - probably counterfeit tip and disc would have already vaporized at 40,000km.

What about "Laser Iridium" spark plugs which some of you and I bought on-line?





The welding around the electrode looks a little weird to me....

There is also no "four-digit number" stamped/printed on the bi-hex.
I decided not to use these "questionable" spark plugs. Investigation with NGK is in progress.

UPDATE: Received an email from Andrew Hauenstein, Technical & Training Specialist, NGK Spark Plugs (USA), Inc - Friday July 1st 2011

"The build date (four-digit code) should be marked vertically on the BI-Hex. Yes our Laser plugs are laser welded.... ",

So IMHO, NGK spark plugs without the "four-digit" code marking on the bi-hex could be fake or failed QC.