New Orleans Auto Repair

Have you ever wondered if you needed a wheel alignment?      Symptoms of a vehicle being out-of-alignment: 1)  Pulling or drifting while driving 2)  If you notice while going straight down the road the steering wheel is off center 3) If you notice your vehicle is handling oddly           Other reasons your vehicle may need an alignment: 1)  Tires were replaced 2)  Any suspension or steering parts were replaced 3)  A front wheel drive axle or front or rear wheel bearings were replaced Bonuses to having a properly aligned vehicle: 1)  They will NOT prematurely wear suspension components or tires 2)  They are safer to drive. Traction control systems work best on properly aligned vehicles 3)  They are more intuitive to handle and help keep the driver more in control   Let the mechanics at Tim’s check out your vehicle and let you ... read more

Maybe someone has told you that your vehicle needed a wheel alignment, but what is it? In simple terms, when a vehicle is out-of-alignment, it means that all the wheels are pointing in different directions. That can cause a variety of issues for your vehicle such as premature wear on your tires or suspension. It can also cause your car to pull or drift while driving. That can be a safety concern. Wheel alignments are performed on a specialized vehicle lift called an alignment rack, using specialized equipment called an alignment machine.  They use multiple cameras that take detailed pictures or videos of targets that are mounted to the four wheels of the vehicle. Depending on the vehicle being aligned, both front or all four wheels are being adjusted. Many vehicles can adjust your suspension and steering on 3 planes. Every vehicle has different alignment specifications. Let the mechanics at Tim’s help you keep a smooth ride and your vehicle driving straight down the road ... read more

Are you wondering if your vehicle's suspension is bad? Suspension systems wear out with normal use of your vehicle. Time and mileage, paired with the bumpy streets of New Orleans, can cause your suspension to wear or fail. A properly functioning suspension provides comfort, traction, and control while driving your vehicle.      Some signs of a bad suspension are: 1) A bouncy ride 2) A clunk or rattle noise over bumps 3) A pull or drift while driving 4) An uneven tire wear  Bouncy Ride When your suspension is worn, you will often feel an overly soft or bouncy sensation while driving. When driving over bumps, particularly at low speeds, your vehicle will bounce 3 or 4 times. The change from a normal feeling ride to an overly bouncy ride can either occur suddenly or gradually over time. The bouncy sensation you are feeling is a lack of spring dampening by the shock absorbers or struts on your vehicle.  Clunk or Rat ... read more

If your check engine light or "service engine soon" light is on, that is your vehicle's way alerting you. It is telling you to bring it into a repair facility as soon as possible.      Check engine light can come on for many different reasons. It could be on because of an evaporative emissions leak that can be caused by something as simple as forgetting to tighten your gas cap. It could also be on for a more complex engine or drivetrain problem.  Your check engine light can light up in two different ways. It can either stay on solid or flash. When it is on solid it is less urgent than when it if flashing.  We recommend getting your vehicle in as soon as possible, but you do not have to suspend use of the vehicle or have it towed in.  It is not a good idea to ignore your check engine light. Even if you think the light is not on for a serious problem, more problems can develop. The mechanics at Tim's can preform a Level On ... read more

Does your car battery keep draining? A drained battery, especially if it happens more than once, is often a sign of a problem. A jump start may get you driving for that day, but more often than not there is something that needs attention.  A vehicle with a battery that is frequently drained is likely:  1) A failed battery  2) Having a problem in the starting and charging system 3) Experiencing a parasitic draw Failed Battery The easiest and most likely cause of your battery draining is that your battery’s internal chemical reaction is getting weaker. A result of the weak reaction is it can not store the energy needed to start your vehicle after it is sitting unused for a few hours.  An un intrusive battery load test is the best way to determine the strength of your battery. We can measure the strength of your battery and compare it to what the battery should have.  Starting and Charging System Problem A ... read more

Have you ever wondered if it was ok to drive with your check engine light on? Your check engine light is your vehicle's way of letting you know a malfunction is occurring. While there is a very large range of problems that can cause a check engine light your vehicle does offer some help in categorizing.  Your check engine light can be lit in 2 different ways: Flashing check engine light Solid check engine light Flashing Check Engine Light A flashing check engine light is more urgent. It is not recommended to drive a vehicle with a flashing check engine light very far. The check engine light event that is occurring could be damaging your catalytic converter. We recommend you stop using the vehicle – immediately drive to your Auto Repair Shop or have it towed. Their mechanics winn need to do some diagnostic work to find the cause. Solid Check Engine Light When a solid check engine light comes on, that is your vehicle ... read more

    Wondering if you need to have your vehicle aligned after buying a new set of tires? The answer is YES and here is why.  New tires are an investment in your vehicle and more importantly an investment in your safety. Wheel misalignment will cause your new tires to wear prematurely and drastically shorten the life of your new tires. Normal use of your vehicle (especially on the rough roads in the greater New Orleans area) will cause your vehicle to become misaligned. Starting fresh with a newly inspected suspension on a properly aligned vehicle will give your tires what they need to serve you for the long haul! We recommend alignments on all vehicles getting new tires. A freshly aligned vehicle combined with our Tire Protection Plan is the best way to keep your tires on your vehicle for as long as safely possible.   We can help you with tires and ... read more

Is your car overheating? If you notice your vehicle temperature gauge climbing, you are having a problem with your vehicle running hot. Although running engines create heat, your vehicle's engine cooling system was designed to help regulate your engine temperature. Two main issues that can cause your vehicle to overheat:  1) Low coolant level or no coolant in the engine and radiator  2) Engine cooling fans is malfunctioning A low cooling system is an indication of a coolant leak. How coolant leaks are detected is we will artificially pressurize your cooling system with a special tool and then visually inspect the system to locate leaks. Did you know that your vehicle's cabin heater is part of the engine cooling system? Sometimes your vehicle has a cooling leak internally in the engine, meaning that your cylinder head or cylinder head gasket is allowing coolant to leak into one of the cylinders of the engine. A tell of an in ... read more

Does your car pull to the right? Your vehicle should travel straight when you drive on a smooth flat road. If you notice that your car is pulling or drifting to the right when driving, this could be an indication of a tire problem, an alignment problem or a braking system problem. Tire Problem A tire that has developed a very irregular wear or a slipped belt can cause your car to pull. As tires age the bond that holds the steel belts and tread to the tire carcass deteriorates, this can cause a section of the tire tread and belt or the entire tire tread and belt to shift and cause a pull in the vehicle or a bump sensation and a pull. Tires with slipped belts are unsafe and should be changed. If changing all four tires it is also recommended to align the vehicle afterwards. Alignment Problem Problems with your alignment can cause your vehicle to pull or drift to the right or left or both. It can also be ... read more

    Synthetic Oil vs. Conventional Oil – what is the difference?! We get this question a lot. Most modern vehicles require synthetic engine oil, but where does it come from? Most importantly, why is synthetic oil the right choice for your vehicle's oil changes if it is required?  Synthetic Engine Oil uses a synthetic base stock. Many times the beginnings of the base stock comes from crude oil but that is just the beginning. The base stock goes through a much more involved process where the molecules are broken down and then re-built into uniform shapes. Additives, friction modifiers and cleaners are added to the synthetic base stock and it is ready for use. Synthetic oil does a superior job of reducing friction, limiting wear and being able to lubricate in tighter tolerances (less space). Conventional Engine Oil uses refined crude oil as its base stock. Crude oil is cleaned, filtered and held under pressure and heat and one ... read more