New Orleans Auto Repair

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 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

Many newer vehicles have smart charging systems. The vehicle takes into account the age and degradation of the battery and alters the charging system accordingly. In order to properly install a new battery in many later model vehicles a factory level scan tool is needed. After installation a technician needs to register the battery to the vehicle. We need to “tell the car” it has a new battery. Not registering a battery to a vehicle will cause the vehicle to charge and maintain the new battery in the same way it was charging the degraded old battery. Many times this causes the new battery to gas and overheat from being overcharged. The abuse of the charging system will significantly shorten the life of a battery. Following manufacturers’ procedures while servicing and repairing vehicles is very important … even when it comes to replacing batteries. Not all vehicles require battery registering. At Tim’s we not only check every battery on every vehicle tha ... read more