Most of the world relies on automobiles to get around, but these machines don’t last forever. Eventually, they’ll get run down or damaged. What happens to them then?

In most cases, they’ll be hauled off to a junkyard. This graveyard for old cars is where old models get stripped, crushed, and otherwise sold off for parts. How do junkyards work, exactly? What do they do with all the parts they collect?

Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.

How Do Junkyards Work?

If you’re getting ready to junk car, you’re probably curious about what’s going to happen to your automobile after you say au revoir.

The typical process at a junkyard or salvage facility will begin with the dissembling of the vehicle. All the liquid elements inside the car, including coolant, oil, and fuel, get drained out and gotten rid of, preventing any sort of leakage.

Next, the gas tank, tires, battery, and other large elements get removed. These elements, if in good shape, will be some of the pieces that can be sold off to make a profit for the yard. Even the drained fluids might be able to be resold for some amount of profit.

Once all of these initial elements are removed, the workers will evaluate the car. The junkyard owner will have to make a decision on whether to try and repair, refurbish, or break down the vehicle and sell some of its parts.

Almost all parts of a vehicle have the possibility of being resold, though the price may vary. If there isn’t a good enough asking price out there for certain pieces, parts may get recycled and turned into scrap metal.

Benefits of Junkyard

Recycling old vehicles is beneficial to almost anyone involved in the process and help to the environmental concerns of the planet overall. In fact, most would consider junking an essential part of the automobile industry.

On the environmental front, salvaging vehicles can help to lessen the harmful impact that vehicles have on the environment. Old parts also help to lessen the amount of energy that needs to be created to create new materials, such as steel.

Often, those who do the salvaging can make a good profit off the parts they get from the vehicle, although this isn’t always the case depending on the specifics of the vehicle. Totaled vehicles often don’t have much that is really sellable, for example.

If you have an old car that no one is likely to want to buy used, selling it to a junkyard is probably your best way to make some money off of it.

Understanding How an Auto Junkyard Works

How do junkyards work? It’s a question anyone who’s thinking of getting rid of their old car might wonder, but the above information can help fill in the details.

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