New Orleans Auto Repair

Your radiator is responsible for removing heat from your engines coolant to help keep your engine cool. A leak free cooling system and a properly functioning radiator is key to the reliability and longevity of your vehicle. When engines get hot or “over heat” internal engine damage can occur. In years past radiators were constructed from brass or aluminum fins and soldered on to brass or aluminum tanks. Today most modern vehicles have aluminum fins which are crimped on to plastic tanks. The most common areas for failure on modern radiators is either where the plastic tank seals to the aluminum fins, or the plastic tank itself. Cooling systems are also subject to pressure, most cooling systems operate between 13 and 16 psi. Plastic tanks heat and cool at a different rate than the aluminum core. Over time the heating and pressure created from the heat, and the pressure relief from cooling wear the plastic on the tanks of the radiator. We find that over time the black plastic ... read more

Many times we find new customers with old and dry rotten tires on their vehicles. Dry rotten tires can be just as much of a safety risk as a worn tire. A tire that is dry rotten is much more likely to fail from tread separation than a tire that is less than 5 years old. All Department of Transportation certified tires have a serial number molded or branded into the sidewall. This number is referred to as the DOT number or the Tire Serial Number. DOT numbers are 8 to 13 digits long and identify: 1) the manufacturing location of the tire 2) the tire size and manufacturers code 3) the week and year the tire was produced If you are looking at the sidewall of a tire you can easily tell the manufacturing location, and tire size without decoding the DOT number, however nowhere on the tire besides the DOT will tell you the age. When looking at t ... read more

Today while inspecting a Rav4 we found a slow coolant leak on the upper radiator hose at a Tee. Coolant can leakfromyour enginecoolingsystemat a rapid rate and you will see liquid dripping from under your vehicle, or see a puddle under the vehicle. Many coolant leaks start as slow leaks. You can see a crusty residue around water pump seals, radiator tank seams, hose connections and anywhere else where coolant is contained. It is far better to catch a coolant leak before it starts dripping or becomes a major leak. Depending on your vehicle your cooling system can be under anywhere from 13 to 18or morepsi of pressure while at operating temperature. A small leak can turn into a large leak in an instant sometimes causing the vehicle to lose a significant amount of coolant in a very short period of time. When a vehicle isranwhile low on coolant it can overheat causing engine damage.Routine checks of your cooling system can help prevent problems before they occur. At Tim’s Quality Car ... read more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3pCRWKoXpk&t=14s Brake pad life is effected by several different factors, the vehicle operator’s driving habits, what your brake pads are made out of, also what percentage of driving is done on the highway vs. city streets. Different vehicles have different brakes, some have ceramic brake pads, some have semi-metallic brake pads and others, few and far between, have organic brake pads. Ceramic pads tend to last the longest and have a higher tolerance to high temperatures. But if ceramic pads are used in an application where semi-metallic brake pads were intend the stopping distance of the vehicle could be effected as well as the vehicles brakes could be more prone to over-heating by not using the proper brake pads. Here at Tim’s Quality Car Care we always use the original equipment brake pad formula. Another aspect that effects the life of brake pads is the percentage ... read more

Ball joints are the ball and socket joints that hold your control arms to your spindles. Ball joints are most commonly found in the lower arms of front suspensions, depending on your vehicle you may have four ball joints on your front suspension and some ball joints in the rear of your vehicle. Ball joints are the pivot point that allows your wheels to turn left and right and for the suspension to articulate while driving. Ball joints are load bearing suspension component that takes the brunt of the abuse from pot holes, rough roads, and the weight of your vehicle. Over time and from being used, water intrusion and dust boots deteriorating cause ball joints to lose their grease and begin to grind themselves away. During Our Digital Vehicle Inspection we check your ball joints for deflection, looseness and excessive slack. Not only are loose ball joints dangerous they can cause pre-mature tire wear and can also make your vehicle not able to be aligned. #balljointneworleans Ball joints ... read more