New Orleans Auto Repair

We see many vehicles that are having drivability problems. It is inevitable that most vehicles will have a failure sometime in their life that will cause them to run poorly. A very common symptom that vehicles give is a shake on acceleration. When your car shakes on acceleration you will often feel a bucking / rough driving sensation while accelerating in your vehicle. A shake on acceleration may be more than an annoyance, it may be an indication of a larger problem developing. Shakes on acceleration could be caused by an engine management, engine, transmission or driveline failure.      A good way to start with determining the source of your shake is to see if you have any indicator lights on your dash. A check engine light, or service engine soon light if on would be the best place to start looking for the failure. A light would be an indication that your problem lies in either the engine management system or an electrical / mechanical failure in the engine or transm ... read more

Have you noticed your vehicle needs to be jump started after sitting overnight? The chemical reaction inside of your battery that makes it able to hold a charge can weaken over time, causing it to not be able to start your vehicle. Extreme cold and hot can also cause an internal failure in your battery. Battery failures may not be caused solely by the battery. A faulty starter, alternator or a parasitic draw can be some other causes of a failed battery. All batteries should be tested before being replaced. We also highly recommend a full starting and charging system check to ensure that another lingering problem is not present. Batteries are wear items, the national average life for 12 volt car batteries is 30 months. All batteries at Tim’s come with a 36 month full replacement warranty with unlimited mileage. Let the mechanics at Tim’s help check your battery, starting and charging system and get your vehicle back to being reliable

Oil changes are the single most important investment you can make for the long term health of your engine. Over time engine oil breaks down, absorbs contaminates and in most vehicles a small amount burns off. Engine oil breaks down whether the vehicle is being used or not. Solvents and additives in your oil evaporate as well as the oil begins absorbing water from humidity. While many manufacturers are recommending extended oil change intervals of 10,000 miles or longer it is important to read the fine print. While under optimal conditions engine oil may last longer than 5,000 miles, but it is important to realize most of us do not operate our vehicle under optimal or normal conditions. Most drivers in the United States, especially those of us that live in colder or warmer climates operate our vehicles under “severe conditions.” Honda Motor Co. defines severe driving conditions as: Frequently drive less than 5 miles per trip in above freezing or 10 miles p ... read more

Tires are part of the regular maintenance of your vehicle. Since proper tire rotations, balancing, alignment and inflation will help you get the full life out of your tires, we recommend purchasing tires at the shop you use for regular maintenance. That way they can take care of your tire maintenance and repair while taking care of your vehicle’s other needs. Buying tires from a repair facility that is familiar with your driving habits will also help choose the right tires for your needs. For example, If you drive your vehicle 10,000 miles per year or less, in five years you will have no more than 50,000 miles on your tires. If you had bought 80,000 mile tires, in five years you would be left with tires that still had a large percentage of usable tread left, but it would be too old for us to recommend using. Another thing to consider is the level of expertise of the company installing the tires. Most big box stores do not inspect your vehicle's suspension for safety and wea ... read more

Have you ever driven a vehicle that shakes when the brakes are applied? Many times the shake becomes more violent at higher speeds. While every vehicle needs to be inspected to determine the source of the problem, many times the cause for a shake while slowing down is out of true (warped) brake rotors. Brake rotors are the metal disc that you can see behind all four of your wheels. Your brake pads clamp down on the brake rotor to stop your vehicle. Brake rotors can become out of true from being exposed to excessive heat or from being exposed to large amounts of water when they are hot. Many times the fix for your car shaking when stopping is replacing brake pads and rotors and servicing the calipers. Sometimes calipers and brake hoses need to be replaced as well. Fun fact! You can often determine the axle that is causing the vehicle to shake by paying attention to how the vehicle shakes. If the shake is coming from the steering wheel but the rest of the vehicle feels steady the front b ... read more

Who wouldn't want to find the best mechanic torepair and maintain their vehicle? One great way to find a good local mechanic in the New Orleans Area is to ask your friends, co-workers and relatives. Your friends are probablylooking for the same qualities in a mechanic that you are, so that could be your best source. If no one in your circle has a good recommendation, no need to stress! !he internet can save the day!A great start to finding a good local mechanic is assimple as searching “auto repair near me” or “mechanic near me.” If you are looking for an auto shop that is organized and professional, they will most probably have a good web presence. While you are browsing the web, take a look at the online reviews. You can get an idea of what your experience will be like by reading about other peoples experiences. We recommend checking at least 2 different sources. If you are moving away from the New Orleans area or are trying to help someone in another pa ... read more

Vehicles have been designed to detect emissions or engine management related failures. When your vehicle detects a failure in a system, the check engine light will illuminate.If your check engine light is on, that is your vehicle’s way of letting you know to get it in a shop as soon as possible. This is not normally an immediate emergency and you can still continue to use the vehicle. The check engine light can come on for something as simple as a loose gas cap or one of over a thousand different other reasons.   If your check engine light is flashing that is your vehicle's way of letting you know there is a damaging event occurring. Continuing to use the vehicle could result in damage to the catalytic converter or the engine. If your check engine light is flashing you should bring your vehicle to a shop, and stop regular use of the vehicle until it is repaired. A flashing check engine light is your vehicle letting you know something more serious is going on. Let the ... read more

When should you replace your tires? Tires are a wear item on your vehicle, they provide traction to help accelerate, stop and keep your vehicle in control. Tires should be replaced if they have under 4/32 of an inch of tread or if they are more than 5 years old. Tires with low tread can cause the vehicle to have an increased stopping distance and cause the vehicle to be more likely to hydroplane in wet weather. Old tires need to be changed because the rubber and the chemical bonds that keep the layers of the tire together deteriorate over time. Old tires are far more likely to separate, overheat and cause a blow out than new tires. Some signs of a worn tire are a wobble or shake, a hum or buzz noise while driving. Any large defects or injuries in the tread or sidewall of a tire may also be a reason to replace the tire.   Since your safety is our priority, we include checking tires in our digital inspection, we will check the age, tread depth and condition of your tires at every ... read more

Does your brake pedal feel hard? Have you noticed that it takes longer to stop your vehicle and sometimes you worry it isn't going to stop in time? There are a couple reasons your brake pedal could feel hard.   A hard brake pedal can be a sign of failure in your brake booster. Your brake booster uses either engine vacuum or power steering pressure to multiply the force put on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle. If there is a problem with the boosters ability to hold pressure or with the pump or engine vacuum supplied to the booster it could create a hard brake pedal and the sensation that your vehicle is not able to stop. Leaking engine vacuum can cause a brake pedal to feel hard. Some vehicles use a Vacuum pump to create vacuum for the booster and a failed pump can cause a hard brake pedal. On brake systems that use power steering fluid to create pressure, a leak or failure in the power steering system can cause a brake pedal to feel hard. Another reason your brake pedal ... read more

There are a couple reasons the brakes on your vehicle could be squeaking.   The first is if your vehicle has been sitting for several days. Sometimes surface rust can develop on the stopping surface of your brake rotors, causing a squeak noise during your first few brake applications. This is not a safety concern and this will normally stop after a few brake applications.   The second reason could be that your brakes are low and in need of replacement. Some vehicles have metal tabs that act as wear indications to let the driver know when the brakes are low by squeaking. But even vehicles without those indicators built in, will often squeak when the brakes are very low and ready for a Brake Repair.   At Tim’s Quality Car Care we are dedicated to keeping our clients in safe and reliable transportation. Brakes are a big part of our safety focus. We try to help our clients plan their vehicle maintenance and repair by inspecting every vehicle before we service. At e ... read more